Hard to Trust by Wendy Byrne Read Free Book Online

disappeared into the rush of commuters. The idea of failure crashed inside his brain. No effin' way. Finally he spotted her heading for the escalator on her way out.
    Damn.
    He jumped down from the chair. Once she hit the street, his job became twice as tough. Based on the file, she had a friend named Nick who lived in New York, but he wouldn't be her first choice, knowing that was where he'd look.
    He tackled the stairs two at a time while she hit the door. He was almost close enough to grab her jacket. Just a few strides and he'd have her.
    "Tessa."
    The only evidence she'd heard from him was the uptick in speed as she hit the sidewalk and headed down Park Avenue. She weaved around the crush of pedestrians at a trot.
    He'd closed the gap by the time she turned onto 59 th Street. If she knew anything about the geography of the area, she'd head toward Central Park. He was gaining on her, and she knew it.
    He overtook her at the park entrance, coming beside to keep pace. "Running isn't the answer." She twisted away from his touch and jogged into the park.
    She ignored him, as well as the police officer who trotted past on a horse. Instead, she followed the path along the pond before she stopped and turned on him. He caught the elbow strike aimed at his neck, diverting it to the side. She wasn't playing. But neither was he.
    She struck between his legs, but he skirted away at the last minute. This sparring match could go on indefinitely. "Tessa, I'm not the bad guy here." No wonder he couldn't figure out when someone was lying to him. He'd perfected the skill himself.
    "Somebody ransacked my house and tried to kill me. I still don't know what your part is in that." Her breathe sounded labored as she scrutinized him.
    "I work for The Alliance. I was hired to make sure you're safe."
    "The Alliance. Pfft. You guys don't really exist. It's all smoke and mirrors."
    He pounded his chest. "Feels pretty real to me." Overcoming her was doable, but not the right move if he wanted to gain her trust. This would be a waiting game. He inched closer.
    "I'll start screaming if you don't back off."
    "But you won't. The police would get involved, and that would cause all kinds of trouble for you." He'd called her bluff. Based on the sour expression on her face, she realized she'd backed herself into a corner.
    Were the guys after her Russian, or was that her paranoia? Could they be a rogue CIA group wanting to exact revenge? Regardless of whoever was after her, they were gearing up for strike two. Right now they could be circling for the kill while the two of them engaged in a standoff in the middle of Central Park.
    The bags beneath her eyes let him know she hadn't slept or probably eaten in a while. No doubt she'd been charged up by caffeine in the interim. It was only a matter of time before she collapsed.
    Being out in the open like they were, even in the middle of the morning—even given the propensity of New Yorkers to turn a blind eye to trouble—was not a good way to fly under the radar. After twenty minutes of this, he was losing patience. He waited until she had her back to an area that was near the grass to tackle her.
    After rolling around for a few minutes fighting for control, he pinned her to the ground with his thighs straddling her torso. If not for the shelter of the surrounding bushes and the lack of onlookers, someone might have flagged down a police officer.
    "All right. I'll come with you." She acquiesced with a snarl.
    "Now, was that so hard?"
    "Actually, it was." She gave him the evil eye as he helped her to her feet.
    "We've got to hope there weren't sixteen cameras capturing that moment and putting us on Good Morning America or some other show. Mystery man and woman wrestling in Central Park. Viewers help the police track them down. "
    "I forgot about the cameras."
    "This place is wired, some spots more than others." He shook his head. "Let's get something to eat, and you can crash for a bit. It looks like you haven't