That's what she was now — a spy. At least for tonight she was and she was determined to embody the role as completely as possible while it belonged to her. Tomorrow she was going to go back to being boring old Piper, junior analyst and T branch dweller. Tonight, well, tonight she was a whole lot more.
In which Piper goes on her first field mission and things get a little crazy but she knows there is one person who will always have her back, no matter what.
*
*
*
"D'you think you're ready for this?"
Piper took one last look at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the closet, smoothing her hands carefully over the fabric of the dress that clung to her body, adding definition to her shape as it curved over her hips and tucked in at her waist. It was an absolutely decadent gown, the sort that Piper would never have a chance of getting her hands on by herself. This dress had been a loan from the SIS for tonight's purposes and she had to admit that she was reluctant to give it back. They'd have to pry it out of her hands.
"Hello? Still there? Or are you too busy looking at yourself."
"Shut up, Zayn," Piper snapped loud enough that the speaker phone could pick up her voice up and relay her frustration back to the man on the other end of the call. "I happen to look bloody fantastic and I'm taking the time to appreciate that, if you don't mind."
"Apologies." Zayn chuckled, his usual ease of countenance coming through loud and clear. It was helping to keep Piper from freaking out knowing that Zayn wasn't worried in the slightest about what was happening tonight. "You all ready to go then?"
"Five minutes," she told him as she smiled at herself in the mirror to give herself a little boost and then left her reflection behind entirely. She ended the call with Zayn and then scurried around to get all the things that she would need for the night.
Typically, there were certain things that got stuffed into a purse when going to a high class event — her mobile phone, lipstick, money, breath mints, maybe a condom if she thought she'd get lucky with her date. Tonight, she was putting in a tracker to stick on her target and a small Glock service weapon (her lipstick too but that was only because spies didn't have faded lipstick).
That's what she was now — a spy. At least for tonight she was and she was determined to embody the role as completely as possible while it belonged to her. Tomorrow she was going to go back to being boring old Piper, junior analyst and T branch dweller. Tonight, well, tonight she was a whole lot more.
She jumped a bit when she heard knocking at the door downstairs. Zayn had a key to HQ so she wasn't sure what he was doing knocking. Either way, he was waiting. Lifting a hand to her updo to make sure it was straight and smoothing out her bangs a bit, she plucked up her shoes and scampered down the stairs and to the door.
Sure enough, when she swung it open, Zayn was waiting on the other side wearing a sharp suit, a chauffeur's hat tucked under his arm. He had been looking back at the car sitting in the drive out front but he tore his eyes away when he heard the door open. Letting his eyes drop, he gave her a once over, his lips tugging into a crooked smirk.
"Well, well." His eyes drifted back up to meet hers as she waited hopefully for his response. "You clean up well, Miss. Stone."
Piper glanced down at the champagne coloured fabric that swished around her bare feet, nervously sliding her hand over her thigh to smooth it down. "You think?"
"You look gorgeous," Zayn reassured her with a proper smile that helped the nerves that had gripped her drop away. She laughed a little and so did Zayn. "You sure you're okay to do this? There's still time to back out if you want. Don't feel pressured to do it just because we've asked you to."
"I want to do it," Piper cut in a little too quickly. Zayn quirked a brow skeptically. "I do, I swear. Admittedly, I'm a little nervous." She cleared her throat, concentrating on stepping into her high heels so Zayn couldn't see the extent of her nerves written all over her face. "But this is the job I want to be doing. I need a chance to practice, to get better."
Zayn seemed to consider it and then smiled warmly, holding his arm out for her to take. She puffed herself up a bit, living in the mantra of fake it 'til you make it, and looped her arm through Zayn's. She shut the door firmly behind her, handing the keys to Zayn to supervise for the night because there wasn't any space in her bag, what with the gun and all the bits of technology she was toting around. Besides, what spy carried around their house keys, right?
There was a Bentley waiting in the drive and it wasn't until Zayn led them in that direction that she realized it was for her. The SIS had gone all out when they'd been outfitting this op, apparently. That, or this was the kind of money that One Direction, being a black ops group, had to throw around on missions. Either way, Piper had never been in a Bentley in her life and she was going to make the most of it.
Zayn, perfectly playing his role of chauffeur, stepped forward to open the back door for her. Before she could slide into the back seat, he grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her from getting in, taking one last look at her. "You really do look stunning, Piper. Absolutely beautiful."
"Stop it." Piper's cheeks flushed madly, her hand instinctively coming up to press there gently as if that would help the situation. She swatted at Zayn until he was forced to jump away with a laugh to get out of reach of her hands. "Shut up, would you? You're making me nervous. Why would you say that?"
"Because it's true." Piper was always astounded by Zayn's ability to be totally honest in all situations. He never held back and it was one of the qualities she valued in him as her friend. She trusted him completely because of his total transparency. It didn't make it any easier to take a compliment like that from him.
As he helped her down into the car, holding one hand to balance her as she manoeuvred to sit in the tight dress, he let out a low whistle. "I hope Harry'll be able to focus tonight." When Piper scowled in Zayn's direction, trying to figure out what he meant, Zayn smirked. "I have a feeling he won't be able to take his eyes off of you."
He shut the door before Piper had a chance to respond, leaving her sitting there with her mouth hanging open, a little lost for words. She shook off the slight discomfort that she always got when someone complimented her looks and tried to ignore the little voice telling her that he was just humouring her and talking her up. She knew he wasn't — Zayn didn't do that. And besides, what did it matter?
It wasn't about her looks tonight. They were just a trick of the trade. Tonight was about skill.
Tonight, she had a job to do.
*
*
The mission was straightforward.
Intel had come in through GCHQ that a scientist working with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease had stolen a sample of Ebola being held in his research lab and had sold it off to a third party group that was planning to weaponize it. Piper was a little rusty on biology, not having done any courses in it since her undergrad degree nearly six years back. However, she was well-versed enough in the discipline to know that Ebola, already a particularly virulent agent on it's own, would be easy to weaponize and would cause widespread devastation.
The scientist, Dr. Franklin Bates, had arranged to meet with a contact from the third party to do a drop of the virus at a gala in honour of the NIAID that would be taking place that night. Piper thought it was a bit of a dick move on the part of this scientist to be going to this fancy gala and drinking free champagne when he'd stolen a sample of the most dangerous virus in the world from right under their noses, but that was neither here nor there. The reality was that they had to get this virus before it could get into the wrong hands.
One Direction as a team had been tasked with intercepting the drop that was supposed to be taking place that night. It could have been done a number of ways but it was decided between Harry and Liam, the two senior field agents, that the best way to go about it was to receive the package at the event and arrest Dr. Bates afterward so that he wouldn't be spooked by agents approaching him beforehand and dump the virus. It was a solid plan, except that they needed someone to impersonate the contact from the third party to receive the package. Which would probably have been impossible for the two experienced senior agents considering that the contact was a woman.
Elise McMahon, according to the file that Piper was flipping through as Zayn navigated the traffic congested London streets, was supposedly average height, very rich and a redhead, the prime reason Piper had been chosen for the task.
Harry had been a little reluctant to let Piper play this essential role, not because he didn't trust her but because he wasn't sure she was ready. After all, this mission was of utmost importance. If anything went wrong, there was a risk that a sample of lethal Ebolavirus could end up in the hands of some pretty dangerous people. Piper completely understood why Harry was nervous about letting her do this on her own. Even she had doubts about how capable she was of seeing this through.
Liam, on the other hand, had been absolutely confident. He'd been training with Piper far longer than Harry and he was sure that Piper was ready to get out into the field and put her training into practice. It was his vouching for her that convinced not only Harry but also Eleanor and the JIC that she was the best woman for the job.
Piper still wasn't sure whether she was ready for this but she didn't have much of a choice at this point. She was already halfway to the NIAID gala and it was much too late to get someone in to replace her. She just had to buck up and believe she could do it. She'd been trained by some of the best agents in the business, not only Harry and Liam but also Zayn. She had the skills that she needed to get this done. Now, all she needed was the confidence. By the time they arrived at the gala, she had to be one hundred percent dedicated to her character so she could pass herself off as Miss. McMahon without a hitch. Dr. Bates had never seen her before — all he knew was she was American and had red hair. Piper just needed to exude the personality of a rich, American girl and everything should go off without a hitch.
Okay, so that was highly unlikely but she felt less like throwing up if she repeated that to herself.
"How's your accent?"
Piper glanced up, catching Zayn's gaze in the rear view mirror. He quirked his brow up questioningly and waited hopefully for a good answer.
"I don't know. You tell me," Piper said casually, doing the best New England accent she could muster. Even to her own ears, she sounded like Lavinia Mathis, the girl who had been dating her lab partner for much of her senior years. She'd been from Greenwich, CT, and she'd had the most pretentious way of speaking that Piper had ever heard. It was surprisingly easy to slip on her accent.
Zayn was grinning when she caught his eye once more. "That's brilliant. How'd you get so good?"
"I did go to school in Massachusetts for seven years."
"Shit, yeah, I forgot." Zayn focused back on the road as they pulled into the queue of cars waiting to drop off other important people attending the gala. When it looked like they wouldn't be moving for a while, Zayn leaned over the back of his seat so he could see Piper properly. "How are you feeling about this?"
"I'm okay," Piper said though her voice betrayed her, wobbling a little at the end. She cleared her throat to push it off. "I know what I have to do so now I just have to... you know, do it."
Zayn's eyes twinkled with amusement as he snaked his hand between the two front seats, patting her supportively on the knee. "You've got this, Piper. You're going to do brilliantly."
"Why don't you wait to see how it goes before you start throwing around compliments," she grumbled, frowning down at the file balanced in her lap. She'd read it back and forth about ten times and she'd practically memorized its contents. Still, she was nervous that it would all fly out of her head the moment she stepped into the building.
