“Fine. You’re right. You are too smart for my usual bullshit. Just think of it as a puzzle.”
Daniel was ready to pick up a lamp and throw it at the man’s head, but he knew it wouldn’t get him any closer to being free of him. With a sigh, he glared at Edward. “What do you think that guy was trying to sell?”
“We’re pretty sure it’s a list of operatives. The safety of a lot of good people is at risk.”
“Well, he’s dead now, so that’s not going to happen.”
“But we know the list is out there, and we need to know who was trying to buy it. All information—no, any information—would be beneficial at this point.” Edward sat down on the edge of the bed and folded his hands together. He looked like he was telling the truth, which only worked to prick Daniel’s conscience. He didn’t want to trust the guy. He’d been conned by the man once already. “You’re in a unique situation here. You look exactly like the guy we were trying to find. You can help us. You still have the week of your vacation, right? Why not spend it helping your country?”
“Low blow, Edward. Or is that even your name?”
“It’s the name I’m using right now.”
“And you can’t tell me the real one, right?”
“No.”
“Fucker.”
Edward nodded. “Yes. I’m not a nice man, Daniel, and you would do well to remember that. I’m here to do a job, and I will see it through. I am, however, sorry I got you mixed up in this, but we really do need you.”
“What are you expecting me to do?”
“Go with me to Barcelona and be at that meeting. All you have to do is stay long enough for me to get pictures of the buyers. Maybe try to get a little useful information.”
“Oh, that’s it, huh?” Daniel’s laugh came out strangled. “Fly off to Barcelona and pretend to be a secret agent?”
“You said you wanted to travel.”
“I also said I’m nothing more than a boring accountant. How in the hell do you expect me to pull something like this off? I have no training.”
“You went through training to be in the FBI.”
“That was a different sort of training. I was a damn desk jockey—always have been. And trust me, the job I have now is a lot more exciting than the one I had for the FBI. And what about that job? I only have the week off.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. I’m sure you have sick days accumulated. You don’t strike me as someone who uses those indiscriminately.”
“Because your instincts where I’m concerned are so strong…”
“Touché.” Edward grinned.
“Seriously, some agent you are.” Daniel lifted an eyebrow, daring him to dispute that.
“You saw the man who was using this room. Tell me you weren’t stunned by the resemblance.”
He had been. Incredibly stunned. Enough to wonder if he was actually adopted and had a twin he’d never known about. But he looked too much like his father for that to be a serious conclusion. “Still, to get us mixed up doesn’t make me want to throw my hat into this quite so fast.”
“Look, I’m good at my job. I know my track record with you is a bit…tarnished, but this was an unusual circumstance. I can assure you that I know what I’m doing, and I can keep you safe.”
Daniel felt crazy for even contemplating it, but he was. He hated the idea of that information being out there in the world where it could do harm to good people. And after everything that happened, could he really just go back to lounging on the beach for the rest of his scheduled stay in Bermuda? No. He knew that he’d be thinking about Edward the entire time and whether he’d succeeded without him.
Fuck. He was an idiot or a total sap.
“I’ll give you a week and that’s it.”Chapter FiveThey checked into a suite in the Ohla Barcelona, and Daniel dropped his suitcase, walked across the sunny room to the balcony, and stepped outside. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the city with its mix of Catalan Gothic and modern architecture. The view stretched for miles, the bright sunlight sparkling on the old stone and glass.
Holy shit, he was in Barcelona, Spain.
Six months ago, when he’d booked the trip to Bermuda, he’d thought he was living an adventurous life. His family wasn’t filled with world travelers. They did the usual things like summer treks down to Florida for lounging on the beach or taking the kids to Walt Disney World. His sisters did an annual girls’ weekend in New York City where they shopped and took in some Broadway plays. But flashing a passport and strolling down foreign streets was not a Hendricks kind of thing.
He’d been in a state of denial as he packed up his bag and rode in the taxi with Edward back to the airport. But at the ticket counter were a pair of first-class tickets waiting for them. After a layover in Philadelphia, they boarded their overnight flight for Spain.