Fatal Freeze. Michelle Karl

occasions throughout the years, he’d wondered how Alexandra and Nicola were doing, but had never felt comfortable reaching out. He’d met the Reilly sisters on a youth mission trip to Botswana, and he’d quickly become friends with Nicola, both of them young and self-centered and eager to do anything but the volunteer work they’d come to Africa for. At the time, he’d had no idea that Nicola expected more than friendship from him, and it hadn’t ended well once she made her intentions clear.

      Alexandra continued to stare at him. “Someone tried to strangle me, and I shouldn’t be worried?”

      She crossed the distance between them, her steps sure and confident. He bristled at the intrusion into his personal space, but their difference in height made it seem as though he was being stalked by a kitten. She poked a finger toward his chest but stopped short of making contact. Shaun bit down on the inside of his cheek to stop himself from grinning. The kitten had claws. He’d never seen this side of the younger Reilly sister before.

      “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re mistaken if you assume I’m going to let this go. I have very important work to do, and while I appreciate your assistance, I can take it from here.”

      Important work? Now they were getting somewhere. “What kind of work, exactly? What have you been up to, Alexandra?”

      Before she had a chance to respond, two medical staff in navy blue uniforms emerged from the stairwell, medical bags in their hands. Alexandra followed his gaze and actually growled before sighing in resignation. It was adorable, a fact that Shaun wisely kept to himself.

      To his relief, she consented to being checked over, though she glared at him the entire time. He had arrested criminals who were less antagonistic toward him than she. Her attitude was baffling. He recalled Alexandra giving him the cold shoulder after he’d rebuffed Nicola’s advances near the end of the mission trip, but that was eight years ago.

      He remembered that trip as though it had been yesterday. As they’d spent time helping build a school and dig wells for impoverished families, Shaun had experienced a profound change in how he saw the world, discovering that he wanted to spend his life serving and protecting those in need. Attention-seeking party girl Nicola was a fun friend, sure, but he’d quickly realized he had no interest in pursuing a romantic relationship with her. Nicola had been angry when he’d told her he wasn’t interested in dating, and she’d shocked him by demanding he never speak to her or her family again. He’d respected her wishes, and applied to the CIA’s training program the following year. But now Alexandra stood in front of him, needing help. How could he say no?

      When the medical team finished checking her over, and before she could request to talk with security, he strode forward. “I’ll take her upstairs,” he said, speaking over her protests. “Maybe it’ll give us a chance to catch up.”

      He noted her crossed arms and downturned lips with interest. She’d grown into her beauty, with strong features that somehow remained delicately feminine—a stark contrast from her wispy, blonde sister. Or at least what he remembered of her sister. He hadn’t seen either of them for nearly a decade.

      “How’ve you been, Alexandra? Your sister’s not here with you, is she?”

      “It’s Lexie,” she said, gathering up her bags. “And no, of course she’s not.”

      Had the Reilly girls had a falling out? “That’s too bad. I’d have liked to have said hello.” He couldn’t quite read the look on Alexandra’s—no, Lexie’s—face. Confusion? Anger? “That’s no reason we can’t catch up, right?”

      He shouldn’t, though. He had an assignment to focus on, and yet...the attack, combined with her comment about important work, intrigued him. Gathering information was part of a CIA agent’s job description, after all.

      “You’ve got a lot of nerve, Carver,” she said, turning back to the medical staff, who were repacking their equipment. He winced, hearing her say his last name. How had she remembered it all this time? He needed to correct her privately, or else things could get more complicated than they already were. “I’d like to speak with security, please. They’ll want to know about the incident here, for the safety of the passengers. I’ll be upstairs in the lounge. I’ll try to sit near these stairs so that I’m easy to find.”

      The staff assured her they’d bring someone over and offered to escort her up to the lounge on the way. Without another word, Lexie followed them up several flights of stairs before being directed to turn left toward the lounge area at the front of the ship. Shaun followed behind, despite Lexie’s obviously deliberate effort not to acknowledge his presence.

      They emerged into a wide, open room, with enormous plate-glass windows that curved around the front of the ship. He would have to take advantage of the view at some point, but from where he stood at the entrance to the room, the only thing visible outside was a gray, fully clouded sky. What Shaun wouldn’t give for a day or two of sunshine, like they’d had earlier in the week. This winter had been far too cold, the temperatures dipping and rising without warning, freezing melted snow into thick, slick ice that coated everything. He had been surprised to learn that the ferry would be making the three hundred and forty mile ocean journey today, considering the plunge into deep freeze last night.

      Lexie sank into an empty seat a few feet from the door. Shaun followed and sat next to her as she placed her bags on the floor. She opened her travel bag and pulled out a red manila folder, tensing at his nearness as she placed it on her lap. Lexie stared straight ahead at the small coffee table by their feet.

      “I’ll talk to security for you,” he said, despite her refusal to acknowledge him. “Trust me on this one. Let it go.”

      Lexie tapped an unpainted fingernail on the folder. “Trust you? That’s rich.” Her tone turned bitter. “Don’t think I didn’t notice your lack of urgency in pursuing the bad guy. Now there’s someone aboard who might pose a danger to other passengers on the ship, and it sounds as if you’re trying to threaten me to keep me from telling someone else about the incident, so, no. I’m not going to trust you just because you asked me to. Among other reasons.”

      It was a shot straight to the gut. What had he done to become the bad guy? “My apologies. You’re absolutely right. It’s been a while and I suppose trust is something to be earned after all these years.” He paused and considered his next words carefully. If her assailant meant to seriously harm her, she could place herself in danger again if she wasn’t careful. “I’d hoped that stopping an attempt on your life, whatever the reason, would be worthy enough to gain trust.”

      Telling her why she needed to trust him would make this so much easier, but Shaun needed to protect his mission. He’d boarded the ferry on an anonymous tip to CIA headquarters that suggested there might be ties in Argentia to the human trafficking ring the CIA had been trying to bust for the past three years. Shaun was so close to cutting off the head of the snake, he could taste it. He’d bring the Wolf and his organization down, no matter the cost.

      Shaun blinked as memory took shape. Nicola and Alexandra, disembarking from the YouthBuilders’ bus in a dusty town in Botswana. Hi, I’m Alexandra, the brunette had said, and this is my sister, Nicola. We came with the Canadian group. Where are you from?

      “Sorry,” Lexie said, cutting through the strangely vivid memories. She looked startled by his honest appeal. “It’s just that until fifteen minutes ago, I thought I had a straightforward job to do. Now I’m not so sure.”

      Now they were getting somewhere. “Maybe I can help.” Lexie made no effort to hide the surprise on her face. “No, really. Tell me, what’s the work you’re doing, exactly?” He inclined his head toward the red folder. Her fingers flicked across its edge in impatience as she contemplated his offer of help.

      Silence stretched like a rubber band until her gaze grew hard and distant, and she shook her head. “I can’t. Client confidentiality. I...I’ve probably said too much already.”

      This made him pause. He’d have to tread with care and draw her out by reassuring her that she could trust