"Don't need to wait," Zayn shrugged. "I know you're going to do brilliantly. You just need to have a little bit more faith. Own this, Piper. This is your big chance and you have a real opportunity to not only impress your bosses but to make a really big difference. You're saving lives tonight, Piper. A lot of lives."
His words were sobering and Piper slumped back against her seat, letting out a long breath. It was a little intimidating — okay, a lot intimidating — having so much resting on her shoulders but it was also surprisingly motivating. Knowing how important her work was tonight was helping to empower her a little. If she managed to focus on the stakes, maybe she'd be able to make this work.
She sat up straighter, rolling her shoulders and shaking out her arms to loosen up. She caught Zayn's amused look and flipped him off, ignoring him as he chuckled and turned back to face the front. As he crept the car forward in the queue, Piper focused on what would be expected of her once she got inside and got herself fully into the mindset of her task. Before she knew it, they were at the front of the queue and Zayn had slipped out of the car to cross around and get her door.
She took the hand he offered as she slipped from the car, a lot more graceful than was her usual. The heels she was wearing were high and evened her height out with Zayn's, and yet when she stepped away from him, she did so with poise and grace. Maybe mindsets were more powerful than she'd originally thought.
Glancing behind her, she caught sight of the crowd of people standing on the sidewalk across from the British Museum where the gala was being held. Harry had told her that some big names were expected to be out tonight as sponsors of a new vaccine campaign but she hadn't actually anticipated fans coming out to see if they could catch sight of their favourite celebrity. It felt very strange to her.
"Wish me luck?" she asked Zayn when she caught his eye. He smirked, nodding politely to maintain his act as chauffeur.
"Won't need it love." With a nod toward the entrance, he parted ways, walking back around to the driver's side of the car. She let him go, turning to face her destination and steeling herself for the experience.
The walk up to the museum passed by in a haze because Piper was stuck in her own head, reviewing everything that she could possibly think of before she reached the door and she had to start putting on a show. Stats about who exactly her character was flitted across her working memory and she plugged them away for later reference. As she walked, she made an effort to stand tall and to glide gracefully. She tried to exude money. As someone who sometimes went without food because she bought too many shoes, this was a challenge but she must have managed it because the guard standing beside the doorman gave her a lecherous look as he scanned her body.
"Your name?" the doorman asked, paying little attention to his colleague. Piper could sense that he wasn't happy being paired off with the burly bodyguard for the evening just by the way he held himself, leaning unconsciously away from the larger man.
"Elise McMahon," she said in a slow, haughty voice in the best American accent she could muster. Her heart was racing in her chest and her fingers were tingling with adrenaline as she waited for the doorman to call her out for being a fraud and send her away. She was relieved when he nodded, checking her name off on the iPad he held in his hand.
"Welcome Miss. McMahon," he said with the phoniest smile Piper had ever seen. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "We do hope you enjoy the evening."
"Thank you very much," Piper gushed, giving the doorman a grin so wide that he flushed, stuttering as he stepped sideways to let her past. She gave the guard a wink before slipping past him, dodging out of the way just in time to miss the hand he'd jabbed out toward her arse looking to cop a feel. She might be playing a role but there was no situation where she was okay with someone grabbing something they weren't meant to be touching.
Stepping into the atrium of the British Museum was like stepping into a whole other world. She'd seen it before but not like this — not filled to the brim with people, not with the lights dimmed and the stars shining through the glass ceiling. For a moment she was so blown away by how ethereal it all looked that she stood still, her feet planted in place as she gazed up at the ceiling above her. It wasn't until someone jostled her from behind that she came back to her senses and remembered what she was here for.
There was no time for distractions. She had a job to do before Harry arrived and she wasn't going to let him down.
Piper had never been an overly social person. She wasn't uncomfortable with other people but she wasn't particularly outgoing and over the years she'd developed a strong sense of self that meant she was quite fine with being on her own in a crowd of people. If this had been any other party, she would have floated amid the people, keeping to herself and just watching. Tonight she had to be as social as she possibly could.
It had been decided early on in the planning that Piper wouldn't be able to approach Dr. Bates right away. It would seem too suspicious, too eager, and it might throw him off. Instead, Piper's task was to introduce herself to as many people as she possibly could so that she could be introduced by a mutual acquaintance. She wanted Dr. Bates to approach her, not the other way around, so she had to put herself out there. She joined every conversation she could without it seeming overt and intruding, she laughed and joked with everyone and anyone, and she made sure her cover name was communicated loud and clear.
It was surprising how quickly her nerves slipped away as she rounded the room, smiling gently and laughing genially at the people she spoke with. Adopting another persona — being Elise McMahon — had helped her push all the nervous, clumsy, uncoordinated parts of Piper Stone right out of her, replacing them with the smooth confidence of Elise. After only about ten minutes, she didn't even have to think about the American accent that she was putting on. Instead, it just came naturally.
The only slip up came about forty minutes after she'd arrived. She'd circled a good portion of the room, introducing herself to as many different people as she could on the off chance one of them knew Dr. Bates before moving onto the next part of the room. She'd made the mistake of lingering with one group too long, however, and she'd become chummy with one of the research assistants who reminded Piper a lot of the people she'd worked with back at MIT. It was like slipping into an old sweater and she was a uni student all over again, joking about TA wages and staff advisers and lab rules that were never followed. The RA, Samantha, was funny and sharp, and Piper found herself growing to like her.
"Do you smoke, Elise?" Samantha asked after they'd been chatting for a while. Piper froze for a moment, trying to think of the best way to respond. Piper didn't smoke herself but Elise did and she was supposed to be acting as Elise in every way possible.
"God yes," Piper blurted out, leaning in closer to Samantha and touching her arm in a friendly gesture that made the other woman smile. "I've been dying for one all night. Can I bum one off you by any chance?"
"Yeah, let's go then." Samantha led the way across the room and to the entrance. The guard was still standing outside and he was wearing a smarmy grin when the two of them passed. Samantha exchanged a look with Piper and rolled her eyes dramatically, pretending to vomit into a nearby bush. Piper's laugh echoed across the open courtyard as the two of them stumbled down the steps so they were in the smoking area.
Piper kept her eyes trained on Samantha's hands as she lit up her cigarette so she'd know how to do it when it came to be her turn. She grabbed the cigarette awkwardly from Samantha's pack, holding it like the other woman was and then sticking it between her lips. Samantha cupped her hand around the end of it as she raised the lighter in her hand to the end until it blazed.
Piper sucked in a tentative breath and the smoke curled into her mouth, tickling her throat uncomfortably. She immediately plucked the thing from her lips so she could cough into her fist, trying her hardest to suppress the action so she didn't look like a complete idiot. Samantha gave her a sideways glance as she puffed on her own cigarette.
"Could've warned me it was menthol," she said, scrambling to come up with some excuse why someone desperate for a smoke was choking on it.
Samantha tossed her head back and laughed. "Sorry, didn't even think of it. You Americans can be so sensitive about your cigarettes."
"Not sensitive," Piper corrected with a sly grin as she tapped the ashes, hoping if she continued doing that then Samantha wouldn't notice that she wasn't smoking it any longer. "Just particular."
"Oh, I'm so very sorry." The other women shot Piper a stupid face before taking another drag of her own cigarette. Piper just chuckled to herself, lifting the cigarette to her lips without inhaling. There, that worked. That she could do.
"So." Samantha leaned against a nearby pillar, her dress falling into every crevice of her body and clinging on. Piper heard the guard make a rude noise in the background but did her very best to ignore him. Apparently so did Samantha because she just scoffed and went back to her question. "What brings you here tonight?"
Piper weaved a story right from the briefing Zayn had given her — she was working for a pharmaceutical company back in the States and had been sent here to try and poach some scientists to come work for them at triple the rate they were earning. Samantha just laughed and said, "sign me up."
"And how about you?" Piper asked casually. "I would think an RA would have more important things to be doing than standing around with a bunch of stiffs, talking about how important they all are and blowing smoke up their asses."
"Networking, the dreaded evil of modern academia." And then she said the words Piper had been waiting to hear all evening. "I'm trying to introduce myself to everyone because I'm trying to switch labs," Samantha was saying, "but I'm really trying to get into Dr. Bates' lab which is practically impossible. I'm hoping to chat with him tonight and remind him of how lovely and charming I am so when I slip him my resume next week, I'll be fresh on his mind."
"Dr. Bates," Piper commented with an impressed whistle. "I've heard about him and admired his work from afar but I've never actually met him."
"Really?" Samantha's eyes widened with surprise even as she casually blew a steady stream of smoke from the corner of her lips, looking way too cool in the process. "He's such a nice guy. I'll make sure to introduce you if we run into him."
"That would be amazing." Piper forced awed enthusiasm into her voice to seal the deal and saw it reflected back in Samantha's eyes. Worked like a charm.
"We'll see if we can find him when we get back in. I've just got to finish this cigarette because I think it'll be awhile before I get another chance." Hers was nearly done even though Piper was only about halfway through hers and she knew she had to catch up so she took another drag from it. Thankfully, Samantha was looking away so she didn't see Piper gag on the taste of it, coughing subtly into her shoulder. Instead, she was looking down at the entrance where people were still coming in albeit much less frequently. When she whistled low, Piper glanced up. "Isn't he a cool drink of water?"
She turned her eyes to the car that was sitting at the bottom of the path and, more importantly, the man that was climbing out of the car. She should have known.
Harry was looking absolutely dapper despite the ridiculous suit he was wearing, a black number with thin red pinstripes that was perfectly tailored to him and made him look impossibly tall. He was chewing gum, like usual, and it only accentuated his sharp jawline, aided by the way his hair curled just under it. He adjusted his jacket as he thanked the driver and then he was sauntering up the drive like he didn't have a care in the world.
