He was right, damn it.It ticked her off.She hadn’t considered the possibility of being seen back here.The chances were low, but they were higher than zero, which made it a risk she shouldn’t have taken.Hell, she hadn’t even considered it a risk, but then again, why would she?This wasn’t her area of expertise.She was a computer geek, plain and simple.Personal protection and assessing field risks weren’t anywhere within her wheelhouse.
Then the “hot blonde” part skipped in her brain, and her breath caught in her throat.“Did you just call me—”
“Is everything all right?”
Her gaze darted to the sound of Pinto’s voice.She’d been so focused on Navarre that she hadn’t even noticed him come out of the house.
“Everything’s fine.”Navarre turned to face him.“We were just reviewing a few protocols.”
Without another word, he walked away and went back inside, leaving her alone with Pinto and the sound of crickets.
Pinto watched her for a few long moments as though he were trying to solve a puzzle.“Did I miss something important?You seem a little flustered.”
“No, I’m fine.”That was a lie, but she was sticking to it.She forced a smile, even though her insides churned with an unsettling combination of relief and disappointment.“Navarre was just…being Navarre.”
Something flashed over Pinto’s face.Outrage or disbelief, she couldn’t say for sure.He glanced over his shoulder to the sliding glass doors that Navarre had just used to enter the house and then back to her.“Was hebotheringyou?”
She was pretty surebotheringwas his way of asking if Navarre was acting inappropriately.In a way, she appreciated his protective reaction.It was nice to have someone watching her back.“No, it was nothing like that.He doesn’t think I’m qualified for this job.To be Sierra’s double, I mean.”
His shoulders visibly relaxed, confirming her suspicions.“Don’t worry about it.You’re doing fine.”
“I’m not so sure about that.I mean, he’s right; I came out here tonight totally oblivious to that little gap in the bushes back there where a photographer might see me.If my cover got blown, Six Points would lose their contract, and I don’t even know what kind of trouble Sierra—”
“Stop overthinking it.”Pinto cut her off.“Hatch and I just checked the perimeter, and there aren’t any paparazzi lurking in the bushes.And considering how many surveillance cameras we installed around the property, if anyone so much as farts within ten feet of the property line, we’ll know about it.”The edge left his voice.“Seriously, you’re doing fine.If there was a problem with your job performance, Austin would have told you.He never pulls his punches, especially when it comes to matters involving his business.”
His assurances made her feel better, but they didn’t absolve her completely.“I still should have checked before coming out here.”
Pinto waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.“Eh, no harm, no foul.Everybody makes mistakes.Except Navarre, which is why he was being such a tight-ass.It’s the way the Army built him.”
Her eyes narrowed.“What do you mean, built him?”
Pinto glanced back at the doors again, as if making sure they wouldn’t be overheard.Satisfied they were alone, he continued, though he spoke with a lowered voice.“Snipers aren’t born…they’re made.I mean, sure, you have to have certain basic characteristics, but the military takes those traits and molds them into exactly what they want.They’re trained to think and act a certain way; after a while, it becomes part of their nature.Their entire mindset revolves around focus and discipline.One shot, one kill.No room for error.To reach that level, you’ve got to be beyond meticulous, calculating every variable imaginable before you even think about pulling the trigger.Navarre was one of the deadliest snipers in the world—still is.But you, my friend…” He playfully tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger.“Are a variable he’s never encountered before.”
Her lips pursed.“I don’t know how I feel about that.”
Pinto chuckled.“Just remember that all of us have your back, Navarre included.”
Chapter 6
Edgyandrestless,Navarrewalked the grounds of the estate in search of potential problems.Something was off; he could feel it in his bones, a stark sense of foreboding he knew better than to ignore.But he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was, and not knowing was making him buggy.Part of him wanted to pin it on Sloane, but he knew that was a load of bullshit.
He’d been out of line with her earlier—way out of line—and his behavior had nothing to do with concerns about her lack of training.Something about her pushed all his buttons in the proper sequential order.Sure, she was a beautiful woman, but there was more to it than that.Maybe it was the spark in her eyes when she got riled up, or the way she stood up for herself.He’d always been a sucker for smart, strong, sexy women, and she checked off each of those boxes.Still, that wasn’t a valid excuse for him to act like a jackass.He’d apologize to her later, and then he’d keep his distance, keep things professional, until this assignment was over.
After that, it depended on whether Six Points continued to employ her as Sierra’s body double.He’d gotten the impression this was a temporary arrangement until they found another woman to fill the role on a permanent basis, which made perfect sense.Sloane was a valuable member of the cyber security division, and Larissa would want her back on the team as soon as humanly possible.That kind of work was a critical component of their business, and at the rate they were growing, they couldn’t afford to have her away from her office for long.
If that was the case, their future interactions would be limited.The possibility didn’t sit well in his gut, but he knew it was for the best.For the most part, his duties kept him in the field or at the shooting range, which, in this instance, would be a good thing.It would restrict their contact to the rare times they passed in the hall, or the occasional mandatory meeting, where there’d be plenty of people to stop him from saying or doing anything that would earn him a trip to HR.
But if she was going to act as Sierra’s decoy on a regular basis… He wasn’t sure how to deal with that scenario.There was chemistry between them.He’d be a fool to deny it.But as a general rule, he never mixed business with pleasure.He’d only seen a few instances where that scenario ended well, but knowing his luck—no, he wasn’t going there.The last thing he needed was to screw things up on a job he loved by crossing hard lines in the proverbial sand.If push came to shove, he’d request to be reassigned to Vicky Hale’s protection detail.
As he finished a check of the perimeter sensors, his phone chimed with an alert.He swiped at the screen and opened the incoming message that Austin had sent, informing him that Sierra’s private jet had just landed at the executive airport.He’d send another notification once they were en route to the house with an estimated time of arrival.
Navarre tucked his phone into the pocket of his cargo pants and headed for the house.On the way, he passed Garrett and Rosario at the front gate, gave them a nod of acknowledgment, and kept going.There was plenty of time before the client arrived—in good traffic, the airport was a half hour away—but he wanted to touch base with Jackson and make sure everything was buttoned up tight.
He paused at the base of the front steps and gave the grounds one final look.Things were quiet, almost too quiet, but that would change soon.The paparazzi were probably camped out at the airport and would follow Sierra home.And even though the community was gated, they’d find a way inside.From that point forward, they’d be crawling all over the damn place, jockeying for the best vantage point to see Sierra in the hopes of scoring a big money shot—
“There you are,” said a voice with a distinct New Jersey accent, interrupting Navarre’s stream of consciousness.
He turned his head toward the sound of Pinto’s voice and hoped there weren’t any fires that needed to be extinguished.“Hey, what’s up?”
