this story to colleagues if we're going to get some back up on this." He'd been on the phone with Marsha for the last half hour. I couldn't stand her, but she'd watched my back in the spring when Tyrell was after me. Mark swore their relationship was all business, but I still had my doubts, at least on Marsha's part. The fact that Marsha was a voluptuous red-head who constantly tried to get Mark back into the CIA made her presence barely tolerable.
We stopped at a little seafood restaurant in Marathon. The island was the fourth key in the chain and not far from the villa in Key West. Happy hour was in high gear as Mark led me through the crowd and out to a back deck that overlooked the setting sun.
"You do know how to pick a romantic spot. You must have plans for me." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at him.
"You know that's not really sexy," he replied. "Cute, but not sexy."
I stuck out my tongue at him. "How's that?"
"Better." He reached across the table and covered my hand with his.
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too." I lost myself in his warm, dark eyes. It felt like it had been months since we'd done this—just stared into each other's eyes, letting the world go on around us.
A waitress dressed as a serving wench arrived to take our order. I shook my head at her attire. There seemed to be no escape.
Mark ordered a beer, and I ordered iced tea. I was still recovering from my roofie experience, and didn't want to test the waters with an adult beverage yet. We decided to share some fish and chips, and I ordered a small salad.
"So I have a plan," Mark announced after the waitress had left.
I raised my eyebrows, not wiggling them this time.
"Marsha's coming here to be your double until after the concert." Mark held up a hand. "It's the only way to throw this guy off the trail. Marsha did some digging. If Tyrell really hired The Spider, it's not just some crazy fan. He's a professional." His voice was serious.
I tamped down the rising panic. "You'll just end up with two of us in his line of sight," I replied reasonably.
Mark gave me a look. "Come on," he said. "Are you really worried about something happening to Marsha?"
"That was a low blow," I huffed. "I don't like her, but I certainly don't want to see the woman killed."
"She's a CIA agent. This guy—no matter how good he is—isn't going to take her out. Having a double for you will keep him off balance and make it less likely for him to try another attempt while you're here. It'll also buy us time to try to track the money."
It was all very reasonable; however, I didn't want Marsha around. She coveted Mark, and she didn't like me one bit. But if it kept The Spider from spinning me up in his web…
"Okay! You win. But I swear if she starts making cow eyes at you, I'm going to rip her red hair right out of her head." I pounded my fist on the table.
Mark's eyes laughed at me. "I like it when you get all riled up. It's sexy." He leaned across the table and kissed me.
The steam went out of my sails and moved downward. My toes curled, and I started counting the miles to the big bed in the boat's stateroom.
Mark drove the rest of the way back so I could call Carol. Not that she really needed my guidance. Carol was definitely the brains of the operation.
"Greene's Staffing," a familiar voice answered.
"Hi, it's Diana. Is Carol in?"
"No, this is Tabitha. Can I help you with something?"
"No, Tabitha. I was telling you it's me, Diana." I rolled my eyes.
Mark chuckled next to me.
"I'm sorry, but Diana isn't in today. I can take a message if you'd like."
I took a deep breath. Let's try this again.
"Hi, can I speak to Carol?"
"Sure, one moment." There was a pause. "Oh, may I ask who's calling?"
I paused. Best not mess this up. "Diana Hudson."
"Oh, hi, Diana! Why didn't you say it was you? I'd have put you right through."
"My fault, Tabitha. How're things going?"
"Well, Carol has me helping out in the office. You know Mr. Pyres is in
We stopped at a little seafood restaurant in Marathon. The island was the fourth key in the chain and not far from the villa in Key West. Happy hour was in high gear as Mark led me through the crowd and out to a back deck that overlooked the setting sun.
"You do know how to pick a romantic spot. You must have plans for me." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively at him.
"You know that's not really sexy," he replied. "Cute, but not sexy."
I stuck out my tongue at him. "How's that?"
"Better." He reached across the table and covered my hand with his.
"I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too." I lost myself in his warm, dark eyes. It felt like it had been months since we'd done this—just stared into each other's eyes, letting the world go on around us.
A waitress dressed as a serving wench arrived to take our order. I shook my head at her attire. There seemed to be no escape.
Mark ordered a beer, and I ordered iced tea. I was still recovering from my roofie experience, and didn't want to test the waters with an adult beverage yet. We decided to share some fish and chips, and I ordered a small salad.
"So I have a plan," Mark announced after the waitress had left.
I raised my eyebrows, not wiggling them this time.
"Marsha's coming here to be your double until after the concert." Mark held up a hand. "It's the only way to throw this guy off the trail. Marsha did some digging. If Tyrell really hired The Spider, it's not just some crazy fan. He's a professional." His voice was serious.
I tamped down the rising panic. "You'll just end up with two of us in his line of sight," I replied reasonably.
Mark gave me a look. "Come on," he said. "Are you really worried about something happening to Marsha?"
"That was a low blow," I huffed. "I don't like her, but I certainly don't want to see the woman killed."
"She's a CIA agent. This guy—no matter how good he is—isn't going to take her out. Having a double for you will keep him off balance and make it less likely for him to try another attempt while you're here. It'll also buy us time to try to track the money."
It was all very reasonable; however, I didn't want Marsha around. She coveted Mark, and she didn't like me one bit. But if it kept The Spider from spinning me up in his web…
"Okay! You win. But I swear if she starts making cow eyes at you, I'm going to rip her red hair right out of her head." I pounded my fist on the table.
Mark's eyes laughed at me. "I like it when you get all riled up. It's sexy." He leaned across the table and kissed me.
The steam went out of my sails and moved downward. My toes curled, and I started counting the miles to the big bed in the boat's stateroom.
Mark drove the rest of the way back so I could call Carol. Not that she really needed my guidance. Carol was definitely the brains of the operation.
"Greene's Staffing," a familiar voice answered.
"Hi, it's Diana. Is Carol in?"
"No, this is Tabitha. Can I help you with something?"
"No, Tabitha. I was telling you it's me, Diana." I rolled my eyes.
Mark chuckled next to me.
"I'm sorry, but Diana isn't in today. I can take a message if you'd like."
I took a deep breath. Let's try this again.
"Hi, can I speak to Carol?"
"Sure, one moment." There was a pause. "Oh, may I ask who's calling?"
I paused. Best not mess this up. "Diana Hudson."
"Oh, hi, Diana! Why didn't you say it was you? I'd have put you right through."
"My fault, Tabitha. How're things going?"
"Well, Carol has me helping out in the office. You know Mr. Pyres is in
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