THE SMELL OF lilacs and sea spray hovered in the room. Janus’s eyes traveled around the bright space, taking in the dance pictures and shots of Kaylan and a blonde girl.
Kaylan was pretty; she’d give her that. Her auburn hair hung in loose waves, a smattering of light freckles dotted her nose, and her eyes glowed as green as a forest.
No wonder she’d captivated Nick.
The room appeared organized in its disorganization. The cream comforter lay thrown over the bed haphazardly dotted with purple throw pillows. Each drawer in the desk seemed scattered, yet categorized—notes in one, office supplies in another—the mark of someone attempting neatness but failing in the rush of life. Janus grimaced. How would Kaylan ever keep up with a home?
Nick could do better.
Then she found it. A picture of Nick and Kaylan on the beach, laughing and covered in sand. Janus’s mouth pulled in a tight line. Too bad she had to ruin his happiness.
From what she could tell, Nick Carmichael pursued a task with tenacity and demonstrated a drive for justice unlike anything she’d ever seen. She flipped the frame over and deftly lifted the photo from the glass, leaving behind the generic piece of paper with smiling faces. Nick would soon know she’d been here.
He needed to know his world could cave in around him at any moment. The only way he could save it was to stop pursuing her. Or else she would be forced to hurt the one thing precious to him.
A sigh escaped her lips, and she quickly sucked in. It was his neck or Janus’s. Too much hung in the balance. She couldn’t afford a mistake. With a glance at her watch, she slipped from the house the same way she’d entered. A plane awaited and money stood to be made.
Climbing in her car parked two blocks away, she glanced at the picture again, ignoring the flutter of her heart as her eyes brushed over Nick’s face. She hadn’t experienced control over a person like this since her Cold War days, and she wouldn’t abdicate that power now for any emotion, even if the part of herself she had buried long ago stirred with his nearness. The engine roared to life, and she gripped the wheel, her knuckles whitening.
No. Never again.