Page 20 of Made of Steele
“Okay.” She leaned closer, trying to get the relaxed Drew back instead of the guy Dylan who looked like he’d taken over. She already missed Drew.
Oh girl. You are so in for a world of hurt here!
6
Drew chugged his tea and thankfully, Teagan stopped looking at him, her eyes sultry, suggestive. She likely didn’t know she’d been doing it, but there was an interest between them for sure. Good for the op when she pretended to date him, not good for his sanity.
He swallowed and looked over her shoulder to get his head into the game. He needed to ask about her experience in undercover work and give her a fast primer on UC protocols. “You ever go undercover before?”
She shook her head. “I always thought it was interesting, but my family connections were too strong to consider it.”
“Then why do you think you can do this now?”
“Most UC assignments at Clackamas were long-term. Six months or more. I couldn’t commit to that. But you’re finalizing things here, and I figure I can do it for a short time before my family starts to get too nosey for me to handle.”
“I guess it’s not like you’ll be doing much more than dating me. That shouldn’t raise too many questions.”
She arched an eyebrow and gave him a pointed look. “First, you don’t know my family. Nosey is a nice way of putting things. And second, I thought we were partners in the op.”
“Partners?” He figured this might come up at some point but not before they even got started.
“You didn’t say no when I said I would accompany you tonight.”
“But I didn’t agree to it either.”
“Okay, I see.” She leaned back and draped an arm over a chair, appearing relaxed but her steady gaze said she was anything but. “Look. I get it. You didn’t know what to do with me. You want me to help in the least intrusive way and keep my mouth shut. But I’m here to say I want to be involved beyond dating, and I need you to figure out how to make that happen.”
He leaned across the table, not taking his focus from her. “Going undercover isn’t simple. It takes skills and practice. You have neither. I don’t have time to babysit you or properly train you, and I can’t have you screw this up.”
“I won’t. You can be assured of that. I can play the dumb girlfriend. But first, you have to tell me about what you’re doing so we can figure out a way for me to fit in.”
He wanted to sigh and at the same time congratulate her for her determination. She was the kind of woman who would keep him interested for life. He hardly knew her, but he knew that for sure. “You won’t back down, will you?”
“Keeping our company safe from scandal is the most important thing to me right now. I won’t tell anyone about you or what happened no matter what you decide to do, but let me help or I’ll find a way to do it myself.” She sat up, her rigid posture made of steel. Or Steele.
He had to work hard not to slam his fist on the table. He was equal parts irritated with her and impressed with her ability to stand up for herself. That trait would work well in the UC world. He should probably call Harris to tell her he planned to read Teagan in, but Harris would likely tell him to find a way around Teagan’s demands. He could tell Teagan had her mind set, and he wouldn’t change it. So better to ask Harris for forgiveness. Later. Much later.
He took a cue from the earlier calmer Teagan and sat back, feigning relaxation. “What do you know about stolen antiquities from Iraq?”
“Only that it’s a big deal and both ICE and the FBI investigate it.”
So nothing.“We’re investigating items imported from Iraq. It became a problem in 2003 with the US invasion of the country and has continued to be abig deal. First, the Iraq Museum in Baghdad was looted. Some of the antiquities were recovered, but when security fell apart during our invasion, thieves also dug hundreds of holes into mounds where ancient cities are buried. Archeologists believe there are five thousand or more of these cities—tells—still to be properly excavated. The sites aren’t protected in any way, and there are always people out to make money on the antiquities buried there.”
“What a shame. Our attempt to help these people caused this problem.” She turned her glass in circles, but kept her gaze trained on him. “I’ve always wondered what the difference is between artifacts and antiquities.”
“Antiquities refer to ancient times, which is what we are dealing with here. Iraq itself is three thousand years old and some of these cities are four thousand.”
The waitress approached carrying their food so Drew stopped the conversation and let her settle the plates on the table. He quickly told her they would like tea refills to encourage her to move on.
“Mind if I say grace?” he asked Teagan.
“Not at all.” She held her hand out to him.
Not something he expected. He clasped it and the warmth shot straight to his heart. Not in a romantic kind of way, but as if coming home. Belonging. Calm.
He offered a prayer for their food and for the operation that night. His mother and how he’d neglected her for the past year came to mind and his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and lifted his head, determined not to get personal with Teagan again. She was unearthing all sorts of things that should remain buried.
It felt good to talk to someone about his real life after being UC for so long. To pray aloud in a restaurant again, too. That was freeing and wonderful at the same time. Sure, he shouldn’t have. The Contis could have someone watching him and Teagan, but he’d already scanned the room multiple times and didn’t see anyone paying even the slightest hint of attention to them.
