Free In Too Deep by R.W. Shannon Page B

grilled Duncan on his business partnership with Blake. He told her that he had known Blake for over fifteen years. Duncan ran a security firm that used Blake’s services often. When she didn’t understand why that would be the case, Blake tried to explain it to her. It was, he said, because of the clientele that hired Duncan. Analeigh listened, but it sounded like a load of bullshit to her. However, she decided to wait until she’d collected more evidence of his mistruths before she busted him on it.
    Two hours easily passed. Analeigh genuinely liked the couple. She could see herself becoming friends with Brooklyn. At the end of the night, Blake walked them to the elevator. While he was gone, Analeigh began to clean up the dishes, then stopped. What was in that envelope Brooklyn gave Blake? Curiosity got the better of her, and Analeigh found herself in Blake’s office. The envelope sat on top of a stack of papers. Her hands shook when she picked it up. There was no writing on the outside of the sealed plain, white, eight by eleven envelope.
    Analeigh held it up to the light. She saw pages inside, but couldn’t make out the writing on them. With a sigh, she glanced down at the desk to put the envelope back in place. Her own name in a pile of papers caught her eye. After dropping the envelope, she picked up the pages. It was a background check. Complete with her name, contact information, and a list of her family members. It was run a few days after they had met in Dublin. Why would he do that?
    “Find what you’re looking for?” Blake asked.
    Analeigh jumped. She looked toward the doorway. Blake leaned against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed angry. Whatever. By all rights, she was the one who should be angry with him.
    “You did a background check on me?” It was more of a statement than a question.
    “Yes.”
    “Why?”
    He exhaled. “I’ve explained that I have to be careful of who I let get next to me.”
    “Even me?”
    “Yes.”
    She held up the papers. “But to go this far is a little extreme, don’t you think?”
    Blake pushed away from the door frame and stepped into the room. He moved toward her, took the papers from her hand, and tossed them in the trash. When he finally looked at her, his gaze was full of tenderness.
    “I had to be sure about you,” he stated. “That you wouldn’t have been trying to get close to me in order to kill me.”
    Analeigh frowned. “I would think that you’re joking, but you sound serious.”
    “I am.”
    Her knees began to weaken. It felt like her world was about to crash around her. She moved to his desk chair and sat down. He twisted around to watch her. Suddenly, she realized she didn’t know this man walking towards her. Had she really fallen in love with a stranger? Who exactly was Blake Callahan? If that was his real name.
    Blake perched on the edge of the desk. When he reached for her hand, she jerked it out of his grasp.
    “Is your name really Blake Callahan?”
    “Yes.”
    “Talk to me,” she said. “Are you a drug dealer?”
    He chuckled. “No. I’m the one that goes after the ones that have gotten too dangerous to live.”
    She stiffened. “You’re not a lawyer.”
    “No. I’m not even close to being one.”
    “That’s why Brooklyn’s voice is on your business greeting. It’s a cover.”
    “Yes.”
    Analeigh shifted to sit on the edge of the chair. “What are you?”
    Blake took in a long, deep breath. He released it, then answered her. “I work for an agency of international assassins. Brooklyn’s my boss, Duncan my partner.”
    “They kill people too?”
    With a wince, he paused, then said, “Yes.”
    Her whole body trembled. All this time, she’d been sleeping next to a murderer and never knew it. Suddenly, his trips abroad made sense. As was his cryptic statement the other day that her life would be in danger. She lifted her hands to run them through her hair. The memory of the man dying on the plane