There were butterflies in Piper's stomach, just like she always got when she saw Harry. The situation didn't change that. It just meant that she had to hide her flush and the way her breath caught in her throat. She had to squash down the automatic need to touch him in any way she could. Despite the fact that she wanted to kiss him so badly it practically hurt, she had to turn her face away and shrug in Samantha's direction. "Hmm, he's alright."
"Alright?" Samantha spluttered incredulously. "You, my dear, need your eyes checked. Good lord, I hope he's not here with a date. I think I might have to rearrange my plans for tonight so that he's in them."
Piper bristled, pressing her lips together tight so she wouldn't let out the vitriol that she wanted to snap at the other girl. "He looks absolutely ridiculous in that get-up," she said through gritted teeth, wishing that Samantha would just change the subject.
She made the mistake of glancing sideways to avoid Samantha's incredulous stare. Instead, she caught Harry's amused glance in her direction as he got close enough to recognize her. His eyes scanned her quickly and Piper was stunned when his step faltered a bit, his suave gait becoming a bit stilted. He swallowed hard and smoothed out the front of his jacket, switching effortlessly back into that cool demeanour that he wore so well.
He shifted his attention to Samantha for a moment, wondering at the connection between her and Piper, but then his eyes were back on her. This time, they zeroed in on the cigarette burning down between her fingers. Instead of a judgemental or disapproving look, his lips tugged into a smirk. He knew she didn't smoke and he was getting a good laugh out of the fact that she was standing out here smoking anyway. The things she did for her alias.
When Harry came level with them, he glanced between the two of them. He'd have to step between them to get to the doors so it was inevitable that he'd say something. Piper wasn't prepared for how sexy his voice was when he drawled, "ladies", before slipping past them. Piper found her eyes glued to his figure as he walked away, her eyes drifting down to his absolutely perfect arse. That suit was doing him justice, that was certain.
The warm feeling in her belly didn't last though because Samantha's hum of appreciation echoed in her ears and set Piper on edge instantly. "Just the sort of bum I'd love to grab while he was —"
"You done?" Piper interrupted shortly as she tossed her cigarette onto the ground and crushed it under the toe of her shoe. "I'm freezing my tits off out here. I need to get inside now."
Piper was worried for a moment that Samantha would be offended which would mean she'd alienated the one person who was supposed to be her key in but thankfully, Samantha just chuckled and put out her own cigarette. "We wouldn't want anything happening to those lovely tits of yours, would we?"
Piper was flummoxed by the comment, not able to do anything but watch Samantha walk ahead of her toward the door where Harry had been stopped by the doorman. She stumbled behind, hurrying to catch up with her new friend while simultaneously checking up on Harry in case he was having issues at the door. The laughter that filled the courtyard when they were within a couple feet made it clear that Harry was just being his usual charming self and there wasn't any issue whatsoever. It took everything in her not to look back at him as they passed, to keep her eyes focused on Samantha's back instead of admiring Harry's.
When they were a couple steps past, Samantha already through the doors, she heard that familiar voice from behind her. "Excuse me, miss?"
She froze, taking a deep breath to calm herself down before turning back to Harry. This wasn't right. They weren't supposed to be talking yet. She had no idea what he was doing and it was setting her on edge.
He was smiling warmly at her when she finally faced him. His hand was stretched out toward her and he was holding what looked like a pillbox. "I think you dropped this," he told her, giving her a pointed look that said she did no such thing but that she was meant to take it anyway.
She hesitated a moment before extending a shaking hand toward his outstretched palm. She slid her hand into his, grasping onto the pillbox. Before she could draw away, Harry's hand tightened around hers imperceptibly to anyone watching on but just enough that it gave her a sense of support from him. It was reassuring to know she wasn't alone in this and when she withdrew her hand, pillbox tucked away within, she felt a little better about the whole thing.
"Thank you," Piper said to Harry, unable to meet his gaze or she'd lose the accent. His smile was out in full force, dimpling his cheeks, and she couldn't think straight when she was confronted with that directly. She kept her eyes trained on the ground. "That was very kind of you."
"It just looked like something you would need." There it was again, the pointed speech, which was Piper's cue that whatever was in the box was something she'd need for the op. Her grasp on it tightened a little more.
"Enjoy your night," she said warily, glancing up nervously at Harry. He was giving her that fond smile of his and it helped a little, forcing Piper to get a hold of herself. She straightened and gave Harry an affirmative nod before turning on her heel and walking briskly to where Samantha was waiting by the door.
"It couldn't have been something of mine that dropped," she muttered, sounding disappointed as she let out a long sigh. "You don't even like him."
That's where she was wrong.
*
*
Piper made an excuse to Samantha about desperately needing the ladies' room and they agreed to meet up by the bar when she was done. With that taken care of, Piper slipped off down the hall where the loo was and ducked into the ladies'. It was blessedly empty but Piper made sure to check for feet under each stall before she even thought about cracking open the pillbox Harry had given her.
Tucked inside was an earpiece. She'd been fitted for one a couple days earlier but there had been a delay making it so she'd thought she was going into this on her own. She was relieved to see the little piece of plastic technology perfectly molded so that when she managed to get it in her ear, struggling only a little bit, it was out of sight. She pressed the small button to turn it on and heard a low responsive beep in her ear.
"You there, Two?"
Because it was a mission, Piper had been coached to use Harry's codename. When she'd first tried guiding Harry on a mission — Moscow came to mind — she'd struggled to remember the codename but since she'd begun training in O branch, it was becoming easier to separate Harry her boyfriend from Two the super spy.
Luckily for him, Harry wasn't forced to make that mental distinction. Her temporary nickname was very familiar to him.
"Hello petal," he said smoothly in her ear, the reception stunningly clear for an in-ear. Louis must have had a hand in this. "Doing alright?"
"Good so far," she reported, catching sight of her reflection in the mirror and wincing. The cigarette had pulled off half her lipstick — thank god she'd brought the tube. "I've managed to network with the entire room by now and Samantha said she'd introduce me to Dr. Bates."
"Nice work," Harry complimented, the sounds of a group laughing nearby momentarily overshadowing his voice. "Samantha — she's the woman you were with outside?"
"That's her. Nice enough person but she can be a bit abrasive. And crude." Piper hadn't forgotten the comments she'd made about Harry and she was a little bitter.
"You a smoker now?"
Piper's unimpressed look was reflected back to her in the mirror. "Shove off," she snapped at Harry, the typically English slang sounding strange in her American accent. "I wasn't actually smoking — thought I was going to vomit really. The only thing worse than cigarettes is menthol cigarettes."
"Don't let the older kids pressure you Piper. Stand up for your own beliefs."
"Yeah, alright wanker." The accent momentarily disappeared, her normal cockney accent slipping through. "Can we move on please?"
Harry's laugh echoed in her ear and Piper studiously ignored the warm rush she felt in her belly. "It's so funny listening to you switching accents like that. Your American is astoundingly good, petal."
"Zayn said so as well." Piper paused to swipe a layer of lipstick on the lower lip, blotting them together to spread the colour. "It's as if you all forget I studied there for seven years."
"I haven't forgotten." There was a strange undertone to Harry's voice — he sounded displeased. Piper assumed it had something to do with her uni experience being tainted by two particularly repulsive men in Harry's eyes. But that wasn't something she wanted to get into tonight.
"Okay, so here's the game plan," she said instead as she looked at herself one last time before tucking her lipstick back into her clutch. "Samantha is going to introduce me to Dr. Bates. I'm going to go through the script. He'll give me the package. We all go home in one piece."
Harry's chuckle rang through as Piper pushed the door to the ladies' room open, walking briskly down the hall toward the museum lobby. "That sounds exactly right, petal. And you've got the script memorized?"
"Of course," Piper scoffed as she stepped into the lobby, trying to keep her gait normal so it didn't show that reentering the room was making her overwhelmingly uncomfortable. "Did you really think I would come in here without practicing it until it was automatic?"
"Just checking," Harry replied smoothly, keeping his voice calmer than she was. "If you do forget, I'm right here and I'll cue you, alright?"
She didn't want to admit it but it was reassuring knowing that Harry had her back in case she slipped up. A lot was riding on this one little conversation and it was way too easy for a single word or misstep to throw off the whole operation. She let out a shaky breath, the anxiety clawing at her stomach dissipating just the littlest bit.
"Petal, I need you to answer me out loud. Much as it would help, I can't read your thoughts."
"Sorry, right." She glanced nervously over at a couple she was passing, feigning a smile when the woman smiled back. She could feel her arms trembling a little and she tightened her fists, hoping it would make the feeling stop. "Um, admittedly I'm a little bit nervous. I feel like I've completely lost my mind, talking to myself like this. Is everyone staring at me?"
"Okay, petal, take a deep breath right now. Don't keep on this path." Piper did as Harry instructed, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She weaved between two people that were standing between her and the bar, sucking her stomach in to squeeze through, and then she breathed again. "It's okay to feel nervous," Harry continued, speaking calmly. "But you're doing fine. And you're not crazy for talking to yourself."
"Won't people notice this? I mean, I would notice if someone was talking to themselves around me."
"If you just talk normally, the way you're doing now, generally no. If you were shouting or whispering then they would, but because your speaking at the same decibel as everyone around you it doesn't register as being different or out of place."
Piper was so stunned by how hot science stuff sounded coming out in his voice that she actually stopped in her tracks. "Well, Mr. Science, thanks for the lesson on the auditory system."
"I do what I can," Harry chuckled. The sound did something to kickstart her system and she picked up her feet once more, tugging her dress up at the thigh as the crowd got thicker. "Still doing alright petal?"
"I'm just —" She sighed. "I'm just struggling to get used to this."
"That's expected. It does take some adjustment. I'm sure you'll pick it up very quickly." Harry's faith in her abilities had always been one of her greatest motivators when she was feeling uncertain. He had almost complete trust in the fact that she'd make things right in the end. It was a nice feeling. "Anyway, I think you're doing just fine and — Mr. Lee, so nice to see you here."
