Bridal Armor by Debra Webb Read Free Book Online Page A

the country of origin by the serial number. Germany.”
    He didn’t say anything else, and he had that famous inscrutable expression on his face, but she felt the tension radiating off of him. She shouldn’t read much into the reaction. For all she knew the storm and lack of visible road signs were getting under his skin.
    “Where did the euro come from?”
    “Someone left it in the car. The locked car. Right on top of my duffel bag to be precise.”
    “Theories?”
    “I haven’t had a lot of time to work up any theories,” she admitted.
    “You’ve got time now.”
    Based on his reaction, and the way he diverted the topic, she had to assume he recognized the number. Would that be a benefit or a hindrance moving forward?
    “Theory number one, the one that brought me out here this weekend, is that someone is here in Denver gunning for you.”
    He snorted. “That’s not a theory, it’s a fact. Someone somewhere is always gunning for me.”
    His stomach tightened at the truth she already knew. “I’m sure, but who really knows how to find you?”
    “The Initiative,” he said with bitter intensity.
    “That’s your theory. And it’s flawed because whether you believe me or not, I am on your side.”
    “That’s just one of my theories.” He squinted out at the road again. “There’s something else on your mind.”
    “Theory two is I’ve been set up by someone and making you look bad is a convenient bonus.”
    “Cross me off the suspect list.” He swore, checked the rearview mirror and backed up to make the turn he’d missed. “I haven’t thought about you in years.”
    “Oh, stop. Such praise will go straight to my head.” She cursed herself for feeling those words all the way to her bones.
    “Truth hurts sometimes.”
    It might hurt more if she believed it. Yes, he’d walked away from the leading edge of a relationship she thought had great potential. His reasoning had been clear from the beginning of their time together. His work wasn’t just important to him, it had global implications. Being involved with someone, caring about them, gave the enemy an easy target.
    The very act of staying unattached told her just how important she was to him. How important she had been at one time, anyway.
    As a member of the small, shadowy community of intelligence agencies she understood his concerns completely. It was no coincidence she’d adopted his philosophy and avoided lasting personal relationships when she landed her current post.
    “We could always go with the classic theory that it’s all a bad dream,” she offered, trying to lighten the mood. The fact was at this point, with a blizzard interrupting communication, theories and educated guesses wouldn’t help them much.
    “I could get behind that one. But my cold, wet feet and ruined shoes are proof enough of an annoying reality for me. I don’t suppose you packed anything in my size.”
    “Not in the car, no.”
    “Because you expected me to be unconscious?”
    “It might have been a contributing factor.” A dreadful thought occurred to her. “Your tuxedo for the wedding wasn’t in your suitcase, was it?”
    “No. It was delivered directly to the resort.”
    “Finally something is going our way.”
    He slid a dubious glance at her. “You can’t really expect me to believe the wedding is a primary goal for you.”
    “It’s important to you, so it’s important to me that we get you there in one piece.”
    “Does anyone know about your hideaway?”
    “Anyone?”
    “Don’t be obtuse, Jo. You know what I’m asking.”
    “No one at work knows. I rented it with my mother’s maiden name.”
    “That’s an easy enough personal detail to uncover. Please tell me you didn’t search for the property or call the agent from your office?”
    “No,” she said though gritted teeth. “I’m not a fool. I picked up the assignment and developed a plan of action based on the information and implications.”
    “What are the