Targeted

confirmation.”

She blinked. “Back door?”

“It would give them remote access to your files if set up right.” His fingers clacked away on the keyboard at rapid speed, as if he was barely aware of her presence.

Okay, then. She scrubbed a hand over her face, but when the doorknob rattled, Sophie completely froze. As the door swung open it was as if everything around her moved in slow motion. Benson, one of her coworkers, walked in. His face turned a dark shade of crimson when he spotted her.

Immediately her gaze riveted back to the desk, but Jack was gone. What the hell?

“Sophie, what are you doing here?” Benson asked.

“This is my office.” She took a few steps backward and leaned against the edge of the desk, hoping her action seemed casual.

“Ronald said you were out sick.”

She ignored the comment. “Did you need something?”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean . . . That is . . .” He cleared his throat and held out some sort of postcard. “I just wanted to invite you to see my band play this weekend.”

She stared dumbly at what he was offering. “Your band?”

“Yeah, I thought maybe we could have a couple drinks before my show,” he mumbled.

Oh no. No, no, no. She did not have time for this. “I actually have plans this weekend, but I should let you know that I’m dating someone.”

“Of course you are,” he mumbled, the crimson flush spreading all the way to his neck and ears.

“Listen, Benson, I don’t date coworkers anyway, so—”

Looking away, he took a step back toward the door. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll see ya around.”

Before she could respond, he’d shut the door behind him. She quickly locked it, then sagged against the solid door. “Jack?” she whispered.

He popped up from behind the desk. “Did you lock the door?”

“Yeah.”

Jack pulled a flash stick out of his pocket and plugged it in. Then he glanced at his watch. “I found a very well-hidden back door. It’s closed now, but I’m taking everything from your computer.”

“Do you know who planted it?”

“Nope, but I will find out.” There was a steely edge to his voice that left no doubt in her mind that he would. “And it’s time to call Weller.”

She pulled the phone from her back pocket and cursed her trembling hand. “What if he won’t move the meeting time?”

“Make him do it.” He didn’t even look up from her computer as he spoke, which made her feel a little better.

Jack acted as if she should have no problem getting Ronald to agree. Which meant her sexy spy trusted her. Except he wasn’t hers and she needed to stop thinking like that.

She glanced at the wall clock behind Jack’s head. Almost seven. With a shaking hand she dialed Ronald’s office number. After three rings, she frowned. Maybe he wasn’t even there.

When he finally answered, his voice sounded odd. “Hello?”

“Ronald, it’s me.”

There was a long pause. “What do you want?”

She frowned at his brusque tone. “We need to meet now.”

“Now? Are you in the building?” There was a note of panic in his voice.

“No, but I will be soon. I’ll be in your office in five.” She disconnected before he could argue.

“Something’s not right,” Sophie said to Jack.

He stood as he pulled the flash drive from her computer. “What do you mean?”

“He sounded . . . funny. I can’t explain it.”

Jack pulled a gun from his shoulder holster. “We’re going to do things a little differently, then.”

As he headed for the door, she placed what she hoped was a firm hand on his chest. “You won’t need a gun with Ronald.”

“Sophie, we’re doing this my way. I need to know you won’t question any decisions I make in the next twenty minutes. I can’t do my job if I’m worrying about you.”

She glared at him. “I can’t believe you think you even have to say that.”

“Well, you’ve refused one of my orders. Twice.”

She gritted her teeth. “It’s because that order is asinine. You need to let that shit go.” After everything they’d been through, she trusted Jack with her life. He might be a little intimidating, and okay, scary, when he wanted to be—she still couldn’t get over how calm he’d been when he shot those two men—but it was clear he knew what he was doing and wanted to protect her. Hell, he’d kept them alive this long.

He blinked once, as if she’d surprised him, but didn’t respond as he unlocked the door. Sophie stayed close to him as they entered the outer office area.

As they crept down the hallway toward Ronald’s office, sweat trickled down her spine. The door was closed, so Jack pressed his back against the wall and motioned to her.

“If anything happens, I’m right here.” His quiet voice was so soothing it stilled all the nerves running rampant inside her. She could do this.

Trust didn’t come easy for her—never had—but the longer she was around this man, the more she found she actually wanted to trust everything he said to her. She connected with him on a fundamental level that almost defied logic. The only other person she’d felt that way about was Sam. Her protector and lover. And Jack was only one of those at this point.

Nodding once, Sophie knocked and opened the door at the same time, hoping her fear wasn’t showing. Jack stood to the right of the door, unseen to anyone inside, but his presence made her feel better. Safer. She stepped in and gasped.

The blinds were drawn, Ronald sat in his chair behind the desk, and her assistant, Mandy, stood two feet away from him. And she was holding a gun.

“Mandy? Why do you have a gun?” Sophie asked loudly.

“Shut the door.” Her assistant trained the gun in Sophie’s direction.

By the firm way she held it, Sophie guessed she knew how to use it too. She paused but did as she said.

“Now move over next to him.”

“What are you doing?” Sophie asked.

Mandy, no longer the sweet assistant Sophie had come to enjoy working with, rolled her eyes. Suddenly she looked older, her gaze remote and icy. “Making a lot of money, that’s what.”

She glanced at Ronald for confirmation, but he simply shook his head as if he was confused by this.

“Stand up, Ronald,” Mandy ordered.

“Are you going to kill both of us? How can you think you’ll get away with this?” Sophie asked. It probably wouldn’t be that hard, but she just wanted to keep the woman talking.

“I’m only killing you. Rather, Ronald is.”

“What?” Her boss finally spoke, horror in his voice.

Mandy rolled her eyes again and spoke to Ronald as if Sophie weren’t in the room. “I’m not giving you the gun, you moron. We’re going down to the parking garage and I’m killing her. It will look like you did, though. If you try to cross Vargas, he’ll send the evidence to the police.”

Sophie looked at her boss. Dark circles under his eyes stood out against his pale face. Out of the corner of her eye, Sophie could see the door slowly opening. Mandy had her back facing the door and it took all of Sophie’s willpower not to look in that direction.

Unfortunately she wasn’t so sure about Ronald. It was stupid. Probably the stupidest thing she’d ever done, but she turned to Ronald and started yelling at him. Somehow she had to distract Mandy and give Jack an opening. If Mandy had wanted Sophie dead, the other woman would have shot her the moment she walked in the door. But it was clear she wanted to do the job downstairs. Probably because dragging a bleeding body through the building