Agent 34 (Book 1)

8. Is it now?

Everly's POV

I pulled open the front door and stepped outside. There was a small smile on my face that immediately disappeared as soon as I saw him.

He glared up at me from the bottom of the steps as I walked down. "Expecting someone else?" Ian questioned sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes as I stopped beside him before turning to face him. "Actually yes," I said as I looked him up and down. "Someone with manners, for starters."

He pointed over my shoulder to the ambulance still parked in the driveway behind me. "Care to explain that?"

I shrugged. "I would if it was any of your business. How the hell did you get in here?"

"Apparently whoever is manning your gate is letting anyone in, for the party I assume."

"Lily," I muttered with a sigh.

Ian suddenly blew out an angry breath and glared down at me. "What the hell is your problem?"

I looked up at him with raised eyebrows, crossing my arms over my chest. "My problem?" I questioned. "I'm sorry, I'm not the one between the two of us with the problem here."

He waved his hands around, gesturing to the ambulance, and then to the house with the music blaring from inside. "My agent is missing any you're throwing a party!"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Completely unrelated."

He continued to glare. "I thought you were supposed to be helping."

"And I thought you didn't want my help."

He took a step back from me, his hands fisting up and he turned to stare at the ground. He wanted to hit me. I'd seen that look before.

And yet, I realized that none of this was helping.

I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair. "Look Ian," I said and he glared at me once more for using his name. "neither one of us want to be working with the other," I told him. "but that really shouldn't matter right now. You're right, you have an agent missing and that's a big deal. So why don't you come inside-"

He made a face and stepped back from the steps leading up to the front door.

I rolled my eyes. "-not for the party," I told him. "Which by the way-not that I have to explain myself to you-I didn't even know was happening. If I had I would have insisted it was canceled but I didn't have a clue. Hence the term surprise."

He just looked at me, but he wasn't glaring at me any longer so I figured that was a start.

"So come inside, grab a drink if you want, and we'll discuss the case and your missing agent in my office, alright?" I held out my arm toward the door.

He eyed me skeptically.

"I don't bite," I told him.

He shot me a deadpan look. "No," He said sarcastically. "You just do every other violent thing on the planet."

I shrugged. "Girl's got to have a hobby."

He let out a sigh and shook his head, suddenly looking very tired, and very worried.

I gestured up the steps to the door. "Walk in, first door on the right is the conference room, there's another door at the end of that, that's my office. Or if you're more comfortable in the conference room, stay there. I'll be in a minute."

I watched him walk up the steps and disappear into the house. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the night air. The sun had just barely disappeared, though the sky was darkening quickly. The lights set up outside the house were already starting to turn on, and I opened my eyes once more to look out into the night.