Chapter 3 #2
“To be honest,” Julia began, “I’m hoping to have a meeting with a plastic surgeon.
He’s well-known, always traveling to meet elite clients, and he’s impossible to get a one-on-one with unless you’re a real somebody.
I found an opportunity, and so, I’m taking it.
” Technically, that wasn’t totally a lie.
“You want plastic surgery?” Harper looked her up and down, and her tone of voice called bullshit. “You know I used to work for the CIA, right? I’m not an idiot.”
Blunt. “Yeah, I know.”
Harper lifted her head away from the wall, pinning her shoulders back as her dark brown eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Secrets are dangerous.” Her gaze quickly moved to Roman as he laughed at something it appeared Finn had said.
Finn had an arm slung around Roman’s shoulder, his back no longer to Julia so she could see his white teeth as he laughed at Roman’s response.
You have a great smile.
Finn really was a handsome guy in a rugged, mountain-man-reared-in-Boston kind of way.
Which meant he looked like he fit in whether he was teaching self-defense classes or hanging out in a trendy Tribeca bar.
His brownish-black hair was thick and had a slight wave to it when he wasn’t wearing his hat, similar to Roman’s.
His jaw was masculine and strong and covered in a light dusting of facial hair.
While his nose might be considered a bit wide, it fit him perfectly.
His lips, fully visible now that he’d closely trimmed his beard, were a bit dry like he’d spent lots of hours outdoors and needed a good Chapstick.
Or a woman who wore great Chapstick. And last, but no less attractive, were the crinkles at the edges of his green eyes that appeared whenever he smiled or laughed.
She thought back to the first time she met Finn in his self-defense class in January.
The man had taken her breath away from the moment he’d said hello.
And even though he was listed as the instructor, there were weeks when he’d missed a few classes.
Now she knew why—he was off doing mysterious stuff.
Finn had taught his students more than just martial arts moves and self-awareness techniques.
His classes had also focused on how to get out of zip ties or escape a locked car trunk.
She hoped she’d never have to use those skills, but when Mya began investigating the case, Julia decided she ought to be prepared for anything life might throw her way.
“We can do the whole back-and-forth thing for the duration of this long flight, but it’d be easier if you just fess up now.”
Julia looked back at Harper. Her directness should’ve been expected because she had been in the CIA, and yet, Julia still felt unprepared for it.
People didn’t talk to her like that. They danced around the truth and walked on eggshells here and there since she was the boss, and sometimes she could be intimidating, she supposed.
They didn’t call her on her shit, well, except for Finn since day one as her bodyguard when she began her performance as the villain in the story.
But no, she was trying to find the villain. She had to. Because she refused to accept all the lies everyone kept telling her, and she was worried Michael was starting to believe those lies as well.
“Secrets are dangerous,” Harper continued as Julia’s heartbeat only ramped up as she tried to find the words to share.
“Roman kept some pretty big truths from me and the team because he thought he was keeping us safe. And now he makes me breakfast in bed every morning, among other things, in an effort to apologize for what he did.” A quick grin met Harper’s lips at whatever “among other things” meant.
“He doesn’t need to say he’s sorry anymore because it all worked out, but I kind of like the—”
“Orgasms and eggs?”
Harper chuckled, and both Roman and Finn swung their gazes their way.
Shit, how loud did I say that? And Roman blushed. Didn’t see that coming.
Finn simply looked amused, lifted a brow, then looked back at Wyatt, who was talking to Chris and A.J. about something that looked sort of important based on the concerned look in their eyes.
“As I was saying, secrets are bad.”
“Not from where I’m standing,” Julia teased. “But no, I get it,” she added in a more serious tone.
“Chris’s fiancée, Rory, kept stuff from him and she regretted it. We got kidnapped, came up against wannabe pirates, the whole nine yards of crazy danger. If she’d been upfront and honest—”
“I don’t have secrets. I’m just trying to help someone,” Julia finally gave in.
“Who are you trying to help?”
Julia’s gaze fell to her lap, and she drew in a deep breath.
If she revealed any more, they’d feel obligated to tell her brother, and he’d lose his mind when he found out she’d lied to him when she promised to let him handle the situation.
But the legal way wasn’t working, so what choice did she have but to go around the law?
“Someone I care about is in trouble, and I’m trying to help him. That’s the extent of it. I’m not in danger. Please trust me.” Julia dipped her hand into her bag and grabbed her Kindle.
“He’ll get the truth from you at some point.”
Julia looked at the “him” Harper was referring to, not expecting to see Finn peering straight at her, lips parted as if he had so much he wanted to say but wouldn’t cut across the ten feet of space to get to her and say it.
“I hope it’s not too late,” Harper added before popping to her feet and joining her teammates. Roman pulled her tight to his side, and his hand slid up and down the small of her back.
Julia did her best to look away and opened her Kindle.
It wasn’t a romance but rather a true crime story. A murder mystery. Which was fitting since she had her own true crime to solve and three weeks left to do it before someone she cared about was executed.