Jewel still stood relaxed, with an almost lazy smile playing on her very red lips. “Well, I’m guessing you’re not quite as fond of me since last we met.”
Gabe had been shifting forward in small movements until Maylin realized she was leaning to one side to see around him. How did he do that? With the embassy gates at her immediate left and Gabe between her and this Jewel person, Maylin glanced around them, figuring this was too public a place for Jewel to try anything truly dangerous. There were people on the street. Heck, more people were walking up and down the sidewalks than when she’d arrived earlier in the day. End of the workday, probably end of classes for many of the university students too. Rush hour, university campus style.
“Where’s her sister?” Gabe’s question wrenched Maylin’s attention back to their discussion.
Jewel widened her eyes and batted mascara-lengthened lashes. “What makes you think I know where she is?”
Gabe jerked his chin up and down in a short, small motion. “You didn’t say you didn’t know.”
Maylin wanted to reach out and shake Jewel, demand the woman spit out whatever it was she knew instead of playing games. Probably not the best idea. She balled her hands into fists at her sides instead.
“Well, you are very good at reading body language, so I do my best not to lie to your face, Gabriel.” Jewel studied her nails.
“But you’d put a bullet in my back.” Gabe spat the statement out and Jewel’s already pale skin turned a few shades chalkier. “Problem with a bullet when it doesn’t go through and through is someone could dig that bitch out and work forensics magic.”
Any worries about jealousy were fading with that bit of information. Dislike for the woman was slowly burning into an active hatred. Jewel knew important things about An-mei and had hurt her man. Maylin was going to wipe the arrogant look off Jewel’s face someday.
“You sure you didn’t lose too much blood in your last mission?” Jewel’s comment came out flippant, her composure recovered quick as anything.
Too much hung in the air between the two and Maylin soaked it in, tried to commit every detail of the confrontation to memory. She was going to be thinking hard on it later.
“You owe me,” Gabe growled. “Where is her sister?”
“No.” The word dropped from Jewel’s mouth like a stone. “You owe me for not taking a head shot on that contract. Anyone else would’ve taken you out permanently rather than risk having you come after them, but the primary objective was specifically to disable the team and ensure the target didn’t make it out alive. I made a field decision and you’re alive because of it. Keep that in mind.” The Cheshire cat smile returned in the long beat of silence that followed. “Besides, your little friend here would find her sister far quicker with me. And she wouldn’t have to fly to the other side of the world on a wild goose chase, either.”
It was tempting to run toward Jewel. Scream at her. Demand. But Maylin bit her lip and stayed right where she was. In this situation, Gabe had the lead. It was important. And acting on any impulse would likely land her right in whatever Jewel had in mind. Maylin was not going to give the woman the satisfaction.
Without making a move, Gabe somehow loomed. His big, bad and dangerous unlocked without any visible effort on his part. “Walk away, Jewel. This is a Centurion Corporation job.”
Jewel’s smile faded a fraction. Her eyes darted, focusing on Gabe then Maylin then back to Gabe. “I’m with Edict now. There is no walking away.”
Gabe stiffened, his broad shoulders and back frozen for a split second before he relaxed again into the ready-to-move posture Maylin always admired about him. This tightrope walking on the edge of action was exhausting her and she wanted to shout. Make something happen.
After a pause, Jewel flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Take the tiny woman back to wherever you plan to stash her and keep her under wraps. If she quits looking for what she’s lost, she can go back to her life with no worries.”
Oh, no way.
“Not likely.” Maylin took a step forward, but Gabe’s arm blocked her momentum. Anger burned away thought process and Maylin only wanted to get right up into Jewel’s face.
Jewel laughed, a short bark. “Remember to look both ways before you cross the street, then.”
Maylin opened her mouth to say something. A hundred questions crowded, jostling to be the first out. But Gabe was herding her to one side and into his rental car.