Hello My Angel - Sue Brown Page 0,7

me that, but it feels like my fault. If we’d called Max sooner—”

“The only thing that would be different is we’d have known who she was. Chyna was gonna make her move sooner or later.”

Josh was sure of it. Chyna’s end game still wasn’t played out. The question was, would Cal and the agency be the hunter or the hunted?

Chapter 3

“Angel?”

Josh mumbled something and snuggled into the firm pillow.

“Angel? We’re here. It’s time to wake up.”

“Don’ wanna.”

Cal chuckled in his ear. “I know, my angel, but we’ve work to do.”

Josh sat up, blinking sleepily. “We’re here already?” The pillow had been Cal’s chest. He was tempted to snuggle again.

“Sorry, princess,” Gil said from the front seat. “You want me to drive you around so you can get your beauty sleep?”

Josh flipped him off and yawned, trying to get his head together enough to move.

Cal yawned in response, groaned, then got out of the car. He stretched and Josh swore he heard a few joints cracking.

“I need coffee,” Gil said.

Josh nodded. “Coffee and information.”

“I have a feeling we’re not going to get either right away.” Cal nodded to the small group of men in the lobby of the building on Threadneedle Street.

“Oh God. Is that Mullins?” Josh groaned. He loathed the now-acting head of the agency.

“Yes, but I don’t know who the other man is.”

Josh squared his shoulders. “Let’s get it over with. And don’t kill him yet, okay?”

Cal bared his teeth. “I’m not promising anything, my angel.”

Josh should have extracted that promise. The council of war around the conference table was growing more heated by the moment. They had talked all night and nothing had been resolved. Josh had run the gamut of emotions during the long, long day. Now he was livid. He’d developed an active dislike of the new acting head of the agency, Edwin Mullins, a pompous man in his fifties, from the minute he’d introduced himself, saying, “I don’t think we should rush into anything.” He’d tried to force Cal and Gil out of the meeting at the beginning as they weren’t agency staff members. Cal didn’t often trade on his surname, but this time he rammed it down Mullins’s throat with pleasure.

Josh had to place a hard hand on Cal’s thigh to stop him from thumping Mullins when the man suggested it was too soon to start looking for Weatherly. He didn’t give a shit about Mullins, but he didn’t want Cal arrested.

Half an hour into the meeting, Josh pushed his notebook toward Cal who frowned as he studied the page. Josh usually wrote in code. No one had cracked Josh’s code and Cal had tried numerous times. The words on this page were in plain English.

TWAT

DOUCHEBAG

ASSHOLE

TAKE FUCKING CONTROL YOU MORON.

Cal nodded in agreement. Then Josh pushed the notebook irritably at him, his eyes narrowed. If he didn’t calm down, the notebook was in danger of flying off the table.

Cal blinked at him. “You mean me?”

Josh rolled his eyes.

“I can’t do that.” Cal spoke out loud and everyone stopped talking to stare at him. He ignored them, and focused on Josh. “It’s not my place.”

“Do it, or I will,” Josh said. He needed to leave Cal in no doubt he’d follow through on his threat.

“Is there something you wish to share with the class?” Mullins asked snidely.

Cal gave him a hard stare. Josh smiled in satisfaction as Cal said, “You’re wasting our time, Mullins.”

“I beg your pardon?” Mullins almost spluttered.

“You’re wasting our time. If Weatherly’s not dead, she soon will be. We need to find Moles and Weatherly, and do it now.”

“You don’t know the director has been kidnapped.”

“You think she went off with Moles for a tête-à-tête as a little light relief after Chopper was beheaded?” Josh said, his tone as snide as he could make it.

Mullins frowned at him. He obviously wasn’t used to the lower ranks speaking out of turn. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What is ridiculous is you not wanting your head of agency found,” Cal said. “Why don’t you want her back safely? Do you want the corner office, Mullins?”

Josh hid his smile. Mullins had a perfectly good corner office of his own, even if it wasn’t on the top floor, as Cal well knew.

“You’re out of line, Ross,” Mullins said. “I don’t care who you’re related to. You’re not an employee now. You’re just a consultant.”

“I think this would be a good time to take a break.”

Josh studied the man who’d spoken for the first time. Josh didn’t know who he