Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,61
to get Antony off my back.” A shrug. “Then I made sure to get right to Alyssa, only to find you holding her damn hand. Want to tell me what that was about?”
“Well, sure,” Dex began. “I think she’s got you wrapped around—”
“It wasn’t about anything,” Alyssa hurried to say. The last thing she wanted Dex to do was say that he thought Sebastian was wrapped around her finger. Obviously, Dex was wrong. A million times wrong on that score.
“Maybe for you, it wasn’t,” Sebastian growled to Alyssa. His gaze pinned Dex. “Something you want to add?”
“Sure.”
Why would Dex not shut up?
“Alyssa knew I planned to use her, too. She thought by coming here, she was helping to keep you and her brother safe. She made the choice, she made the sacrifice, and I think it was brave of her to do that.” Dex’s jaw was locked just as tightly as Sebastian’s. “I hope you know how important she is. I hope you don’t dick this up.”
“I’ve got Alyssa.”
“I’m standing right here,” she snapped. She had herself.
Sebastian’s blazing stare immediately shot to her. “Oh, baby, I see you. I have always seen you.”
She’d always seen him, too. She was just seeing new sides of him now.
“Ahem.” Dex’s throat clearing was ridiculously loud.
Sebastian glanced back at him. “No one saw me get in the building. As far as your perp is concerned, she’s up here with you and your guards.”
Dex nodded. “So you are fine with me continuing my plans. Fine with me setting the stage to see if our bad guy takes the bait.”
“It’s not his choice,” Alyssa fired. “It’s mine.”
Oh, yes, Sebastian’s expression could get darker. His stare flew back to her.
She would not be intimidated. “My choice, and I’m fine with the plan. Let’s see what happens. I’ve got a whole group of guards.”
“I got past them,” Sebastian pointed out. “Hardly what I’d call top-of-the-line security.”
Yes, that was…um, true. Not exactly reassuring.
“And that’s why I’ll be staying at her side,” Sebastian added grimly. “If the perp gets up here, I’ll be waiting.”
Dex frowned at him. “I don’t remember offering an invitation to join our party.”
Sebastian just looked at him.
Dex turned to her. “What do you say, Alyssa? Does he stay or does he go? Because I have this theory that I am dying to test…”
“What theory is that?” Sebastian rumbled.
“Why, it’s simple, really. I think you do anything she wants.” Dex’s expression was expectant. “Does he stay or go, Alyssa?”
“You’ve got to stop playing your games,” she warned him. “One day, they’re going to get you in serious trouble.”
He didn’t look concerned.
Her attention slid back to Sebastian. Yeah, one look at the wildness in his eyes, and it should be clear to anyone that this man only did what he wanted. “I was trying to protect you.”
“Noted.”
“You don’t want me taking risks.”
“Risks like jumping between your brother and a bullet? Nope. Can’t say I like that.”
“And I can’t say I like you being risked, either. So I was trying to catch the bad guy.”
Sebastian’s head inclined toward her. “We’ll catch him together. Because—just so we are clear—I am staying.”
She nodded. “Just to be clear, I figured you’d show up sooner or later.”
His gaze sharpened.
“I mean, you are a super spy. If anyone could find me, it would be you. I thought you might track my phone or something and then pop up in the bedroom when Dex wasn’t looking.” She slanted a quick glance at Dex.
Dex blinked a few times, almost as if he had to do some kind of mental reset. “Back up. You knew he’d come after you?”
“Of course. Didn’t you?” She was so on to Dex and his manipulations now. “Isn’t that why you left orders for the guards to let him come up when they saw him approaching the building? Because, I mean, if they really slipped up and let him get this close to us, I think you need to consider retraining them. Unless you gave orders for him to be allowed entrance.”
Dex smiled at her. “You got me.”
She almost smiled back. “I know I do.”
“I told the guards that if Sebastian appeared, they weren’t to interfere. No need to shoot to kill…or even shoot to maim,” he murmured. “They could let him slip right up.” He cut a glance toward Sebastian. “Sorry to break it to you, but you didn’t slide past them based on your superior skills.”
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself.” Sebastian didn’t seem concerned. “But maybe you