“Actually—”

“I don’t think he would.” Hugh’s swift stride carried him to Tess’s side before she had time to lower her arms. He took her wrist with a firm hold. “We’ve got pack business to discuss.”

“I can speak for myself, Hugh.” Dane remained in statuesque form a step away from Tess’s flailing free arm. “And I was about to say I do have business to discuss that needs to be done in private.”

“Come on boys. I promise I won’t tell.” She brought a hand to her chest and drew an X across her shirt. “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

Her words cut into Hugh deeper than if she’d held a knife to his skin. Even though it was a common saying, he didn’t like hearing the word die come from her lips. Because reality was, someone might. Tonight.

Tess’s pulse raced under his hand. She might appear calm but she was anything but. He knew she was angry, but more than anger made her heart beat faster.

He gently laid her arm at her side and wished he didn’t have to let go. “Stay here. I’ll be back in forty-five minutes.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

Dane chuckled. “Does Hugh know how to kid?”

Hugh ignored the comment and brought his mouth to her ear. “Don’t go anywhere without me.”

“Where would I go?” she asked, disdain in her tone. “I’ve got nothing better to do than sit here and wait for you. I’ll just clean out my purse. It’s full of useless crap.”

Tess skipped—skipped? Whatever it was, it wasn’t walking—to the couch and plopped down like an entitled princess who hadn’t gotten her way. When she wanted to lay it on thick, she sure knew how to work it. No wonder she was so successful at her job.

With her bag in her lap, she gave him a huge smile that reached the corners of her eyes. The kind of smile that told him when he walked out of the room there was no telling what she might do. Damn her. But he had to talk to Dane in private to get to the bottom of his reasons for being in San Diego. Every muscle in his back clenched. He trusted Dane less and less every minute.

The trust he had in Tess, however—or was it wishful thinking?—won out, despite his worry she’d do something stupid. He had to go for the drink. Had to confirm or refute his doubts about Dane. Pack loyalty was crucial at the moment.

“I won’t be long,” he said.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine here all by myself.” She rummaged in her purse rather than look his way.

Guilt overcame him. He knew she’d be fine by herself, but he hated leaving her alone. If anything happened to her while he was gone, he’d never forgive himself.

Nothing’s going to happen to her. She’d proven to him several times she was tough, that she was capable of handling any situation. So why was he worried?

Could it be the slight smile he saw spread across Dane’s face as they headed toward the door?

A sick feeling turned his stomach, and sounding snider than he intended he said, “Let’s get this over with.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Dane said.

“Hugh,” Tess called as Dane preceded him into the hallway.

He stopped right before crossing the threshold, closed the door halfway, and looked back at her.

“Be careful.” Her voice was so quiet he barely made out the words. But he heard them, and his doubt about her agenda lessened.

Tess shot up from the couch the minute the door closed. The last time she’d followed them, she’d been caught. Could she pull it off this time? Doubtful. And really, this was what she wanted, right? She wanted to be on her own. She didn’t need backup. Didn’t need Hugh getting in her way.

The tiny matter of eliminating him loomed over her like a fourteen-foot giant dripping in sweat and smelling worse than week-old fish left on the kitchen counter, but she’d deal with that later.

She pulled out her cell and tried Kensie and Francesca. They hadn’t answered any of her earlier calls or dialed back from the messages she’d left. “It’s urgent,” she’d said. “I’m in San Diego and we really need to talk. Please call me back as soon as possible.” They had a deal, the three of them, that if they said “urgent” it meant a call back was imperative.

But once again their voicemails picked up, promising to return the call as soon as they could.

They can’t call me back.

Her mouth went dry, and the back of her throat squeezed shut. Had Christian done something already? Was he set to carry out his promise if Tess didn’t follow through with hers?

When she’d started with P.I.E. as a teenager, she thought the organization justified in its mission. Never did any doubt cross her mind that she wasn’t doing the right thing. She’d promised Christian, promised herself, she’d always remain loyal. P.I.E., after all, had given her a life, a family.

But the waters were muddy now. The evil she’d always thought was on the other side of the coin now had two faces. She’d just been too blind to see it. It took meeting Hugh to show her that her past had been marred by narrow-minded beliefs, by thinking she owed her place in society to P.I.E.

Tonight would change all that.

She’d finally put to rest Jason’s death and then…

Her heart hammered inside her chest. She paced back and forth around the room, thinking she’d rather be struck by lightning than face the night ahead. Wasn’t there a demon family in her past that would be more than happy to strike her down? Right now would be a good time.

No, it wouldn’t.

She never backed down from anything.

Then again, she’d never had so much to lose.

She had to stop thinking so much. Until today, she’d been comfortable moving into action without a plan, didn’t let deadlines bother her. Her instincts were just as good as any half-shifters and with no sidekick to worry about, maybe storming into Dobson’s meeting was a good idea. It required less finesse and more ass-kicking—exactly what she needed right now.

The room service disguise would get her in the door, so without further thought, she grabbed her bag and headed out. As her hand reached for the doorknob, a knock sounded. Shit. Was Hugh back already? He must have forgotten his wallet or something.

She quickly moved to the bedside table and put her purse down before rushing back to the door. She didn’t want him thinking she was leaving. Then, without a second thought, she swung the door wide and stared into the eyes of the one man she did not want to see. Her boss.

“Hello, Tess.”

An uncomfortable, clammy feeling spread over her skin. Her stomach clenched. Stupid, stupid, stupid. If it had been Hugh at the door, he wouldn’t have knocked. He’d have had a key in his pocket and come right in. She had lost her touch.

“Hey. What are you doing here?” She wiped her hands down her jeans.

“Aren’t you going to ask me in?”

Tess got the feeling if she didn’t let him inside the room in the next second, she might lose a limb.

All her limbs were of utmost importance at the moment.

“Of course. Come on in.” She stepped to the side and caught a whiff of his cologne. Her nose twitched and she drew her top lip in to prevent a sneeze.

She pushed the door shut with the back of her foot. Christian strode to the couch, his head turning left, then right. He took in everything in the suite, and when he twisted to sit, his penetrating gaze went right through her.

Does he know what I was doing in here last night? The made bed was from her hand, not a maid’s, so it was anything but perfect. She prayed any color in her cheeks didn’t give away her feelings for Hugh.

She had two choices. Stare right back and refuse to let him intimidate her. Or look away and play the hapless female off her game trying to right her workmanship. Because her boss was a lot of things but idiot wasn’t one of them.

He wasn’t in town to pay a friendly visit and see if she needed help with her assignment. He was in town because he didn’t trust that she’d finish her assignment without botching something up again.