Piper was almost certain that Harry wasn't talking to her any longer but was instead speaking to someone else at the party. He had a cover story here tonight too, one that he'd used before. At functions like these — high class, tight security, and London-based — he assumed the persona of Jonathan Tanner, a wealthy business man who ran a start-up software company. The irony of that when Harry was incapable of troubleshooting his own laptop was not lost on Piper. However, he adopted the alias well and it allowed him to network at events to collect information. Unfortunately, it meant that he occasionally got recognized.
And in one second, there went her support system.
She could hear rumbles of conversation picked up by Harry's transmitter but she tried to ignore them, the distracting little words that were invading her psyche. She had to stay focused. She had to remember her script. She couldn't fuck this up.
"Miss. McMahon."
It took her a second too long to realize that was her. When she did, she spun around, plastering on a wide smile. A smile that faltered when she saw Harry standing on the other side of the small circle of men, trying to look like he had no idea who she was. Piper jerked her eyes away, looking instead to Jeb Samuels, the medical supplies CEO that she'd introduced herself to earlier on in the evening. "Mr. Samuels, so sorry about that. I might have had a bit too much to drink, I'm afraid."
The rich and wealthy men gathered in the circle guffawed like she'd made a grand joke and she forced herself to laugh along. Harry was noticeably silent, his face remaining composed in neutral interest as his eyes roamed over her. Piper cleared her throat, forcing herself to look away.
"Miss. McMahon, this is Mr. Tanner," Samuels introduced, gesturing an arm toward Harry. "You and him would get along. You both like to poach top employees from other people's businesses."
Piper wasn't quite sure how to respond to that — if it was a joke or a thinly veiled threat — but she didn't have to because Harry cut in, his voice its usual low timbre. "I thought we got over that, Jeb. Bygones and all that."
"Oh, of course Jonathan. I'm only pulling your leg."
Harry smiled politely at Jeb and then shifted his gaze to Piper. She instantly felt like she was on fire because Harry was doing a pretty shitty job at hiding the obvious hunger in his gaze. "We ran into each other outside," he said to Jeb before focusing on Piper, "but we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Jonathan Tanner."
"Elise McMahon," Piper responded in her American accent, holding a hand out to Harry. She expected him to shake it, not to lift it to his delectable lips and press down a lingering kiss on her knuckles. She was tempted to reel back and punch him, the wanker. If she'd thought she was distracted before, it was nothing compared to now. For a moment, the only thing running through her mind was dragging Harry to the nearest supply closet. But she had other, more important things to do. "Well," she said with a plastered on grin, "aren't you charming?"
Harry, instead of being cowed by her comment, just smirked up at her with his lips still touching her hand. She was forced to pull her hand away before she turned so red it showed through the layers of makeup she was wearing. "And you, Miss. McMahon, are stunning."
She was going to kill him.
"Now, now, Jonathan." Jeb placed a hand on Piper's back where it most definitely did not belong and she stiffened. Harry's ever observant eyes picked up the movement and his hands tightened into fists. He forced himself to tuck them casually into his pockets. "Miss. McMahon won't be as easily swayed by your tricks as we are. She's got quite a head on her shoulders."
Something about the way he said it was almost lecherous and it made Piper shudder. She hated men like this — men who thought that because they were rich, they could get away with anything; or that women were playthings to manipulate and pass around; or that underhanded comments like that were even remotely complimentary.
"I do hate to cut this short gentlemen," Piper interrupted before this could go on any further, "but I'm meant to be meeting up with someone and I've kept her waiting much too long already. If you'll all excuse me."
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss. McMahon," Harry said before she had a chance to step away from the circle.
She narrowed her eyes at him and, through gritted teeth, said, "you as well, Mr. Tanner."
She wasted no time in extracting herself from the group, cursing Harry under her breath. He thought he was so bloody cute — well, he wasn't.
Although, with each step away from them and toward her destination at the bar, she realized that she was no longer nervous. Her anxiety had been replaced by her annoyance with Harry's obvious actions. Maybe that had been the intention all along.
She hated when she had to admit he was right.
When she could no longer hear the buzz of Harry's conversation in her ear, she felt brave enough to speak up. "You seductive little shit. That wasn't fair."
There was a moment's pause before he answered. "But it was fun," he said slyly, his voice a low purr. Piper gripped onto the fabric of her dress at her thigh, squeezing until the unwanted and inappropriate hum of arousal quieted once more.
"I'm going to make you pay for that."
"Don't make promises you don't intend to keep, petal."
That infuriating man was going to be the death of her.
*
*
Samantha was waiting by the bar when Piper eventually reached it, sipping from a glass of champagne. She looked the picture of elegance in her dress and Piper self-consciously smoothed out her dress over her hips, hoping it still looked alright.
"Took you long enough," Samantha said smoothly as she straightened, draining the glass and then placing it back on the bar to be collected. "I was worried you'd fallen in or something."
"I got sidetracked," Piper admitted with an apologetic grimace, joining Samantha as she stepped away from the bar, destination already clear in her mind. "Jeb Samuels insisted I meet some of his friends."
Samantha stuck her tongue out distastefully, rolling her eyes. "Jeb Samuels needs to keep his lecherous paws off women who are way out of his league." Piper nodded her enthusiastic agreement. She startled a bit when Samantha slid her arm through hers, tugging her toward the stairs at the back of the lobby. "Forget him. Dr. Bates was over here a moment ago so he should still be milling about."
Piper felt her palms sweat and her heartbeat pick up speed but instead of nerves it was anticipation that was driving the change. She'd been bolstered up by the interaction with Harry, to her surprise, and she was riding off that energy right now as she stepped forward to have what could turn out to be the most important conversation of her entire life.
"That's him there," Samantha muttered as they moved through a crowd of people. A group stood in front of them composed of three older gentlemen. The youngest, standing in the centre, was the target.
He looked just like he had in his photo that was included in the brief Piper had reviewed. Short hair combed to one side, just beginning to be shot with strands of grey. A vibrant face that belied his age, free of lines and wrinkles. A typical build for someone who spent their life in a lab, slim and lithe. He was wearing a suit that fit oddly, obviously not tailored properly. He was just about what Piper had been expecting from the scientist.
He was clearly nervous. Piper could easily pick that up from the way he kept tapping his palms against his thighs, his eyes darting from place to place even as he laughed along with whatever was being said. He was obviously quite distracted and she suspected she knew the reason why. Somewhere on his person was a container of the most virulent agent on the planet. She would be antsy too, in his place. Correction — she'd be equally antsy when he handed over the package and it was her responsibility instead.
Dr. Bates noticed them first because he was facing them and his eyes jumped to Piper immediately. He studied her for a moment, his eyes lingering on her red hair, and then he gulped. He was piecing together that she was his contact and Piper presumed that it was really sinking in, what he was about to do. Good riddance.
"Dr. Bates," Samantha greeted warmly as they inserted themselves into the group. "It's so good to see you again. I'm not sure if you remember me — Samantha Markovitz?"
"Of course," Dr. Bates said with an uneasy grin that Piper suspected meant that he had absolutely no recollection of Samantha. His eyes kept drifting over to Piper. "So nice to see you again. And who is your friend?"
Samantha seemed a bit put-off that her greeting had been brushed off so easily and that the attention was back on Piper. She stiffened, her shoulders tightening as she bristled. "This is Elise McMahon. She'd been hoping for an introduction and I told her that we'd met before —"
"Elise McMahon," the man repeated, his voice cracking uncomfortably. One of his colleagues gave him a strange look and Piper had the thought that she should try to neutralize the situation. Unfortunately she was just as nervous as he was.
"That's right," she muttered, holding a hand out for him to shake. "It's a pleasure, Dr. Bates. I've been so eager to meet you."
His palm was sweaty in hers but she didn't think hers was much better. At least her hand wasn't shaking — the tremors in his could start a tsunami. "What — uh, what brings you here tonight, Miss. McMahon?"
This was the cue to start the script that was in place as a safeguard to ensure that both parties were the correct contacts. The answer was on the tip of her tongue but she was horrified to find that she didn't know it. She'd been up all night rehearsing this speech until she knew it back and forth, and now, when it mattered, it had flown right out of her head. For a long horrifying three seconds, she stared back at Dr. Bates with wide eyes. He mirrored the pose, suddenly worried that he'd been the one to make a mistake.
"Well, I'm certainly not here for the weather." It was Harry's voice in her ear and it startled her so much that she jumped, dislodging her hand from Dr. Bates. "Say it after me, petal," Harry said sternly, "well, I'm certainly not here for the weather."
"Well, I'm certainly not here for the weather," Piper repeated robotically, flashing a smile at the end to try and make it look like she hadn't been having a minor panic attack. One of Dr. Bates' colleagues laughed brightly and the whole atmosphere seemed to loosen enough that Piper felt like she could breathe again. Dr. Bates looked relieved, smiling widely at her as he stepped back into his place in the circle.
"Coming from America, I'm sure that London weather is quite depressing," Dr. Bates continued on. Harry was murmuring the next lines of the script in her ear but she didn't need them. Her memory had been jogged well enough that she could do it on her own.
"I left behind a lot of sunshine to come here," she admitted with a little shrug, a cute little gesture that was meant to endear her to her target and put him at ease. It was one of those little actions that Zayn always recommended when things got tense. He said it made her look innocent. "I am excited about the city, though. I don't have much time but I would like to sightsee."
Dr. Bates looked up hurriedly when she said 'sightsee', looking a little too excited and in Piper's opinion a tad bit obvious. It was clear he was new at this which was probably a good thing. It gave her the shivers to think that there might be other scientists around the UK doing underhanded deals like this that could kill people. Sometimes, humanity both baffled and terrified her.
"Aren't you lucky," Dr. Bates said in a stilted voice, straight from the script. "You happen to be in one of London's best attractions."
