Page 25 of Deadly Charade

Sweat trickled down Bryce’s back, despite the cool temperature of the room. He texted Kira one word. Stuck.

No response. But it wasn’t like he or Kira could do anything, other than burn the place down to get everyone to evacuate. And he’d consider doing this if it secured his freedom. But the FBI probably wouldn’t appreciate the hefty bill for rebuilding an entire brownstone neighborhood.

Someone slammed something onto the desk, and Alex said in English, “We better return to our guests. And you need to find Isaac.”

Footsteps pounded and the door closed behind the men. Bryce counted to thirty. He exited the office, satisfied that the coast was clear.

He rushed toward the living room and nearly collided with Natalia. She gaped at him, then snapped her lips shut. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

He swiveled his head around and realized he was caught at the wrong end of the hallway. Had she seen him duck out of the office? “I got lost coming out of the restroom and took a wrong turn. I’m heading back to the living room.”

Her brows lifted in an arch, doubt flickering in her eyes.

“I promise, Natalia. I simply got lost and now I’m embarrassed.”

The maid nodded. “Hurry. You’d better return or they will wonder what happened.”

“Thank you.”

She smiled, and he raced down the hall to rejoin the party in the living room.

The second he turned the corner, Kira stared daggers at him, clearly communicating that they had to get out of the house. Alex raised a brow at Bryce.

“I’m so sorry,” Bryce said. “I took a wrong turn coming out of the bathroom. Your house is beautiful, but it’s a maze.” All true enough.

“Ah, yes,” Ivan said. The man leaned a little too close to Kira on the couch, while Sophia sandwiched her in on the other side. “I told Alex to choose a different unit with an open concept. Too many closed-off rooms give the place a dungeonous feel.”

Kira jumped to her feet. “We really need to be going. I didn’t realize how late it’s gotten. But maybe we can do this again sometime.”

Bryce shook hands with Alex. “Yes. I appreciate your hospitality tonight and wonderful food and drinks. We will have to reciprocate by having you over soon.”

He’d be happy to make it out of the Dominiks’ home with their cover still intact.

They rushed toward the door, but Ivan stepped in the way. He extended his hand to Kira and pulled her into a hug. The man whispered loud enough for Bryce to hear. “Nice to see you again.”

His stomach dropped to his feet. Again?

This confirmed that Ivan had identified her from the gallery. They walked out of the brownstone and down the front steps. Bryce checked over his shoulder and noted Natalia standing in the living room window, watching them walk away. The woman’s dark eyes made him shiver.

7

KIRA CLUTCHED BRYCE’S ARM until they closed the front door of their brownstone.

Agent Hudson had staked out next to the living room picture window. “All clear here. Glad you two are back. We’ll set up a call with SSA Turner so we can all debrief.”

Kira nodded, her fingers curled around the business card Ivan had placed in her palm when she and Bryce were heading out the door. The awkward handshake and hug had rattled her, not to mention the whispered “Nice to see you again.”

“Ivan knows who you are,” Bryce said as if reading her mind.

“You think?” Kira sank onto the plush couch, thankful to be out of that house. Her adrenaline and racing heart began to steady. “When you left,” she said, “Ivan called me Special Agent Kira Miller. How did he find that information out?”

Bryce sat next to her and rubbed his forehead. “We are going to be up all night debriefing from that awkward dinner party.”

She wanted him to grasp her hand, comfort her, give her a shoulder to lean on, but the walls of professionalism remained intact. He couldn’t . . . wouldn’t . . . do that in front of the other agents.

Kira dismissed her wayward thoughts and got down to business. “As much as I’m dying to know what you found and how you managed to get out when Alex and Ivan headed for his office, I’ll go first.”

“Perfect. Tell me everything he said.”