Page 14 of Deadly Charade

“Dying to know.”

She laughed. “In college, Violet had a roommate who ‘borrowed’ her things without asking. As an only child, she never had to share before and this horrified her.”

“I’ll back up Violet on this one. Not asking is stealing.”

“Agreed, but still . . . Anyway, when AirTags became a thing, she went a little overboard buying them and attaching them to anything that had sentimental value.”

“Interesting.”

“She is.”

“So, give me a rundown of the place. I poked around a bit but want your opinion. Any security concerns?”

She liked the way he got down to business. “The main floor has this nice open concept, giving us an entire view of the front and back doors at any point. The basement has an entryway, but it’s got a nice deadbolt. The second and third floors have two bedrooms each.”

She walked to the back French doors that opened onto a glass terrace. “The balcony area is above a two-car garage, which has a doorway to the basement stairs. Again, deadbolted. Stairs off the outdoor space lead to the brick driveway. A thick brick wall separates the units. They built this place with privacy in mind.”

“I don’t like how big this community is.” Bryce tapped on his keyboard. “I’m on their website, and they have eighty units in this subdivision. Behind the woods out back is another row of homes. The nature adds some nice privacy for the residents but could be a security spot we need to cover.”

“I’ll make sure we tell the other agents our concerns.” Kira moved back to Bryce and glanced around the spacious home. “I might be able to get used to a place like this. Even if it is temporary.”

Bryce walked to the refrigerator and opened it. “Your loft apartment seemed pretty fancy.”

She rolled her eyes. “I share the place with two other women. I definitely couldn’t afford a place like that without roommates, and even that’s stretching my budget. We each have a bedroom, but I share a bathroom with Everly. I could fit my entire apartment in this one room and have space to build a swimming pool.” She waved her arms for dramatic effect.

“At least the kitchen is fully stocked. We have plenty of food in the refrigerator and pantry for a week.”

“Quick question. Are you a coffee drinker or a tea drinker?”

He smiled. “Coffee drinker. I need that jolt of caffeine to keep me going.”

“I think we’ll get along fine, then. I can’t live without my coffee either, so there’d better be a coffee maker or I quit.”

“Would you settle for an espresso bar?” He pointed to the counter along the back wall, next to the immense refrigerator.

“This kitchen is a dream.” The amenities in this place were incredible, and she gaped at the fancy latte maker that easily cost a thousand dollars.

Bryce raised a brow at her. “It might be high-end, but I don’t really cook, so I have no idea.”

She stood on the opposite side of the bar from Bryce, his laptop, papers, and pens all neatly lined up. “Don’t worry. We won’t starve. I like to cook.”

He stared at her with those intense green eyes. “I wouldn’t have expected that, but you continue to surprise me.”

Good. She planned to keep the man on his toes. “I’m going to bring my bags upstairs and take a better look around,” Kira said, already heading toward the stairwell.

“Sounds good. I’m going to log on and check some emails and will be right behind you.”

His voice faded on the last couple of words. She probably should get used to waiting for a reply from Bryce before taking off. She smirked. But he also needed to keep up with her.

She’d already picked out her bedroom on the second floor, facing the front. The expansive layout would give each of them plenty of space, and each room had its own en suite bathroom. She tossed her bags on the queen bed, staking her claim. The picture window faced the front, giving her a nice overview of the entrance. She reminded herself not to get too comfortable, but the place oozed indulgence at every turn.

Bryce rounded the corner. He pointed to the master bedroom, complete with Jacuzzi hot tub in the oversized attached bathroom. “I guess I’ll be taking the back room. It’s a lot of space but has a great view of the back of the house. It also shares a wall with the Dominiks. The two other agents can set up surveillance equipment on the top floor. That gives them the largest view of the area. They’ll be posing as our staff and take the night watches. It’s not like we don’t have plenty of bedrooms for everyone.”

Did this man have an off switch, or was he just all about work? She wanted to pry into his personal life but at the same time didn’t want to intrude. It wasn’t her business, and as someone who valued privacy more than most, she kept her questions to herself.

They headed back to the kitchen.

Bryce sat back at the bar. Kira had to admit it was a good spot to work. He could be outside through the balcony door in an instant, but he was close enough to the living room window in the front so he could watch for signs of trouble on both sides of the house.