Free My Spy by Christina Skye Page B

beach is out. If you stay inside the resort, you should be safe. For the moment.”
    “That's ridiculous.”
    “No, that's standard operating procedure,” Izzy said calmly. “Remember to lock up after me. I'll be listening.”

Chapter Eleven
    S AM WAS HALF-DRESSED AND STRUGGLING TO STAND UP WHEN Annie checked on him at dawn.
    “What do you think you're doing?”
    “Getting dressed.”
    Irritated, Annie moved in front of him. “Why didn't you call me?”
    “After shaking you out in the middle of the night, I figured you were entitled to your sleep.”
    “If there's a problem, call me. That's what I'm here for.” Annie studied his face. “How's the pain?”
    He was pale but determined. “Better than it was. I want to start my therapy today.”
    “Fine. We'll begin with some stretches, then see what comes next.”
    “Don't pull your punches,” he said flatly. “I'm here to work.” He looked down, frowning. “What happened to your feet?”
    “Just some blisters from running. Let's get started on knee extensions with your right leg.” Annie watched him carefully as she adjusted the position of his knee.
    His face was strained, but he gave no sign of complaint.
    “Good. Now let's run through some triceps work on your right arm.” She handed him a ten-pound dumbbell. He gripped the weight easily, moving it up and down in a smooth motion that showed he was no stranger to free weights. Of course the left arm would be the real challenge. “Now another set.”
    His eyes narrowed as she gave him a heavier weight. He curled his fingers awkwardly, breathing in little puffs. After half a set, his muscles rebelled.
    “Take it slow.” Annie resisted the temptation to help him complete the move, knowing he had to find his own limits, even if they were painfully less than he hoped. When she finally called a halt ten minutes later after another set of exercises with his good arm, Sam was sweating.
    She followed up with a slow massage to cool him down and relax him.
    “How about some breakfast after this?”
    “Great,” he murmured, eyes closed. “I'll have steak rare, with an extra helping of steak rare. Oh, yeah, steak rare on the side.”
    “Very funny.” She headed for the kitchen and returned with a tray. “You've got two poached eggs, one grapefruit, and oatmeal on the side.”
    “Oatmeal? You must be kidding.”
    “Complex carbohydrate with tons of fiber. Great food value for the calories.”
    Sam examined the bowl as if it were pond scum. “Who cares about food value? There's a steak somewhere with my name on it.”
    “It will still be there tomorrow. Try your eggs.”
    As she held out Sam's plate, the phone rang.
    “Annie,” her assistant said, “we've got a problem down here. Someone stole the new shipment.”
    “Not the organic Hungarian facial gel?”
    “Gone. All twelve boxes.”
    “Try the linen room. There's a new woman in housekeeping and she may have moved them by mistake.”
    “Will do.”
    When she put down the phone, Sam's eggs were gone and he was grinning. “Hungarian facial gel?”
    “Don't knock it. Those bottles cost two hundred dollars an ounce.”
    “Good thing I don't need my pores cleaned.”
    Annie gave him a measured stare. “I don't know about that.”
    He glared. “No way. Don't even think about it. Things could get nasty fast.”
    Annie took his plate. “Funny, Izzy said the same thing.”
    The phone rang again, and this time it was Annie's chef. “I told you this would happen. Last night they got all my baby carrots. Damned rabbits—I swear I'm going to shoot them all.”
    “I'll talk to Reynaldo, and we'll get the carrots fenced off this afternoon.”
    “It's me or those rabbits, Annie. You can consider that an ultimatum.”
    Sam's brow rose as Annie put down the phone. “More trouble?”
    “Rabbits got the baby carrots.”
    “That's serious?”
    “Trust me, it's the worst. It's the rabbits or my head chef and I'll never find anyone half as creative as