Playing Dirty (Risky Business, #2)(68)

“What?” I asked after a moment, self-conscious. Had I sounded ridiculous or something? I thought it was a solid plan. But he just shook his head.

“I haven’t ever seen this side of you,” he said. “I like it.”

“You mean my foolhardy, crazy, self-destructive side?” I asked dryly.

That got a laugh. “I wasn’t going to call it that,” he said. “More like courageous, daring, and taking the initiative in a badass kind of way.”

Pleasure curled in my belly at the compliment and our gazes caught. A beat passed and my smile faded.

Then McClane sneezed all over me.

“Aw, yuck! McClane!” I shoved his head and snotty nose off me and jumped up to go wash my hands. Dogs were gross and he didn’t look the least bit sorry.

“Let’s get some sleep,” Parker said, glancing at his watch. “We’ll think of something in the morning.”

I was exhausted, so that sounded like a good plan to me.

Parker stretched out on the sofa while I took Ryker’s bed. McClane hopped up and made himself at home, stretching out diagonally and crowding me until I had to shove his butt over. As tired as I was, I couldn’t sleep, but it wasn’t just worry for myself that kept me awake. I wondered where Ryker was, and if he was safe. I finally fell asleep in the small hours of the morning.

*

“No, you’re not coming with me.”

I narrowed my eyes at Parker and crossed my arms over my chest. We’d been arguing for several minutes now because he was going to his apartment to change and pick up some things and I didn’t want him to go alone.

“Viktor knows where I live,” he said, grabbing his keys, wallet, and cell phone. “I’m not leading you straight to him.”

“So you’re just gonna walk right in then?” I asked in exasperation.

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “And if Viktor is there, then this thing will be over before it even gets started.” As if to emphasize his point, he racked the slide on his gun and pushed it into the band of his slacks at the small of his back.

“Stay here,” he ordered me. “Don’t go anywhere. Don’t answer the door. Don’t even look out the windows.” He looked down at McClane, standing at my side and tail wagging like mad. “McClane, watch.”

I had doubts as to McClane’s ability to understand, much less obey, such a command. But the dog sat immediately next to me, his ears perked and his eyes on Parker’s.

“I’ll be back,” Parker said, heading for the door.

“What about work?” I called after him.

“I told them we’re taking a few vacation days,” he said.

“Wait … together?” I asked, appalled. “People are going to think—”

“Gotta go. Lock this behind me.” And he was out the door.

Shit.

I shut the door and locked it, feeling more unnerved than I wanted to admit at being left by myself. I glanced down at McClane, which was a mistake because his tongue lolled in a doggy smile and his tail started thumping.

“I’m not scratching your belly,” I said. “You need to be alert. Not in a doggy coma.”

He tried the puppy dog eyes on me, but I was immune.

I decided I needed something to do, so I went rummaging in my makeup bag for nail polish. I always kept a few bottles in there and I grabbed You Pink Too Much. After the week I’d had, I definitely needed some sparkle in my life. And since I was on “vacation,” I was going to paint my toes and my fingers.

“You’re such a rebel,” I muttered to myself, hunkering down in the living room with my supplies. I flipped on the television and found a random station with an old sitcom playing. That was good. Something light.

Turning on my cell, I saw I had several voice mails from my parents. Crap. They’d either heard it on the news or the building manager had already called my dad. His name was on the lease as well, and I could only imagine what he’d be thinking when they called to tell him that not only was my apartment riddled with bullets, I was nowhere to be found. I dialed my mom’s cell.

“Sage! Oh my God, we’ve been worried sick!” My mother was as beside herself as I’d ever heard her and I winced.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “There was kind of … an accident. But I’m okay.” I didn’t dare tell her about nearly getting run over by a truck.

“An accident!” she screeched. “Sage, the police said it was gang violence and the building manager said that apartment is a total loss! Now are you going to tell me what happened? Or do I have to put your father on the phone?”

“No, don’t get Dad, please,” I said hurriedly. My father would go even more ape shit than my mother. “It’s just … well, there’s this guy, this criminal …” and I proceeded to give her the Reader’s Digest condensed version of who Viktor was and what he was doing now.

“But Parker is watching over me,” I said, hoping to allay her fears. “And the CIA is on the lookout for him, so it’ll be fine. It just may take a few days.” I hoped that was all it took.

“Sage, I don’t like this,” she said. “You should go home for a few days while your father and I are out of town.”

“You’re out of town?” I asked. “Where’d you go?”