"I know," Piper said as she made a show of looking around at the astounding architecture. "It's a shame it's closed off for the event. I would have loved a chance to walk around."
One of Dr. Bates' colleagues piped in. "You could just come back —"
"Why don't I show you one of my favourite pieces here in the museum," Dr. Bates interrupted, sounding aggrieved. He was probably frustrated that someone had tried to interrupt the script. "It's the figure of Dionysus. It's just around the corner really."
"Oh, I don't know." Piper hemmed and hawed for effect, tapping her cheek nervously though there was a playful glint in her eyes when she looked straight at Dr. Bates. He gulped hard and had to clear his throat. "We could get in trouble."
"Yes, you could," Samantha grumbled from Piper's side.
"What's life without a little risk," Dr. Bates responded as he was supposed to. Piper acted uncertain, glancing warily around, and then forced her cheeks into the widest grin she could muster.
"Alright. But I'm blaming you if we get caught."
Dr. Bates looped his arm and held it out to her. She accepted, sliding her arm into his and letting him lead her from the circle.
"Um, hello, we were talking?" Samantha barked from behind them. Piper turned to give her an innocent shrug but Samantha was glaring now, her lip curled into a sneer. So, Piper had just made a new enemy. Such was the life of a spy, it seemed.
"Well done, petal," Harry's voice purred in her ear. She couldn't respond, not with Dr. Bates so close, but it didn't stop the wave of heat that rushed through her or the electrical zing she felt up her spine at his low voice.
"It's just this way," Dr. Bates said, interrupting her inappropriate thoughts. His voice sounded strained, now that they weren't surrounded by witnesses. He rushed her to the side of the room. A guard was standing by the hall that led to the sculpture exhibit. Dr. Bates, panicked now that this deal was in full swing, tried to push right on. Piper held him back.
"Don't be foolish," she said calmly, her American accent slipping a bit on that 'o' sound. Dr. Bates gave her a strange look but she studiously ignored it, working on the principle that if she didn't acknowledge the slip, it would be forgotten. "Wait a moment. If he doesn't move, we'll find a way to distract him."
By we she hadn't meant her and Dr. Bates — she'd been speaking directly to Harry and she hoped he picked up on that. Like she'd hoped, a moment later the guard's two-way squawked to life, calling him away to some disturbance on the other side of the museum. Dr. Bates gave her a long look, the shock clearly evident on his face. He was trying to work out how she'd managed that. She brought him back to focus, removing her arm from his and using her hand on his shoulder to steer him past the ropes and down the hall.
The lights were all off in this part of the museum since it was off limits to guests so Piper asked Dr. Bates for his mobile. He handed it over reluctantly and she used the light of the screen to guide their way. Once they were into the exhibit, security lighting illuminated the room enough that she could see where she was going, and also see the sheen of sweat on Dr. Bates' face. "Would you calm down?" she snapped in irritation. The situation was tense enough without him adding to the anxiety surrounding it. Seeing him so nervous was only making her own nerves worse. "Listen, let's do this as quickly and efficiently as possible. You have the package?"
Dr. Bates began to nod frantically, reaching into his jacket and extracting a leather box, about the size of a hardcover book, from his breast pocket. He attempted to just hand it over but she knew the protocol backwards and forwards, and she wasn't touching that thing until she knew its contents were absolutely secure.
"Open it, please."
"Right," Dr. Bates stammered, fishing in his pocket for the key. It was a good thing she'd asked or she would have been receiving a box she couldn't open. He stuck it in the top, opening the lid so she could examine the contents — a small box the size of a lighter and a gun. "Just as your employer instructed."
"The product?" Piper clarified.
"In the little box. It's contained in a centrifuge tube within the small storage box which is secured so it can't be opened unless it's pried apart by an instrument — no worry of leaks."
That was certainly reassuring. It was a little jarring to Piper that she was walking around with a virulent strand of ebolavirus like it was no big deal. She took the key from Dr. Bates and slipped it into her clutch. While she knew he wasn't looking, she snatched up the tracker she'd been storing in there, slipping it under the edge of the cuff bracelet she was wearing. By the time he had dragged his eyes back to her, she'd shut her clutch and was waiting patiently.
"So, is that it?" Dr. Bates asked nervously, fidgeting with his hands.
"That's it," Piper told him with a kind smile. "The funds will be wired to you as per the agreement."
"Right, okay." Dr. Bates nodded gratefully, sighing with relief knowing that the hard part of the job was done. Piper placed a hand on his shoulder to guide him back down the dark hallway toward the lobby and when she was sure he was distracted, she carefully placed the tracker she'd been carrying on the underside of his collar where it wouldn't be seen. With a quick press of her finger, it was activated. Liam was working with MI5 agents and they'd orchestrated a plan to pick up Dr. Bates and take him in for questioning once he was far enough from the museum to not arouse suspicion.
She didn't care what happened to him to be honest. She was just counting down the seconds until he was no longer her problem.
The lethal virus tucked under her arm was enough to worry about.
*
*
The guard hadn't returned so it was easy for the two of them to join the fray. As per their protocol, Piper walked in a separate direction from Dr. Bates so while he went back toward the stairs, she ducked down along the back end of the lobby, headed for the other side. The package was tucked underneath her clutch against her side so it wasn't too obvious she was carrying it. She would have preferred a large bag to conceal it but they'd been banned from the event for safety reasons (the irony behind that was clear).
The exhibit room opposite the entrance, behind the grand stairs that were the centrepiece of the lobby, was roped off as well but there was no guard standing there either. Piper wasn't sure whether that was by coincidence or because Harry had intervened but she was grateful either way. She took a cautious glance around and then slipped past the ropes.
It was nerve-wracking walking through the dark exhibit knowing that at any moment she could hit something worth millions of pounds. She did her best to walk slow, using her four other senses since the fifth was effectively blind until she crossed the room. It was slow going and the silence made her own breathing seem loud as a symphony.
She sighed with relief when the security lighting caught her eye up ahead. She was so close to being done and it pushed her to move faster, picking up her pace as she jogged across the exhibit and to the lobby by the back entrance to the museum. When she was safely tucked away in the abandoned space, she leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.
"I'm at the back," she muttered.
"Happy to hear it, petal," Harry said back, his voice sounding pleasant and light. At least one of them was doing alright — Piper felt like her heart was beating so fast that it might jump right out of her chest. "Did everything go well with the drop?"
"I have the package safe and sound so I guess it went as well as it could." She sighed heavily, pressing a hand to her stomach when it crunched up uncomfortably. "I'm so sorry, Two. I said I had the script but I just... I don't know, I lost it in the moment."
"Don't worry about it." Harry's voice was smooth and comforting, and she nodded even though he couldn't see it. "It happens to the best of us sometimes. Now, what've you got in that package, petal?"
"It's a locked box," she told him as she retrieved the key from her clutch before shoving the small bag under her arm. She unlocked the box and slid the lid open. "It has a small vial in a small square security holder — that's the virus — and then a gun as well?"
Harry hummed curiously in her ear. "What kind?"
"Walther." Liam had long ago implanted the name of every gun on the planet and its corresponding characteristic features into her head. She spotted the handgun maker straight away. "But it's made of plastic, I think."
"To get through airport security, I bet. Shit," Harry muttered. "Where were they taking this? Obviously overseas if they needed a gun they could sneak onto a plane."
"Is anyone tracking the real Elise?" Piper asked. "Maybe she'll give away the buyers once she's learned the product is gone."
"MI5 is tracking her as we speak. They haven't reported any problems. According to the schedule that Louis got from her hacked phone, she should be leaving her hotel in a half hour."
That was a relief. The last thing they needed was the real Elise McMahon showing up and blowing Piper's cover. She had no ID to verify her alias except for a hastily made passport that would easily be identified as a forgery next to Elise's (assuming hers was real to start). Still, Piper didn't need the added stress. This whole thing was already stressful enough.
"Louis should be ready for you," Harry added when a pregnant silence had spanned over the comms. "Head over any time."
"Yeah, okay."
"I'll keep quiet unless you need me, alright?" Harry was doing his best to make her feel less nervous and she appreciated it because the initial excitement was wearing off and she was starting to feel a sense of dread about the whole thing. She just wanted it to be over.
"Okay, wish me luck."
"You don't need it," Harry said with a chuckle before falling silent. Piper collected herself a bit, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, and then pushed back to her feet. She crossed the lobby of the back entrance, lit only with security lights every so often, and kept an eye out for any movement. There hadn't been a guard rotation this far back because the guard was supposed to be at the exhibit entrance but there was no telling whether one of them would do a sweep just in case.
The back doors were closed and sealed with an electronic lock that required a code and a keycard. She had neither but Louis, hovering on the other side with his hands in his pockets, had both. He'd been working all week on copying a keycard and codes were child's play to him. He'd been waiting for her to arrive because the doors set off an alarm if they were open for longer than thirty seconds during closing hours.
She tapped on the thick glass windows to get Louis's attention, smiling back at him when he rushed forward with a grin of his own. He held up a finger, the universal sign for hold on a minute, and then extracted a keycard from his pocket. He swiped it and then pressed eight numbers into the keypad. There was a buzzing sound from the lock and then it clicked open.
Piper pulled on her side just as Louis pushed so the door shot open quickly. "Got a present for me?" Louis asked with a cheeky grin.
"Careful," Piper warned as she passed over the thin box. "The virus is secured but you never know."
"I'll guard it with my life," he said, giving her a mocking salute before snickering under his breath. "Your work is done, Pips. Go and have a drink for me, would you?"
"Get going," Piper snapped, pushing him out of the doorway. "We've only got about ten seconds."
Louis was still laughing as she shoved the door shut behind him. She watched through the glass as he swiped the card once more and entered the code again. The lock clicked shut with another buzz. Louis gave her a finger wave through the glass and she gave him a finger of her own. He was cackling madly when she turned away from him.
