Hadley lifted her coffee in salute. She scanned the office for Bennett, but there was no sign of him.
“Halle.” A young man from the communications team made his way to her. “Meeting in ten minutes in conference room one.”
“Thanks, Jack. Have you seen Bennett?”
Jack’s nose wrinkled. “He’s busy on the phone. Something’s going down and it isn’t good. He’s like a bear with a wounded…well, everything.”
She nodded.Shit. Clearly he hadn’t recovered the last shipment.
She dumped her things in her office and grabbed her tablet. She headed for Bennett’s office and spotted Henry.
“Any news?” she asked quietly.
Henry looked pissed. “No. He’s been on the phone all night. They almost caught the shipment on the highway, but the bastards got away. He’s talking with MI6 right now. We need to catch these fuckers.”
Hadley nodded. Archie was locked up, which meant someone else at Secura was working for L’Orage.
“Halle!” someone called. “Meeting.”
“Coming,” she called back.
She glanced into Bennett’s office. He was standing in his suit trousers and a blue shirt, one hand on a lean hip and the phone pressed to his ear.
He was in profile, his body stiff. He was barking into the phone, stressed and pissed.
He looked good though. She mentally rolled her eyes, but in her head she was remembering his sexy voice on the phone last night. All the things he’d said. She felt a pulse low in her belly.
Great. Going into a meeting with damp panties was not what she needed.
Shaking her head, she hurried to conference room one.
The morning turned into a rush of meetings. When she finally got back to her desk, she found a salad that her assistant had left for her.
She also found a small box of chocolates. Since they were from Pierre Marcolini, her favorite chocolatier, she didn’t think they were from Penny. Hadley opened the box and found neat colored rows of Les Coeurs. Small, heart-shaped chocolates. She grabbed her favorite and popped it in her mouth.
The flavor of dark chocolate ganache and raspberry exploded in her mouth.
Damn you, Knightley.He was trying to seduce her with little gifts.
She ate her salad, and several more chocolates, while she shot off messages to Hex.
Her email pinged. It was a message from Gabbi. It contained a photo of Gabbi and a smiling little Cora from Nightingale House. The African-American girl was holding up a little sign that said “I miss you, Hadley.”
Hadley felt a pang under her heart and smiled. She missed her visits to the shelter as well. She saved the picture on her phone.
A message from Hex popped up. Kitty Wentworth wasn’t doing anything remotely interesting. Right now, she was at a day spa.
Hadley let herself imagine having the time to get a massage and a facial.
Unfortunately, stopping criminals didn’t leave her a lot of time for day spas.
She approached Bennett’s office and Maudie stalked out.
The assistant scowled. “Wear armor if you’re going in there.”
Hmm. Hadley slipped inside.
“No.” Bennett was on the phone again, his tone sharp as a blade. “I want the informationtoday, not tomorrow.” A pause. “That’s not up for negotiation. Get it done.” He slammed the desk phone down and dragged a hand through his hair.