“Remy isn’t. He’s FBI,” she defended instantly.
Constantine’s other eyebrow rose to join the first. “Right. How could I have forgotten? He’s a Fed, and I’m his backup.”
Remy heard Jacqueline’s breath expel in a long rush of relief. “Thank goodness because I was afraid I’d wind up shooting myself instead of the enemies. I am not much good as backup.”
Yes, that would have been why Remy asked her to stay hidden.
“But I couldn’t leave Remy on his own,” Jacqueline continued doggedly. “Not after dragging him into my mess.”
Constantine stared straight up at Remy. “I don’t think he minds in the least. Playing hero is his favorite thing in the world to do.”
Remy sent Constantine a grim smile. One with a lot of teeth.Be careful what you say, friend.
“Got some clothes for you,” Constantine announced with a casual roll of his broad shoulders. “They’re right outside the back door. Shoes, too, because I figured you needed some of those. Heard you had to cut out of your town in a hurry, and I suspected that meant you’d had to leave everything behind.”
Wait, wait…wait.Heard…Remy bounded back down the stairs toward him. The alarm bells that had rang in his mind earlier were now blasting.Should have realized…“You’re working for Wilde?” At first, he’d thought that Constantine had just managed to track him down, but, no, more was clearly at play. A whole lot more.
“Did I not mention that fact?” Constantine blinked innocently. “I didn’t tell you about my new job in one of ourmanyconversations over the last few months?”
Remy locked his back teeth.
“You asked for backup,” Constantine reminded him. “You called Eric and told him to send in his best agent.”
No, he hadn’t used those words exactly.
Constantine lifted his hands and gestured toward himself. “Well, wish granted. Here I am.”
***
Being in clothes that fit, having a new bra and matching panties, not wearing two pairs of socks and still having the shoes slide up and down her heels…actually having shoes that were comfortable and her size…oh, the joy. Jacqueline practically hopped down the stairs and rushed to meet the men as they waited in the den. “It’s all perfect, thank you so much!” Jacqueline felt so exuberant that shealmostwanted to hug the stranger who’d brought the clothes to her.
Constantine.
He turned toward her with a broad, warm smile on his face. His gray eyes crinkled a bit at the corners. “You are most welcome. Though, I have to say, I liked what you were wearing before just fine, too—ooof!”
Remy had elbowed him in the ribs. “My bad. Didn’t realize we were standing so close.” His gaze swept over Jacqueline. “Everything fits perfectly.” He looked over at Constantine. “How did you know her size?”
“I just did a little investigating. It’s what I do at my new gig with Wilde.”
There was an odd tension between the two men. Her hands shoved into the back pockets of her jeans as she tried to figure them out. “Were you two partners at the FBI?”
“Sure. There, everywhere.” Constantine’s answer seemed…off.
She bit her lip and focused on Remy. He’d tell her the truth.
A muscle flexed along his jaw, then Remy said, “Con and I have known each other a long time.”
“Seems like forever,” Constantine murmured.
Remy sent him a hooded glance. “We got into plenty of trouble together back in the day and we tried—”
“Tried to get out of that trouble together,” Constantine finished. “Sometimes, we succeeded. Sometimes, we just wound up raising more hell.” He threw his arm around Remy’s shoulders. The two men were roughly the same height and had the same strong, muscular build. “This guy knows every secret I have, and, until recently, I was sure that I knew his, too.”
Remy seemed to tense. “You’re gonna be the backup?”
“Isn’t that what I said already?” A grumbly response from Constantine.
Remy turned his head to frown at him. “And you won’t get your assshot?Can you work on that for me?”