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Chapter 1

RYAN

Soo, but er detector, and I’ Adrenaline is starting to puh my veins

I scan the vicinity outside our client’s house, seeing nothing unusual There’s been nothing unusual since our personal security agency accepted the contract teeks ago Our client, a model from Canada with a devoted stalker, leaves for the airport anytravesty at this point to run into a threat

My partner, Jake, is tense, too, his big shoulders high as he scrutinises the street beyond the iron gate that separates this house from the rest of London He’s quiet I’m quiet

‘Yo Jake,’ I call, watching as the big guy leisurely takes backward steps away froate until he’s at the door with me

‘There’s a black Audi across the street’ He goes to his phone ‘Blacked-out s It’s been there for over an hour and the driver hasn’t gotten out’

I fucking knew it ‘You checked with Lucinda?’ Ithe RS 7 parked up the road, the passengeropen a fraction

‘The plate’s a clone’ Jake confirms what I feared

I check left and right casually ‘And here I was thinking how easy this job had been’ I back away, feeling the weight ofhell, I haven’t had to drawas shit, just like every other in the ten years I’ve served at the agency, but boring is safe Boring means I make it home to Hampton

Jake looks over his shoulder as the front door opens and our client e to have to ask you to step back inside for a few minutes,’ my partner says coolly

She blinks, surprised ‘But my plane leaves in two hours’ There’s panic in her voice, and she scans the street beyond ‘Is there a problem?’

‘Let’s just get you back inside,’ Jake says softly, walking toward her and taking the little girl’s hand, leading her back into the house with her mother

Miss Warren’s eyes flick betweento find an answer to her question Then she opens herto her daughter and crouching ‘Darling, I think I’ve left Paddington on the couch Why don’t you run along and fetch him’

‘Okay’ The little girl dashes back to the living roo toward us ‘Please, tellon’

‘There’s an unidentified vehicle across the street that we need to check out,’ I explain