Page 15 of Deadly Sins
“He’s generally okay. Gets a bit unpredictable if he downs too many beers during hockey playoff season, but other than that, he’s a decent guy.”
Fenn thanked Jimbo for the information and joined Kate at a table in the far corner of the room, as far away from the other guests as possible. She couldn’t help but notice the way his gazeswept over her, lingering on the dark circles under her eyes and the stiffness in her movements.
“We should check these guys out,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “If they’re the ones who tried to run you down last night, they need to be dealt with.”
Kate nodded, her mind already racing ahead. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew she couldn’t keep Fenn out of the investigation entirely. He was too stubborn, too determined to watch her back. But maybe she could send him after the tavern thugs while she investigated.
She shifted in her seat, wincing as her bruised hip protested the movement.
Fenn’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of anger sparking in their depths. “You okay?” he asked, his voice tight.
“I’m fine,” she assured him, waving off his concern. “Just a little sore, that’s all.”
She poked at the rubbery eggs on her plate, her appetite suddenly nowhere to be found. What she wouldn’t give for a plate of Mason’s famous scrambled eggs right now, fluffy and golden and studded with fresh chives.
Another week or two in this frozen wasteland stretched out before her, bleak and uninviting. But if she could track down the person behind the note, the one who seemed hell-bent on making her pay for her past sins, it would be worth it.
Fenn leaned forward, his elbows on the table. “So, where do you want to start today?”
She hesitated, her gaze sliding to the other guests scattered throughout the room. Three were clearly Canadian military, their extreme cold weather gear giving them away. The other six looked like scientists or explorers, their mismatched civilian clothing standing out among the sea of camo.
Any one of them could be special ops. With Fenn out of the way, maybe she could pump Jimbo for information, see if any of them had raised any red flags.
She turned back to him, schooling her features into a mask of weariness. “Actually, I think I might take it easy today. Do some internet research on the operation back in Loaita. It might jog my memory. Give us a place to start looking.”
Suspicion flickered in his eyes. “You sure? I don’t mind watching your back.”
She shook her head, forcing a smile. “No, it’s fine. I’m just going to be staring at a computer screen all day. No need for both of us to be bored out of our minds.”
She could tell he wasn’t buying it.
A flicker of hurt crossed his face before it was replaced by a mask of indifference. “Alright. But promise me you’ll be careful. And call me if anything seems off.”
“I promise,” she said, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue.
As Fenn headed out to track down the tavern idiots, Kate felt a pang of guilt. She knew she should confide in him.
But she couldn’t bear the thought of seeing the disgust in his eyes, the revulsion that would surely follow if he knew the truth about what she’d done. Better to keep him in the dark, to protect him from the fallout of her mistakes.
Even if it meant facing the consequences alone.
With a sigh, she pushed away from the table, her mind already racing ahead to the task at hand. She had a mystery to solve. A past to confront.
No way she’d let anyone, or anything, stand in her way. Not even the charming, infuriating man who seemed determined to break down the walls she’d so carefully constructed around her heart.
Falling for Fenn was a risk she couldn’t afford to take. Not now, not ever.
10
The frigid arcticair slapped Fenn in the face the instant he stepped out of the dimly-lit hotel lobby. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, hunching his shoulders against the relentless wind that seemed to have a personal grudge against him. The streets of Endurance were deserted, the few buildings that dotted the landscape huddling together like they were seeking solace in each other’s company.
His mind reeled from his earlier conversation with Kate. She’d been distant, so much so that it was like she was a completely different person.
She was hiding something. Something serious. It stung like a fresh cut, the realization that even after all they’d been through together, she still didn’t trust him enough to confide in him.
But he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. The tavern was closed until four, according to the crooked sign that looked like it had been through a bar fight or two. But the store next door across the frozen excuse for a road was open, the glow of the lights inside beckoning to him like a lighthouse in the darkness.
He bounded up the steps and headed inside, the warmth of the store enveloping him like a familiar embrace. The smell offresh produce and spices filled the air, and he couldn’t help but think of Mason, their team’s resident culinary wizard. The man could work miracles with even the most basic of ingredients, turning a simple can of beans into a gourmet meal.