Free Sweet Seduction Sayonara by Nicola Claire Page B

shoulder, blonde, tousled hair falling down around a pretty, but hard face. Charlie’s seen it all. And sometimes it shows. Even if she is the most beautiful spy I’ve ever seen.
    Not that I meet spies all the time or anything.
    I close my eyes and let out a defeated breath of air.
    “Can I have you sign a confidentiality agreement?” I find myself blurting.
    “Jesus, Finn,” Nick exclaims. “You don’t need that. You’re family.”
    I appreciate the sentiment. But Koki is more family than me.
    “I just need to know this won’t leave this office,” I explain.
    “Of course it won’t,” Nick snaps. “ASI is more than capable of keeping it in house. And quite frankly, I resent the implication that we wouldn’t.”
    “Not in house,” I say, meeting his eye. “In here. In this office. Between just us three.”
    Nick is motionless, no expression on his face. But I see the cogs turning behind that frosty stare.
    His eyes finally flick to Charlie. She nods her head at his silent question.
    “We’ll sign whatever you want,” Nick says.
    I feel like an absolute chump.
    “Just give me your word,” I say, my voice a rasp.
    “You have it,” Nick offers immediately.
    “Same here,” Charlie adds beside me.
    I believe them. I trust them. I should never have asked for a signature on a legally binding document. Even if it is my go-to option when backed into a corner. Fuck the Triads.
    “OK,” I say, rolling my shoulders. “I helped someone out on Friday night in High Street.”
    “Outside Sweet Seduction?” Nick prompts.
    “Yeah.”
    “Should we know who?”
    I’d like to think it wouldn’t make a difference. But knowing why the Triads are after me is really the key to finding a way to stop them. I’ve come this far. I trust them. I have to do this.
    “Momoko Tanaka.”
    I swear the temperature in the room plummets several degrees. Or it could be my overtaxed imagination.
    “In what way did you help Koki’s sister out?” Nick says, letting me know he’s aware of who exactly Momoko is.
    “Two guys with Triad tattoos tried to stuff her into the back of a black van. I intervened.”
    “You intervened?” Charlie asks. “How?”
    “Car door to the head, baseball bat to the other.”
    She smiles. I think she might be impressed.
    “And Momoko?” Nick asks. “What was she doing while this was happening?”
    I wonder if he knows she’s martially trained. Then I see the glint in his eyes and I get my answer.
    He’s not sure whether to believe me.
    “She was in hand to hand with one guy while I dealt with the other. Then I saw the opportunity to assist her when I was done. So, took out hers as well.”
    “Took out?” Charlie says, and this time it’s accompanied by a snort.
    I raise my eyebrows at her. “Yeah, took out.”
    Nick doesn’t say anything for a moment, and then asks, “Who got rid of the guys and the van afterwards.”
    And this is where it gets messy.
    “Koki.”
    I’m not too sure of every tick Nick Anscombe has, but I’m pretty sure the face that stares across the desk at me is riled. Severely riled. Koki is keeping things from his boss.
    “Go to work, Finn,” he says. “Act as if nothing has happened. Charlie will investigate the Triads, see what’s got them hot right now. I’ll look into the Tanakas. Quietly,” he adds. Whether for my benefit or his, I’m unsure. “Eric will have your house wired and watched by the time you get home tonight. We’ll deal with this one step at a time. But for now, just go back to work and act as if you haven’t done anything wrong.”
    “Have I done something wrong?” I ask, dreading the answer.
    Nick shrugs. I glance at Charlie. She’s unreadable. I’ve got a very bad feeling about all of this.
    I want answers, but Nick doesn’t have them. There’s nothing for me to do, but do what he says. I nod my head, shake his and Charlie’s hands, and then walk out of the building. I don’t get that creepy feeling when I cross to my car