She felt lighter on her feet as she walked back through the dark exhibit room toward the lobby. The fact that she was no longer carrying around a deadly virus might have had something to do with it.
The guard was back but he was distracted trying to help someone with a walker activate the lifts so it was easy for Piper to slip out of the exhibit and back into the lobby without an issue. She circled around the stairs, keeping her eyes open for any sign of Harry. The mission was over, as far as she was concerned, and she was waiting for him to fill her in on what happened next. She assumed there would be debriefing but she didn't know when or how. In the mean time, she was going to enjoy a drink for the first time all night.
She plucked up a champagne flute from a passing waiter and sipped on it as she crossed to the steps and climbed up the first five or so. From here, she could survey the crowds a bit and just take it all in.
It didn't take her long at all to spot Harry, not when he was wearing that suit. He was standing with a small group, two men and a woman, and she was listening politely as the woman spoke about something or other. Piper decided it was time for a little payback.
"The job's done, Two," she said plainly, her lips hidden behind the brim of her flute. She watched as he straightened a little, standing at attention. She was astounded by his control — there wasn't a single other sign that something was going on that might be out of the ordinary. No facial gestures, no arm movements or head movements, nothing. He really was an expert.
"It went well," she continued, knowing Harry would have no way of answering. "I'm just standing by the stairs now, enjoying a drink." She saw Harry's eyes flicker in her direction and she raised her glass to him. He had to work a lot harder to keep the smile off his face. She was getting to him, just as she'd hoped she would. "I think I've earned a reward after my excellent performance, don't you?"
Harry shifted his gaze upward to where she was standing near the top of the stairs. He held her eyes briefly and then focused on the woman across from him who had addressed him directly. He quirked his brow with interest and made an effort to look like he was paying attention. "Come and find me in the ladies'. And maybe we'll see if you can show me an excellent performance as well."
He looked sideways, unable to keep the grin off his face. She smiled herself, glad that she'd managed to ruffle his feathers a little. She could hear over the earpiece that the woman was calling Harry's name (well, his alias' name) and he scrambled to answer.
As she sauntered down the stairs, depositing her empty glass on a passing tray, she gave herself a check on her side of the box. Piper 1; Harry 1.
*
*
Harry surged into the ladies' room about thirty seconds after Piper had gotten there, a little out of breath and looking flustered as he pressed his back to the closed door. "Empty?" he asked.
"Just checked," she told him with a nod.
He reached back to twist the lock on the door, shutting it with a firm click. Once he had, a smirk stretched across his lips and he let his eyes roam over her slowly. "I've been wanting to touch you all night," he told her as he stepped toward her, reaching out for her. His arm curled around her waist and he dragged her close to him, their bodies pressed together wherever they could. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight."
"So you said." Piper smacked his arm but Harry barely reacted. She sighed — he never reacted. "Could you have been more obvious? And you, Miss. McMahon, are stunning," she mocked, lowering her voice as much as she could to try and match his tone.
Harry laughed heartily. "Jonathan Tanner is the sort of man who appreciates a beautiful woman, petal."
"Well, Jonathan Tanner needs to learn the fine art of timing," Piper growled back at him, her hand sliding into his hair so her fingers teased apart his carefully styled locks. "But, I should also say thank you for helping me when I needed it. With the script. And the guard."
"I'm your backup," Harry said, his voice sincere. He curved his palm around her jaw, his fingers tapping feather light on her cheeks. "That's what I was here to do." He smiled a little quirk of a smile that dimpled his cheek. "Happy to help."
"It's just, this was my first mission and I know it's important, and I thought I'd completely memorized the script because I practiced it for hours —"
Harry silenced her with his lips, pressing them firmly against her mouth. She gasped, her lips parting, and Harry deepened the kiss, curving his hand back and around her neck for leverage.
"What was that?" Piper asked breathlessly when Harry loosened his hold, allowing her to pull back as she gasped for air.
"I didn't come in here to talk."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're a piece of work, you know that?"
"But I'm your piece of work," he muttered back and wasn't that the truth. A sly smile crept onto her face as she slid her hands up the front of his shirt, his defined torso rippling under her hands. He was watching the path they made right up until Piper reached the bowtie around his neck. She made quick work of tugging it apart.
"I have to say," she said as she slowly unbuttoned the top of his shirt until she could see his swallows peeking out, "I love you in a bowtie but I love you even more without one."
"I hate bowties," Harry murmured as he pressed his lips against her jaw. She smiled as she tilted her head, giving him all the access he needed.
"I know you do."
"I'd wear a bowtie for you anytime."
She tucked the bowtie into his jacket pocket and then reached to unbutton said jacket, pushing it apart so she could slide her hands around his back. "I'll hold you to that."
Harry's hand cupped her cheek, pushing her face back toward him so he could capture her lips in another electrifying kiss, one that she felt all the way to her toes. His teeth tugged gently on her lower lip and she returned the favour by surging forward, slipping her tongue between his lips. He was the one that pulled back then, panting against her mouth. He dipped to press a kiss to her jaw and then he latched onto her neck, nibbling the skin there.
"No marks," she told him sternly. "Not this time."
He whined against the side of her neck, kissing her skin firmly as if trying to test her. She pinched his side, making him yelp and pull away. She busied herself tugging his dress shirt out of his trousers so she could slip her hands underneath, careful of the gun holster strapped to his belt.
Harry's hands roamed her sides, one finding its home on the curve of her hip, his fingers stretching out over her arse. The other glided teasingly over her abdomen before curving over the swell of her breast. "Watching you do field work," he muttered between kisses to her neck and jaw, "is so hot."
Piper couldn't help the giggle that slipped out or the proud grin that spread over her lips. "You think?"
"When you were in control of the situation and you were leading the exchange —" Harry squeezed her breast gently and Piper moaned, arching her chest into his hand " — it was so sexy."
Piper hummed her appreciation against Harry's lips as she snagged a kiss from him. Her hands roamed from the small of his back over his waist and she ran her finger over the defined edges of his abdominal muscles. When she tucked her fingers down the front of his trousers to pull the last edge of his shirt loose, she felt Harry's hand shift up her back, searching for a zipper.
"Harry, wait," she tried to warn him but he'd caught the zipper near the top and dragged it down, roughly pushing the sleeves of her dress down her arms so he could pull the front down. It wasn't until he got it down to her waist that he paused.
"What the hell is all this?"
"It's called shapewear, Harry," Piper explained with a sigh. It was a bodysuit that had thin straps holding it up and stretched to partway down her thigh. "It holds everything in where it's supposed to be."
"It's sort of a pain," Harry pointed out as he pulled her dress away from her stomach to see how far down it stretched. He frowned when he realized he had limited access to the parts of her he'd been hoping to touch.
Piper rolled her eyes. "You're telling me."
"You don't have to wear this, petal." Harry smoothed his hand over the fabric holding her stomach in and she instinctively sucked in her abdominal muscles, sensitive to his touch. He glanced up at her, his eyes finding hers and holding onto them. "You're beautiful the way you are. I don't care if you wear this stuff."
She smiled lightly because Harry was so sweet sometimes. "I appreciate that but maybe I'm not wearing it for you. Maybe I'm wearing it for me."
Harry's confused pout and scrunched forehead was absolutely adorable. "You just said it's a lot of trouble."
"Yes, it is a lot of trouble," Piper said with a snort of a laugh because that was a huge understatement. Even now, the straps were starting to slip and the hem around her thighs was cutting into her skin painfully. "But sometimes it's worth a little bit of trouble to feel good about myself. I don't care if you don't think I need it because it makes me feel good and that's what matters in the end."
"Point taken." Harry was smiling fondly and it made that warm feeling build up inside her, her stomach fluttering. Sometimes one look or one line from Harry could make that feeling burst to life. She relished it. It was the sort of feeling that reminded her that she was alive. "Sort of puts a damper on our plans."
"Yeah, I didn't think this through very well." Piper snorted a laugh which made Harry burst out laughing too and for a moment the sound of their mutual happiness filled up the room. Harry's laugh cut off when Piper grabbed hold of his belt. "But I could always help you out a bit."
She could see the bulge in his trousers and knew that it was reasonable that he might want some assistance. She was surprised when he shook his head.
"Later," he said as his hands drifted down to pick up the material of her dress. "When we can both have fun. For now let's just get you zipped up and we'll get out of here."
Piper liked the sound of that so she let Harry hold her dress for her as she slipped her arms back into the sleeves. She watched Harry's face as he watched his work, pulling her dress up and sliding the sleeves over her shoulders. He looked so concentrated and studious, so adorable, that Piper couldn't help herself, pressing up on her toes so she could kiss him once more.
"Don't start," he said once they'd pulled away from their lingering kiss. "I want to be able to walk out of here without a hard on, thanks very much."
Piper laughed, giving him a playful smack on the arm to scold him. He was grinning like an idiot so it was hard to take his refusal seriously but she could understand what he was saying. She'd keep her hands to herself until they were in the car. When they got there — well, that was fair game.
Both of them jumped at the loud bang that echoed through the door and into the bathroom. Piper's eyes immediately shot to Harry, widening as she looked to him for answers. He was frowning, glancing over his shoulder to the door. When he looked back, he had the same look of recognition in his eyes.
"Was that —"
"A gunshot," Harry answered. He was still for a moment and then he was a flurry of movement, spinning her around quickly and zipping her dress up. "Do you have a gun with you?"
Piper nodded as she swallowed hard past her nerves, reaching for the clutch she'd left lying on the vanity. She'd packed her Glock and she was glad for it now. As Harry fastened the top of her dress, she checked the magazine was loaded and then took off the safety. When she turned around, Harry was tucking her clutch into the inner pocket of his jacket for safe keeping.
By this time, they could hear muffled yelling through the door. Harry jogged over, unlocking the door and opening it a crack so they could hear what was going on outside.
