The priest adjusted his stole as he looked over his shoulder at the cathedral doors. “I better get back to the church office.” He smiled at them. “Enjoy your time in Scotland.”
“Thanks, Father,” Greyson answered.
The priest walked away, and Aura allowed her hand to wander down his back until her fingers dipped into his pocket. She gave his ass a squeeze. “You’re evil, Greg.”
He chuckled and turned to face her. “Not my fault you didn’t tuck in your shirt, Amber.”
She rolled her eyes, struggling not to smile as she caught his hand. “Thanks for offering up your phone for the picture. I couldn’t risk handing over mine.”
“I figured.” He tugged her close and brushed his lips to hers like they really had been married for five years. She hated how easy it would be to get used to his attention, and how much she was going to miss it soon.
She squeezed his hand, leading him toward the cathedral. “We’ve got about an hour left to explore.”
“Then we best be gettin’ busy.” He grinned, and she couldn’t hold back a laugh.
She really was going to miss him. For the first time in her career, she caught herself wishing this undercover op was real.
…
After all the awe-inspiring views of the Glasgow Cathedral and the massive Necropolis, they headed for the rental car. As she drove farther from the harbor, toward the mountains, Greyson fell silent, lost in thoughts he didn’t seem to want to share.
Aura settled herself by mentally going through their backstory again. Dates and places over and over until Greyson broke her concentration.
“If that Department 13 vault is so strong, who took the damned sword?”
Good question.
She mulled it over. “I’m not sure. Agent Bale has Kingsley checking inventory records to see if we can pinpoint when it disappeared, then we can start zooming in on who had access during that time.”
He cleared his throat. “Seems they should plug that hole before we deposit a valuable trinket like the Tyrfing back inside.”
He squeezed her thigh, sending a jolt of awareness through her entire body. She loved his touch so much more than she should.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel to keep focused on the road. “We should stick with Amber and Greg until this is done. They’ve never heard of Department 13.”
“Works for me.” His tone instantly carried a soft Savannahian accent. “Never thought I’d have a wife, let alone such an amazing partner.”
Her heart fluttered before she could remind herself this was Greg talking, not Greyson. He was playing his part. But he was doing an awesome job. Turning it on at the drop of a hat like that wasn’t easy. Amber’s two-carat diamond wedding ring caught the sunlight as she drove.
“I’m glad to have you on my side.” Truth. She cleared her throat and pushed the accent into her voice. Amber’s voice. “Let’s add this relic to our collection, baby.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Anything for you, Amb.”
His alteration of her cover name hadn’t been part of Kingsley’s background folder. Greyson had made that change all on his own. She liked it, even though it muddled the lines between their cover and real life.
It made it easier to believe he meant it, rather than pretending to be her undercover husband. Or maybe that’s what she hoped it implied. All the lines were blurring, and if she didn’t get a grip, she could lose everything.
She parked in front of a storehouse outside Glasgow and turned off the car. Unfastening her seat belt, she looked over at Greyson. “Are you ready for this?”
He patted his calf and under his left arm, checking his hidden holsters. “Yeah.” He met her eyes. “I’ll let my beautiful wife do the talking, but if anyone makes a move, I’ve got your back.”
A smile tugged at her lips at the sight of the dangerous spark in his eyes. This pirate looked like he was almost hoping they’d dare to challenge him. It shouldn’t have made her warm all over, but it did.
“Just remember, the sword most likely isn’t here. We need one of them to lead us to it.” She checked her purse for her badge. Habit. It wouldn’t do her any good on this trip, since the United States government hadn’t condoned this mission or cleared it with the Scots, either. “We’re also on foreign soil without any government shields, so getting arrested for the murder of a Scottish citizen would be an international incident.”
He smirked. “Then it would be best for all of us if they don’t lay a finger on my bride.”
“Save the act for our sellers.” She chuckled and opened the door.
He caught her wrist before she could get out. She looked back, and his gaze locked on hers. “No one touches you. No act about that.”
The glint in his eyes wasn’t a performance. This wasn’t Greg talking. Definitely all Greyson. And half of her—the part that seemed to have forgotten she was nothing without her work—loved it. She’d never had anyone so staunchly in her corner before.
She cleared her throat and got out of the car.
Once they had the sword, she’d be back at Department 13 in Washington, D.C., and he’d be back in Savannah with his crew. This was a crutch she wouldn’t have much longer.
No matter how sexy he was.
Chapter Sixteen
Greyson followed Aura to the unmarked door on the side of the faded brown aluminum storehouse building.
He scanned the area, imagining the rolling green hills to be wakes in an endless blue sea. Navigating the oceans was so much simpler.
Whoever opened that door had stolen a relic from a high-security underground vault in Washington, D.C., or at least had been in contact with someone who had.
He stood behind Aura as the door opened, his senses instantly on high alert, and something flashed inside him.
He no longer gave a shit about the money for collecting this sword.
All he cared about, as the tall, slender man at the door glared at them, was keeping Aura safe. She was all that mattered. The realization socked him in the gut like a wrecking ball, but he buried the emotions, sinking into the undercover operation.
“You the Smiths?” The man’s green eyes flickered between Aura and Greyson.
“Yes,” she answered. “I’m Amber and this is my husband, Greg.”
“Good to meet you.” Greyson offered his hand. “You are?”
The other man hesitated for a moment, sucking in a deep breath before finally taking his hand. “Doesn’t matter.” The guy dropped his hand. “You got ID?”