The touching? She shouldn’t have been surprised by how affected they were by it—or lack of it. “He’s doing it. He’s fighting it.”
Without warning, Rio’s arms came around her, pinning her hands at her sides and lifting her from the floor. Oh shit. His lips landed on hers, slobbery and aggressive.
“Riooooo.”
At the sound of Jay’s distressed bellow, Rio released her and bent over, clutching his knees and roaring with laughter. “Dude, I kept my tongue to myself.” He stepped away, hands in the air, eyes twinkling. “Next time, I won’t be such a prude.”
Laz used the distraction to slap Jay’s face. His hand stayed there, holding his jaw. “I’ve wanted to do that for so damn long. And this…” He shoved Jay’s face away, rolled him over with Wil’s help, all three grunting with the effort to out-wrestle each other.
“Hold him.” Laz fought Jay’s arms while Wil put a knee in his back, pressing him to the floor.
What were they going to do? She looked at Rio in a silent plea to stop them, but he only stretched an arm in front of her to block her. Poor Jay was on his own.
Laz reached under Jay’s waistband and yanked his briefs.
Jay’s yelp accompanied the rip of cotton. “Sonofabitch. The one day I wear underwear—”
“That’s payback for giving me a wedgie in front of Cindy Hollis in ninth grade.” Laz grinned at Charlee as if her witnessing the performance was the true punishment.
Jay flopped to his back in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. All these years, they could never hit him, hug him, or seek childhood restitution. She could see now the barrier his triggers had put between him and his friends. Yet, they had somehow maintained a bond that ignored limitations.
“Jesus.” Nathan paced beside the wrestling match. “Can we have the touchy feely reunion another time?”
But they were too caught up. Jay was still laughing as the three of them rolled through the room, red-faced, throwing legs, ripping t-shirts, and slamming each other into the wall.
Charlee stood back, her fingers curled against her lips, her heart right there with them.
A high-pitched whistle pierced through the grunting and fist smacking. Faye stood on the leather ottoman, fingers between her teeth.
The guys broke apart and stared up at her, panting. She’d done this before.
“As much as I don’t want to disrupt a happy fight for a change, Nathan’s been trying to get your attention. Sit your asses down and give it to him.”
After a few skull smacks and playful shoves, everyone returned to the couches. Charlee righted the chair, climbed back onto Jay’s lap, and handed him his breakfast. Hair mussed and face flushed, he gave her a brilliant smile.
59
Charlee’s earlier anxiety returned as Nathan approached her. Seeing his tense expression and hands on his hips took her back through their years on the run. He was worried.
“We have a spotter at Roy’s penthouse.”
“Another one?” Adrenaline heated her blood, energized her. This was great news. Nathan had been the one and only spy they knew of. Given the manner in which she escaped, it was safe to assume Roy wouldn’t be so trusting with new employees.
A twitch rippled over his jaw. “He works for Henry Munt.”
“The same Henry Munt who funded your undercover assignment?” After losing his family-owned company to Roy, Henry was determined in his revenge. And Nathan fucked that up by blowing his cover when he rescued her.
“Same Henry. His spotter has been embedded within Roy’s ranks since before I was there. I remember him. He’s good. I never suspected he was anything other than one of Roy’s corrupt guards.”
“Why did Henry hire you if he already had a spy in position?”
Nathan shrugged. “To cover his bases. In hopes one of us succeeded.”
Holy hell. That meant the spotter had been working undercover for over three years. She filed through all the possibilities. “He should’ve found a way to collect video footage by now. Of me. Or maybe of some of the behind-the-door conversations of Roy’s dealings.”
Nathan sighed. “Impossible, Charlee. Roy’s business is defense technology and information security. His shit is locked down. Videos feed to unknown locations. All data transmissions are encrypted. And with alerts on his equipment, he knows the moment someone tampers with it.”
Of course. Her excitement fizzled. “Then what has Henry’s spy been doing all this time?”
“Reporting Roy’s activities to Henry, who is waiting for…hell, I don’t know. A slip-up, I guess.” He rubbed his forehead, leaving red streaks from the pressure of his fingers. “Henry contacted me yesterday to tell me about the spotter. Seeing your whereabouts in the news prompted him to loop me in. He doesn’t know you, but he knows about you. He wants to do what he can to keep you safe from Roy.”