" — and if the bitch pretending to be me doesn't come return my shit to me, I'll kill this man right here." Piper and Harry exchanged a look, the same thought crossing their mind. This was the real Elise McMahon, having somehow slipped her tail, and she wasn't happy. Now there was a chance someone might die and it was because of Piper. She gulped, trying to ignore the emotional lump in her throat. She wasn't going to cry. This was not the time for useless emotions.
"What are we going to do?" Piper asked Harry who was looking through the crack in the door for information on what was going on. He propped the door open with his foot, reaching under the back of his jacket. He grabbed the two handguns holstered there, pulling them free so he had one in each hand. With a nod toward the room outside the door, he called her over.
"I've got a plan," he told her as he let her step out first, hovering right at her back the whole time. "Now, listen carefully."
*
*
"I think you're looking for me."
Piper's hands were shaking so hard that she had to tighten them around the grip of the gun she was holding. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down a bit. She wasn't going to be of much use to anyone if she was shaking like a leaf.
She crept carefully around the walls of the Reading Room on the upper level, angling around so she could see down the steps. Standing about halfway down was a gorgeous redhead wearing a skintight black gown over her nearly perfect body, her hair hanging in long waves down her back. She had one hand on the shoulder of her hostage, Dr. Bates. The other was holding a gun to his head.
Piper looked beyond her for a moment, to where Harry was standing at the base of the stairs. He looked so casual that anyone looking on would think he was just having a simple conversation, despite the fact that he was holding two handguns pointed in the direction of the real Elise McMahon. He caught sight of Piper at the top of the stairs but his eyes didn't veer for a second, not risking giving away her location to the armed shooter. Piper wished she could have his supportive gaze for even just a second. It would make this whole plan seem less impossible.
"I don't think so," Elise said, her voice low and sultry but with nearly the same American accent that Piper had been feigning the entire night. Lucky coincidence. Piper couldn't see her face but she could hear the sneer and disdain in Elise's voice as she addressed Harry. "Not unless you're more convincing in a red wig and a pink dress."
Harry smirked at the joke, a casual sort of thing that belonged on the face of someone who was having a casual dinner conversation. Not someone involved in a hostage negotiation. It astounded her sometimes how completely in control of a situation he could be, even one as dangerous as this.
"I'm not the girl you're looking for," he countered, his voice steady and smooth, "but I do have what you're looking for."
"And what would that be?" Elise was testing him to see if he was telling the truth. Piper couldn't see her but she could see the satisfied look on Harry's face. He had her scared, even if it wasn't reflected in her voice.
Harry shrugged, lowering one of the guns to pat at his jacket where Piper knew his inside pocket was, the one holding her clutch. To anyone else, it would have looked like he was patting the package that Piper had stolen earlier. She was sure that Elise would buy that Harry was holding the package, especially when he answered, without hesitation, "A vial of the most dangerous virus on earth and a very nifty, very illegal hand gun."
"Hmm." Now Elise sounded nervous. Even Piper could hear that in her voice. "Maybe you are who I'm looking for. Now, handsome, tell me — how'd you get your hands on my present?"
"Does it matter how I got it?" Harry countered. "I think what's more important here is how you're going to get your hands on it. Let me give you a hint." He nodded toward Dr. Bates, trapped in Elise's hold and looking like he was about to pass out. "You let him go and we'll make a deal."
"Oh no, no, my darling," Elise said with an arrogant laugh, one that seemed out of place given her situation. "That's not how this works."
Harry and Elise began bantering back and forth, trying to arrange a deal. A deal that didn't mean a thing because that wasn't how this plan was meant to go. First of all, Harry was bluffing and he didn't have anything to trade even if he wanted to. Second, it was Piper who was supposed to be doing all the hard work. She was the one who had to disarm Elise.
She'd been slowly creeping down the stairs, gun lifted in front of her and pointed at Elise. She'd shed her shoes up on the upper level so that they didn't clack as she descended the steps behind Elise so the cold of the marble seeped through her tights and right into the soles of her feet. It was keeping her focused and vigilant as she crept up slowly behind the other woman.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone in the crowd of scared patrons point up toward her. How fucking stupid could people be, honestly? She shook her head at them, waving one of her hands to encourage the person to lower their hand. He did, eventually, but by that time more people were looking up at her. She wished she could tell them all to stop without giving her position away but it was impossible so she stuck to the plan, continuing her descent.
There was a resounding gasp from the crowd as Elise said something and slammed the gun barrel harder against Dr. Bates' head. Harry's voice was raised now, imploring Elise to drop her gun so things could be resolved peacefully. Dr. Bates was whining, begging to be set free. Elise was shouting crazy demands, calling Harry a number of rude names. But one voice, one shout, echoed so loudly that it was all she could hear.
"Hey you, just shoot her already!"
Elise jerked her head sideways to the buffoon who was standing out from the crowd, pointing directly at Piper standing behind her. She jerked around, the gun slipping from Dr. Bates' head, and Piper was forced to duck as she fired off a shot that soared right over her head. For a moment, she was frozen in her crouch, wondering what to do. There were screams from all around and they flooded her senses, making everything seem off kilter. She could see Elise lining up another shot but her limbs wouldn't cooperate, wouldn't move the way she wanted them too. She had a startling moment where she wondered if she was about to die.
"Petal!" Harry yelled, capturing her attention. She shot her eyes to where he was sprinting up the steps, reaching for Dr. Bates who had been pushed down when Elise turned to fire the first shot. His eyes were trained directly on her and he held her gaze. "Front attack, position 7."
Instantly, her mind was recalling the self-defence tactics that Harry had been planting in her head for months now. Her muscles already knew the movements, programmed to respond instinctively to those numbers when Harry called them out on the training mat. She swung her leg out, kicking Elise's shin and sending her falling to her knees. It gave Piper enough time to roll away before the gun went off again but it meant that her own gun flew from her hand and skittered down the steps. She was going to have to handle this on her own.
Elise was on her before she had a chance to gain her bearings, pressing her flat down on the steps. The edges tug painfully into her ribs and her belly but that hardly mattered when she felt the barrel of a gun pressing to the nape of her neck. "It seems," Elise hissed, her voice ragged as she tried to catch her breath, "that I've finally found my doppelganger."
"Do you mind?" Piper hissed as she struggled against Elise. "You're heavy."
"Bitch," Elise snapped before grabbing Piper by the hair and lifting her head just to slam it back down into the steps. Piper swore violently, blinking her eyes until the stars went away and her vision wobbled back into one image of the stairs beneath her. Elise tugged on her hair again, trying to pull the same stunt, but Piper used the shift in Elise's balance to roll, knocking her opponent off her back and sending her sailing back to the steps. She breathed a sigh of relief when the gun went sailing down the stairs.
Piper shot her gaze down to the bottom of the stairs, looking for Harry to tell her what to do next. But he was gone and she began searching frantically for any sight of him. When she finally spotted that distinctive head of hair and the bold suit he was wearing, he was weaving through the frantic crowds of people pushing and shoving toward the door. For a moment, she was angry that he'd left her alone to fight off Elise who was clearly a trained killer. What did he think he was doing, leaving her up here alone with Elise with no back-up?
Her eyes flickered to the front doors when there was a loud bang. Men and women in glamorous suits and dresses were tearing each other down to try to get to the front while the people at the front tried to push back because, as it turned out, the doors wouldn't open. Piper saw through a quick gap in the masses that the door had been chained shut from the inside and she had no doubt in her mind that it was Elise who had done it, to add to the panic and chaos already surrounding the show she'd put on. It had probably been intended as a distraction technique so she could make a getaway and also prevent any authorities from barging in on her plan. Piper had to admit that it was a good idea and she probably would have done something similar if she was a criminal too.
But she wasn't. She was one of the good guys and judging by the fact that Harry was very busy trying to stop a full blown riot in the lobby below, she was on her own. She was going to have to deal with Elise by herself. Liam and Harry had spent months training her — it was time to put that to good use.
Elise let out a loud cough, recovering from being slammed onto her back on the stairs. She rolled up on her knees just as Piper did and the two of them faced off, watching each other carefully. It was sort of jarring because her and Elise really did look alike. Her eyes were hazel while Piper's were brown, and Elise had more angular features than Piper did, but other than that, they looked quite similar. It was like looking at an older, bitchier version of herself.
"Well, aren't you precious?" Elise cooed sardonically with a sneer, narrowing her eyes at Piper. "Like a little version of me. Well, let me tell you something my sweet, innocent child, I'm not someone to be —"
She cut off with a yelp as Piper launched herself at her, forcing her back against the wall of the stairs. She'd seen red the second the word child had slipped out of Elise's mouth and it was energizing her, making her movements sharper and her reflexes faster. She had Elise trapped in the same position she'd been in within seconds. "I'll show you how precious I can be," she hissed into Elise's ear.
She was startled when she heard a scream from behind her and it was enough for Elise to twist under her so she was lying on her back beneath Piper. She slammed her open palm against Piper's shoulder, jolting her backward so she almost lost her balance. By the time she'd righted herself, Elise had shimmied out from under her and was pushing to her feet. Piper forced herself to so the same three steps down and then plowed herself into Elise's stomach, sending her flying backward again.
They both landed hard on the steps with Piper's arm trapped beneath Elise. She let out a low whine from between gritted teeth as a sharp pain shot right up her arm and she knew instantly that she'd done some damage. Luckily, Elise had slammed her head into the stairs so they were both caught off guard. Piper shoved Elise sideways, yanking her arm out from under her and jumping to her feet as quickly as she could. The blood from the cut on her forehead, an unfortunate consequence of having her head slammed into the stairs, began to run into her eyes and Piper reached up with her good hand to wipe it away so she could see.
