“I woke up with it this morning.”
His friend sighed.“Think you should tell Austin?”
“If I did, what good would it do?”In Wanesh, it hadn’t done a damn bit of good.To the contrary, his CO had mocked him for being superstitious.Missions were never canceled or altered just because somebody got a bad vibe, especially this late in the game.You rolled with the punches, made adjustments, and powered through whatever got thrown your way.And maybe, just maybe, you made it through alive.
“Austin trusts your instincts,” Jackson said.“He knows you’re not the type to freak out over every little thing.More important, he wants this job to go smoothly.If you tell him, he’ll probably bulk up the protection details.”
Navarre took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair.He’d feel foolish warning Austin about a gut feeling, but if he didn’t and somebody got hurt—or worse—he’d never forgive himself.Especially if that person was a civilian.In his experience, it was better to be over-prepared and feel a little foolish than to get caught with your pants around your ankles.
“You’re right; I’ll call him.”There wasn’t much time, but perhaps they could get some additional help to deal with any potential problems.
“Good boy.”Jackson’s mouth curved up on one side.“This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with Sloane, would it?”
The question caught him off guard.“What—no.Why would it?”
“Just asking is all.”Jackson slid his hands into his pants pockets, his tone casual but his eyes razor-sharp.“I heard talk about you two by the pool last night.”
Navarre stiffened.Fucking Pinto needed to keep his damn mouth shut.“You know how I feel about untrained civilians on an op.”
“The only thing she’s got to do is look pretty,” Jackson countered.“We both know that ain’t a problem.She’s a damn fine-looking woman.”
Navarre inhaled sharply, irritation bubbling just beneath the surface.Friend or not, he wasn’t having this conversation.“Essie would kick your ass if she heard you saying that about another woman.”
“What?I’m just calling it like I see it.”His friend smirked.“I’m happily married, not blind.You, on the other hand, are very much single.”
Navarre didn’t respond right away.His mind flashed back to Sloane by the pool, and every cell in his body heated.It didn’t matter; he’d never act on the attraction.She’d made it clear that she wasn’t interested, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who disrespected boundaries.“Your point?”
Jackson chuckled as he turned toward the door.“You’ll figure it out eventually.If you need me, I’ll be inside.”
Chapter 8
Thiswasit.Thebig day.The make-or-break moment.
Sloane stood before the full-length mirror, not sure if she should smile or frown.
A half dozen makeup artists and hairstylists had left her room less than five minutes ago after slathering on cosmetics and styling her hair to within an inch of its life.The results were stunning, though the clothes they’d chosen for her to wear were a little “too” for her liking: too bright, too tight, and the stretchy pink blouse showed way too much cleavage, especially with the padded pushup bra that felt more like armor than attire.But the point was to mimic Sierra’s style, and her staff had definitely nailed it.The first time she looked at the finished product in the mirror, she almost didn’t recognize herself.
She only hoped the dozen or so paparazzi camped out by the front gate would believe she was actually Sierra.The last thing she wanted was to embarrass the actress, tarnish her employer’s reputation, or become internet famous in a way that would follow her for the rest of her natural-born life.
The plan was to keep the photographers far enough away that they wouldn’t pose a safety concern, but also so they couldn’t get close enough to notice the differences between the two women, such as eye color, Sloane’s wider hips, and Sierra’s much larger chest.Her cheekbones weren’t as pronounced as Sierra’s, though the miracle of makeup had made it nearly unnoticeable.
Lost in thought, Sloane lifted her finger to her mouth, but stopped herself at the very last moment before she bit the nail and ruined a perfectly good manicure.
“Stop it,” she told her reflection.Now wasn’t the time to worry about things she couldn’t control.It wasn’t productive, and she didn’t have time for that nonsense.Pushing the negative thoughts from her mind, she straightened her spine, squared her shoulders, and stared straight at the mirror.For added effect, she sucked in her cheeks and pursed her lips the way she’d seen Sierra do at a number of red-carpet events.
There, much better.
She’d been asked to do this job for a reason, and she refused to let her doubts—or anybody else’s—get in the way of performing her duties to the best of her ability.After hours upon hours of practice, she could imitate most of Sierra’s movements as if they were her own.And when the job was finished, her bank account would be a whole lot healthier.If there was enough left over once her bills were paid, she might even treat herself to that new phone she’d been eyeing for months.Considering all the time and effort she’d invested, she deserved to splurge on something nice for herself.
A knock on the door put an end to her internal pep talk.
“Come in,” she called out.
The door opened, and the sight of Jackson’s smiling face took the edge off her nerves.He stepped inside, and then froze mid-stride.“Oh, I’m sorry, Ms.Page.I was told this was Sloane’s room.”
The glint of mischief in his eyes made it clear he was pulling her leg.
She raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips.“You know I’m not Sierra.”
