Diamonds Are Truly Forever: An Agent Ex Novel 2 by Gina Robinson Page B

pillow.
    *   *   *
     
    Drew’s alarm woke Staci from a sound sleep. She couldn’t believe she’d drifted off so easily. After surviving being shot at by a hired killer, being practically held against her will by Drew, taunted by a common house spider, trashing a bathroom, and having to share a bed with Drew, sleep didn’t seem like it was going to be easy coming. Even if she was exhausted.
    Staci hated to admit it, but she felt safe with Drew. Even if he was afraid of spiders. It was nice to know the man feared something.
    Drew slapped his alarm, rolled out of bed, and stumbled off to take his second shower in eight hours, his hair standing on end. She watched him until he closed the bathroom door. A few seconds later, the shower came on, bringing with it the cozy, reassuring white noise she loved and found so calming.
    And she needed calm. She had to face her mom today with the big lie. The mere thought raised her blood pressure, even in the midst of the calming white noise.
    She rehearsed various scenarios in her mind. All too soon the water shut off and Drew emerged from the shower looking flushed, freshly scrubbed, and yummy.
    Yummy really wasn’t the way a nearly ex-wife should think of her nearly ex-husband. But Staci had always loved Drew fresh out of the shower. As he put on his work clothes—a buttondown shirt and slacks—he looked like the man she’d fallen in love with and married. The regular guy, before she knew he was a spy.
    She supposed she was an anomaly. Most women probably preferred Superman to Clark Kent. But not her. She wanted Mr. Everyday. Mr. Calm and Normal. Mr. Nine to Five. James Bond and his reckless, devil-may-care sense of adventure scared her. And so did Drew.
    He could play whatever roles he pleased, taking on cover persona after cover persona. She wondered why he couldn’t just put on the persona she fell in love with and run with it. Permanently. What, after all, was so bad about leading an ordinary life?
    No more sniper attacks. Having children and not worrying someone would try to kidnap or hurt them. No more lies, at least not the big kind. It all sounded like heaven to her.
    Drew buttoned his shirt and turned to her. “They’re delivering your car at nine. Remember the plan and stick to it. Directly to the Red Café, lunch with Linda, home.”
    He gave her a description of the guys who’d be delivering the car and how to get her keys. Then he delivered a lecture on security, awareness, and how to arm the security system.
    “You remember what I taught you about how to spot a tail?” he asked.
    She rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
    “And how to lose one?”
    She nodded.
    He reached into a dresser drawer, pulled something out, and tossed it to her.
    “What’s this?”
    “Your very own Kubotan. Put it on your key ring. If someone grabs you, stab them where it hurts—the neck, the thigh, the ribs, anywhere you can get them. I’m confident you’ll be at least as competent as Mandy is.”
    *   *   *
     
    As Drew pulled into a parking spot at Hook House, his cell rang. He shut off the engine and checked the incoming encrypted text. It was from Emmett.
    The sniper who took a shot at Staci is dead. We recovered his body. We believe SMASH got him. Keep an extremely close eye on Staci. If RIOT is involved, they won’t stop until she’s dead.
    Drew swore beneath his breath. SMASH was RIOT’s death squad. They had a perfect kill record. The name SMASH was RIOT head Archibald Random’s play on SMERSH, the old Soviet death squad. SMERSH was a Russian acronym for “death to spies.” SMERSH took out anyone they suspected of being a double agent, a traitor, or a defector, not to mention anyone who screwed up or just grew tired of playing the game. No one left the Soviet machine alive.
    SMASH operated much the same way. Smashing anyone who screwed up, anyone Random ordered eliminated. So it wasn’t surprising SMASH had taken out the sniper who’d missed. But Drew felt the