Page 80 of Harmless Secrets

He studied her for a long moment. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

The simple statement meant more to her than any well wishes from anyone else. “You think Father would approve?”

“Yes. But not because of any reason other than you love Stryker and he is stupid in love with you. It was what your father would have wanted for you.”

She shook her head as her eyes filled.

“Good God, don’t start doing that again,” Sean said, his voice filled with enough panic she started to laugh. He’d threatened to leave when she cried before the wedding. She couldn’t help it. She saw Bridget in her little flower girl dress and lost it.

“Sorry. It’s just so sweet. Big bad spy Sean Kaheaku is afraid of women’s tears.”

He jerked a shoulder and looked around as if to make sure no one heard her calling him sweet.

“Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me, Sean.”

He continued to look around and she knew that he was running out on her reception to go to a job. He’d postponed it for her, but Sean needed the work. Not for the money, but Sean needed to keep busy. She knew he did it to keep from dealing with real life.

Alicia couldn’t judge him on that one.

“Where are you running to this time?”

“I have a job.”

“With Lassiter.”

She didn’t need to ask. She knew from the expression on his face. And she knew he wouldn’t tell her where he was going.

“I have a plane waiting for me.”

Anxiety pushed away some of her happiness. She had a really bad feeling about this. “Please, be careful. I don’t trust him or your companions on this matter.”

“I’m going solo.”

That alarmed her even more. Going on an assignment into hostile area was considered suicidal.

“Don’t look like that. I can handle it.”

“Going in by yourself is not a good idea. You know exactly what they’ll say about you.”

He shoved a hand through his hair. “I don’t really give a fuck what they think.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“You did it when you went after Stryker.”

“I was desperate. And it was the wrong place to go after him. My father would have had my head on a platter if he had known I was doing that. And he would say the same thing about this.”

“So you know better than I do?”

She shook her head. “Answer me this. Would you have tried to talk me out of going to Vegas?”

“Would it have worked?”

Of course it wouldn’t have. “That was different.”

“How?”

“My father was involved. What has you running away to God knows where?”