Free Codename: Romeo by Kat Attalla Page A

Nobody important.”
    A long silence hung between them. Victoria was no fool. Obviously, she’d begun to replay the events in her mind from a clearer perspective.
    She pushed out of his arms and stood above him. Wariness replaced her earlier fear. “How did you know what he was looking for?”
    “Just calm down, Tori. You’ve had a scare….” He came to his feet. She backed away.
    Her gaze rested on his face. “Why aren’t we calling the police, Erik?”
    “We will in a minute.” He tried to reach for her again but she evaded him. “Why don’t you sit down and we’ll talk this out.”
    She shook her head. “Who are you?” Her words rang with chilling emotion.
    Before he could answer, Daniels walked back in through the open kitchen door. “He vanished. He must have had a ride waiting. Everything all right here?”
    “You guys with the water company always carry guns? There must be a lot of alligators in the sewers,” she noted angrily.
    Erik folded his arms across his chest and rested against the counter. “We’re not with the water company.”
    “No kidding? Well, you’re obviously not with the police since you’re not calling in for a forensics team.” She looked back and forth between the two men. Her eyes took on an icy glare. “NSB?”
    “Yes.”
    She closed her eyes and let out a groan. “Great. Just great.”
    “We need to ask you a few questions.” He stroked a finger along her arm.
    She swatted his hand away. “If you needed to talk to me, why were you down in my basement working on the pipes?”
    The two men exchanged glances. “Why don’t you explain things to her while I call this in?” Daniels backed out of the room, heading for the front door. His lousy partner was leaving him with an angry woman and a room full of kitchen knives.
    Victoria followed Daniels into the living room. “You can take your lying pal with you. I have nothing to say to either of you.” Daniels shrugged apologetically and made a quick exit.
    “Tori….” Erik called after her.
    She whirled towards him. “Don’t call me that.”
    With surprisingly sure-footed steps, she prowled around the room, running her fingers along the edges of tables, lifting lamps and sidestepping the clutter. She unscrewed the mouthpiece from the receiver of the phone. “You bugged my house?”
    Every time he took a step closer, she moved further away. “If you would just sit down for a second—”
    “No, I won’t sit down.” She paced the perimeter, surveying the damage. “I don’t understand why you guys are here. I haven’t worked for Quantech in six years. Anything I knew is long since obsolete.”
    She was either the coolest spy he’d come across or completely clueless about what just happened to her. But if she wasn’t involved, why had Becker sent his henchman after the disc? “Listen. I know you’re upset, but I need some information.”
    “Am I under arrest?”
    “No.”
    “Fine.” She drew up in front of him and, despite her smaller size, left him with no doubt she would not hesitate to do physical damage. “Then I want you out of my house.”
    “I can’t do that. Your visitor might return.” He braced himself for a fight.
    She paled slightly and retreated a couple of steps. The expected argument didn’t materialize. She obviously accepted that he wasn’t going to leave her alone until he secured the area.
    “Is there someone I could call for you?”
    “I can make a call for myself. I’m not quite the idiot you take me for, Mr. Sanders.”
    “I never thought you—”
    “Save it!” She stormed down the hall to her room and went inside. Her door slammed with a house shattering bang. He gave her some needed space. When she cooled off and considered the seriousness of her situation she would talk to him.
    Or maybe not.
    Face it, Sanders, she’s more than angry.
    He lied, he cheated, and he used. Right now, he felt lower than pond scum. He betrayed a woman he cared about in the name of his job.