Code of Conduct by Kristine Smith

Author:Kristine Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: HarperCollins

CHAPTER 18

It seemed only seconds had passed when Jani felt a sharp poke in her rib cage. Her hand shot out and closed around a wrist—a startled yelp filled her ears. She opened her eyes to find a gape-mouthed Angevin standing over her.

“Sorry,” Jani said as she released her. “You surprised me.” She sat up slowly. Her stiff back complained anyway. “How did you find me?”

“I work here, remember?” Angevin eyed Jani warily. “You want to ditch a meeting, you hide in the dissertation section.” She massaged her wrist. “Damn it, that hurt!”

“I said I was sorry.” Jani felt her cheeks burn. You’re in civilization now, remember? No one’s going to arrest you in your sleep. That was Evan’s promise, anyway. “Want some friendly advice?”

“What?”

“Don’t surprise people who do sneaky work in the Commonwealth’s name. We tend to overreact.”

“Now you tell me.” Angevin dragged over a chair and sat down. She had already draped her coat over a nearby planter and set an assortment of bags on the floor near Jani’s lounge. “Oh well, I’m sorry I sneaked up on you,” she said hurriedly. “Never happen again, that’s for sure.” She remained quiet for a time, her hands folded in her lap. “I’ve brought that stuff from Lucien,” she finally said.

“He had it ready!” Jani struggled to her feet, trying to decide which sack to root through first. “He gave you all these?” she asked as she reached for the nearest bag.

“No! That’s mine.” Angevin slid to the floor and wrested the bag from Jani’s grasp. “These are mine, too,” she added, indicating the others. Then she removed a battered yellow sack from the hidden depths of the melange and handed it to Jani. “This one is yours.”

Jani stared from her single parcel to the impressive array spread out before her. “You went shopping?”

“Well, after I called Lucien I had to wait for him, didn’t I? Then when he showed up, he said there was something he needed to buy, too. We worked fast.” Angevin held up a pullover and eyed it skeptically. “I thought you said he was good-looking.”

“You don’t think so?”

“No. Good-looking for men equals average. Lucien is not average. Lucien is gorgeous.” Angevin tugged at her rumpled shirt. “You could have warned me—I’d have changed. Not that it would have mattered. All he did was ask about you.”

“Really?” Jani peeked into her bag and opened the plastic pouch containing the jig. The device’s beige case shone back. “What did he want to know?”

“The usual. ‘What’s Risa doing tonight? How’s she feeling? What did she tell you about me?’” Angevin had draped the pullover across her chair, and was now examining the seams on a pair of trousers. “I thought I was in prep school again. Introduction to the Lovelorn.”

“Sorry.” Jani stuck her finger in a shallow depression in the jig’s side. It squealed in response, and she shut the bag hastily. “I thought it would be fun for you.”

“Oh, he hit on me. Asked me out to dinner.

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