Elise was on her feet again and this time she ran at Piper, sliding on the wide stairs to try and launch her heel into Piper's shin. She managed to jump a step up, taking two quick steps to avoid the arm Elise swung out to try and trip her up, and landing back on the wide step in a crouch. Elise had slid back into a crouch as well so she was poised when Piper ran at her. She stretched up to try and meet the arm Piper had swung out, leaving her midsection open which Piper used to her advantage, kicking her firmly in the abdomen. Elise staggered back against the wall of the Reading Room, crashing into it with a thud. Piper rushed forward, not giving her a chance to recover. When Elise threw her arm out, Piper grabbed it by the wrist and twisted with all her might until Elise was forced to spin around under the pressure, her front pressed to the wall.
Piper kicked her legs out from under her so she was kneeling, her chest to the wall, cheek smashed firmly against it. With her sore arm, she grabbed Elise's other hand and held them firmly against her lower back. In case she got any ideas about trying to get away, Piper dug her heel into the small of Elise's back until she squirmed uncomfortably. Tangling her fingers into the Elise's hair, Piper yanked it back and sneered at Elise. "How's that for precious?"
"You're going to regret this," Elise snapped back, wincing when Piper yanked her hair harder.
"The only thing I regret is ripping this dress because I have a feeling they'll make me pay for it," Piper said with a shrug. "Everything else turned out alright, I would say."
"I'll make you pay."
"I highly doubt it." Piper glanced over her shoulder when she heard shouting and saw the lobby flooding with MI5 agents who were piling in through the front door. "Looks like your ride is here."
Two MI5 agents headed straight for the stairs when they saw Piper holding Elise down. Piper was only too happy to hand Elise over, watching with satisfaction as she was handcuffed and dragged away, limping on one side. Now that she finally had a chance to breathe, Piper glanced around the room, searching for a familiar figure.
He was crouched down beside an older gentleman who was hunched over on the floor, gasping for breath. Piper suspected he'd had some sort of heart incident as a result of the stress and it didn't surprise her that Harry had stopped to make sure he was alright. She watched him speak to the man carefully and then rise to his feet, surveying the room. When he finally looked up and caught her eye, she lifted her uninjured arm and waved. Harry managed a little smile for her and looked like he was about to move in her direction but he craned around instead as someone caught his attention. A senior MI5 agent was waving him over from near the door. He gave Piper an apologetic shrug and then pointed toward the paramedics that were coming through the doors before tapping his forehead. She got the gist. He wanted her to get herself checked out.
For a moment, she considered not doing it. She figured she could stick out the uncomfortable pain in her arm until she got a chance to see Niall. She changed her mind when she saw Harry turn his head twice as he crossed the room, his eyes darting immediately to her. He was worried about her and something about that pulled Piper's feet in the direction of the paramedics. She could put up with them if it gave Harry some piece of mind.
But she did snatch up a flute of champagne on a tray that had been left behind in the chaos. She toasted herself to a job well done.
*
*
"Will you live?"
Piper looked up from where she'd been supervising a paramedic wrapping up her sprained wrist. She smiled when she saw Harry crossing the front courtyard of the British Museum headed right for her and he grinned back. His suit jacket was hanging open and the shirt beneath was unbuttoned to halfway down his torso. A bandage the size of her hand was taped just to the right of his sternum, covering up the swallow tattoo. She hadn't been the only one injured in the action.
"That's what they tell me," Piper told him as he came to stop beside where she was perched in the open doorway of the ambulance. The paramedic gave him a wayward glance, probably wondering who Harry was, but his question was quickly answered when Harry leaned in to place a delicate kiss on Piper's temple, circling his arm around her shoulders gently.
"Quite a bump on the head you've got there," Harry muttered as he lifted his hand to press gently to the bandage that took up half her forehead. His eyes dropped from the bandage to her eyes and he watched her carefully, looking for any signs of impairment. "Are you going to be alright?"
Piper nodded at the same time that the paramedic chose to interrupt and say, "No concussion but it'll be tender. And your wrist will be sore but just keep the bandage dry and —"
"Thanks," Piper cut him off. She had a personal medic on hand that could tell her all this junk anyway. "I appreciate your help. Can I go now?"
The paramedic seemed surprised by the abrupt interruption but nodded all the same. With the go ahead, Piper felt fine to jump out of the back of the ambulance and onto her feet.
She stumbled sideways when things got a little hazy around her and it was a good thing that Harry was around or she probably would have tumbled straight to the ground. As it was, he caught her around the waist, hauling her up carefully and letting her lean on him for support. "Careful," he said softly as he looked down at her, his expression warm and his smile fond. "Wouldn't want you tripping all over yourself, not after that brilliant performance inside."
Piper grinned proudly up at Harry as they began their slow trek across the courtyard toward the gates. "You thought I was brilliant?"
Harry nodded and Piper snuggled up against him, the happy smile plastered on her face for everyone to see. Harry tightened his hold around her waist as he chuckled, keeping her as close as possible. They walked slowly across the courtyard together, Harry keeping to Piper's pace as she walked on her unsteady bare feet across the cold ground. They stopped in a long queue of people who were having their details taken by police officers before they left the premises so they could be called as witnesses at a later time. When the two of them got to the front of the queue, Harry simply flashed his MI6 credentials and they passed through without a problem. They stopped by the edge of the sidewalk and waited for the car Harry had called to come and pick them up. When it looked like it would take a while, Harry spread his jacket out on the sidewalk and helped Piper sit down before joining her.
"I didn't get a chance to say this earlier," Harry said, catching Piper's attention, "but you did really well in there." Piper glanced up hopefully and felt that warm flutter in her stomach when she saw the fond smile on Harry's face and the bright glint in his eyes.
"You're not just saying that?" she asked, just in case, though she was sure that he wasn't. He wasn't the sort to do that.
"You followed the plan perfectly and when it went to shit, you were quick on your feet and you managed to subdue a hostile target — a well-trained one by the looks of it — without any civilians being injured. That's the definition of a brilliant job, Piper."
She smiled sheepishly at the ground, pick at the ragged edge of the tear in her dress. "Thanks," she said quietly. She felt Harry nudge her side and looked up at him.
"I want you to know, Piper," he said sincerely, "that I am very proud of you."
She was surprised by how much those simple words affected her. Her stomach jumped and her fingers tingled and for a moment her head got all hazy. She sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling like her lungs were going to explode right out of her chest, and she couldn't help the breathless laugh that bubbled out of her. Harry placed his hand on her back gently, his brow knitting together with concern.
"Are you alright, petal?"
"Yeah," she gasped, shaking her head and feeling the curls finally tumble out of their hold, cascading over her shoulder. She reached up to pluck the pins out but her hands were vibrating with so much excited energy that she could barely grasp them. "I just never thought it would feel so good to hear that."
Harry's confused pout drove her absolutely nuts and it took all her willpower not to surge up and kiss him. Instead, she sat patiently with her hands in her lap as he took over the job of pulling the pins out of her hair, his fingers delicately teasing them from the messy red strands. "Of course I'm proud of you Piper," he said quietly, his eyes trained on his task. He arranged her pin-free hair carefully over her shoulder and finally looked up, his lips tugging sideways. "I'm always proud of you. You're so dedicated to your job and you always work so hard to be the best you can be. You've got incredible determination to learn everything you possibly can and you pick things up so quickly."
His hands drifted and curved over her shoulders, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles against her skin. "I've always known you were brilliant but sometimes I forget just how amazing you are and seeing you tonight, holding your own and saving lives, was the most rewarding feeling. To see how far you've come — Piper, it was amazing."
His smile was so dazzling and the warm gleam in his eyes so admiring that she was overcome for a moment, a big lump clogging her throat. She was horrified to find her eyes pooling with tears and she reached both hands up to press her fingers against her eyelids. "Shut up," she muttered. "You're going to make me cry and my mascara will run."
Harry laughed brightly, his cheeks dimpling on either side of his wide grin, and this time Piper didn't stop herself. She leaned up and pressed her mouth against his, waiting for the inevitable moment when Harry would kiss her back. He surged forward, making her gasp against his mouth. Her hands smoothed up his sides and then curved over his back, pulling him closer. She was surprised when he pulled back. "Something wrong?"
"Just strange," he admitted, licking his lips and then sticking his tongue out. "You taste like mint cigarettes."
Piper rolled her eyes. "Yeah, remind me not to repeat that experience. Although," she added, scrutinizing Harry carefully, "you didn't seem to mind earlier in the loo."
"I was distracted by some other more important things in the loo. Like how I was going to get your dress off."
"How rude!" Piper smacked Harry on the arm, her scolding ineffective considering he was laughing unapologetically. She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms with a huff, but she was grinning too. She was just so happy. Sure, they'd hit a couple snags tonight but the mission had been a success and, according to Harry, she'd done a brilliant job. She felt like she could fly, like if she kicked off the ground right now she'd soar right up to the stars. There was an uncontrollable flutter in her stomach and she felt drunk on the events of the night, on Harry, on life as the two of them sat there beneath the stars.
The two of them climbed to their feet and were standing side by side as their car finally drove up. Harry's hand caught her around the wrist and slid down to lace their fingers together in a tight, unbreakable hold. "Let's go home," he said as he held the door open for her, helping her slide into the seat. When he got in beside her, she leaned into him, revelling in the feeling of his arm wrapped protectively around her. She pulled her legs up so she could drape them over his thighs and leaned her head down on his shoulder.
"Thanks for being there for me tonight," she murmured as they drove through the quiet London streets. She'd been tracing a pattern around the square bandage on his chest but she stopped so she could slide her hand so her palm was resting over his heart. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"It was my pleasure, petal," he told her as both his arms came around her, holding her comfortably in his embrace. She felt his lips ghosting over her hair and then they pressed down in a lingering kiss on the crown of her head. She smiled down at her hand, tapping her fingers to the rhythm of his heartbeat. She couldn't imagine a more perfect ending to a mission than this one right here. And then Harry said the words that she would treasure for the rest of her life.
"You're going to make a great agent one day, Piper Stone."