"Are you almost here?" Sophie whispered into her phone, voice thin over the hotel lobby noise.
"In five. Why are you in the elevator?" Daniela's voice came back sharp and amused.
"Because I'm soaked and embarrassed and I need to breathe," Sophie said. She pushed wet hair from her face and squinted at the reflection in the elevator mirror. The rain had turned her black dress translucent in a way that made her curse under her breath.
"Don't breathe so loudly," Crew joked from the corner. "You'll start a weather report."
"Shut up," Sophie snapped, but she smiled. Crew grinned like a man who thought the world could be fixed by loud remarks and better shoes.
The elevator doors opened and a man stepped in. People shifted. Someone laughed at a private joke. The man took off his umbrella and tucked it under his arm without looking around. He wore a dark suit and a face that had public temperature control set to freezing.
Sophie knew that face even if she hadn't expected to see it tonight. Everett Baker. She had not planned this. No one plans a collision with a legendary cold front.
"Mr. Baker," a voice said behind Everett. "You're on time for—"
Everett's hand closed on the railing. He looked at Sophie like she was an unread document. Brief, precise, unreadable.
Daniela stiffened beside Sophie. Crew made a show of adjusting his tie.
Sophie felt a prick of panic but
