Major Crush (22 page)

LOL at this sneak peek of

Love Undercover

Dad motions for us to go in my room. “It’s best if we have some privacy. This is a very delicate situation.”

“A delicate situation?” I repeat, pushing open the door to my bedroom.

Dad looks me square in the eyes and says, “Blaine’s going to be staying at our house for an undetermined amount of time.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. “What do you mean Blaine’s going to be staying here?” I ask. “You’re kidding, right?”

He shakes his head. “Blaine may be living here for the next couple of months. Possibly until the end of the school year.”

My jaw drops. I was expecting him to say days, not months. “What do you mean a couple of months?!” I exclaim. “What is he, some long-lost cousin I’ve never met?”

Dad chuckles. “Funny you should say that. In a way, yes.”

A sick feeling comes over me. Oh my God, I’ve been flirting with my cousin! That’s seriously gross. “Which side of the family is he on?” I ask, thinking, I don’t recall ever meeting Blaine before.

“My side,” Dad says. “A t least, that’s what his paperwork will say.”

“His paperwork?” I dump the contents of my overnight bag on the bed and begin sorting through the mess.

“Yeah, his new driver’s license and school records. The central office should have them ready in a day or two.”

I’m totally lost. None of this is making sense. “Why does Blaine need a new driver’s license? Did he lose his or something?”

Dad shakes his head. “No, but it’s standard fare—it’s all part of his FBI cover.”

I stare at him, shocked. “Oh my God.” I can’t think of anything else to say. “A s you know, part of my job at the FBI involves keeping tabs on witnesses before they go to trial,” Dad continues. “Usually we store them at a safe house or in a hotel to keep them out of harm’s way.”

I nod. “Right. I understand.”

He takes a deep breath. “Kaitlyn, what I’m about to tell you is classified information. You can’t breathe a word to anybody. Not even Morgan.

Can I trust you?”

Whoa. I’ve never seen Dad like this before. He looks deadly serious. “Of course you can,” I tell him.

My dad stands up and starts pacing the room, swinging his arms back and forth as he walks. A s he gets to the far wall, his left foot bumps against my mile-high stack of magazines, sending back issues of Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl!, and Seventeen toppling over with a crash. Dad keeps right on walking. “Have you ever heard of Harlan Donovan, the Texas oil tycoon?”

I shake my head. “No, but I’m guessing since his last name is Donovan he’s related to Blaine. A nd I’m also guessing that if he’s an oil tycoon he’s probably a …” I pause, gulping, “… millionaire.”

“A dd a few zeroes,” Dad says, “and you’re about right.”

“You don’t mean that he’s a billionaire!”

“Yes, he is.”

He continues with the story. “One of the business deals Harlan Donovan is involved in has been attracting a lot of attention lately. Threats have been made against Harlan and his family—and many of these threats have been targeted at Blaine. We’re currently investigating the situation, and we think the people involved may be responsible for strong-arming several other big oil deals. We’re trying our hardest to catch them, but at this point in time, we felt it was best to remove Blaine until all of this can be resolved. Once we catch these thugs, or once the business deal is finished—whichever comes first—Blaine will be out of danger, and he can return to the Donovan estate.”

“So why is Blaine staying here? Since when does our house qualify as a safe house? You’ve never brought any of the people you’re protecting here before.”

“The Blaine situation is complicated,” Dad says, “and I can’t give you the specifics. For now, what I need you to do is not mention Blaine to anyone. Not a word.”

I nod my head. “Don’t worry. You can count on me. There’s just one thing—won’t keeping him a secret be kind of tough? I mean, three months is a long time.”

“You won’t have to keep him a secret for that long,” Dad explains. “Once Blaine’s new ID and paperwork come in, we’ll be able to get to work establishing his cover. I think he’s going to be posing as a distant cousin.”

I chew on my lower lip. I’m feeling nervous about this, like I won’t be able to do it. “So I’m going to have to pretend Blaine is related to me?”

Dad massages his temple, like he’s got a headache coming on. “Something like that. I’ll give you the full details as soon as I have them. What I need now is a guarantee that you’ll keep this, how do you kids say it, on the down low?”

“Sure, fine,” I say, waving my hand dismissively. “I’ll do whatever you need.”

“Great! We can talk about this more later,” Dad says, heading for the door.

I try to digest everything Dad has told me. It’s pretty freaking unbelievable. Dad’s never been the type to bring his work home with him.

A lthough, in this case, I don’t really mind. A cute boy is welcome in our home anytime as far as I’m concerned. “So what’s Blaine going to do while he’s here?” I ask, as Dad makes his way to the door. “I mean, won’t he be bored out of his mind just sitting around the house all day?”

“Oh, I thought you realized. That’s part of why Blaine is staying here,” Dad says. “The spring term just started at his old school and it’d be a shame for him to get too far behind in his studies. A t first we were planning to get him a private tutor, but things worked out for him to enroll at Copperfield. So, starting in a couple of days, hell be going to school with you. I trust you’ll show Blaine around and make him feel at home? Going to a new school is stressful for anyone, and Blaine has been through a lot lately.”

“Of course I will,” I tell Dad. A nd I mean it. I’m going to do whatever I can to make Blaine feel welcome.

“A nd another thing,” Dad says, looking me dead in the eyes. “I don’t want to alarm you, but it would probably be a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for anything suspicious while Blaine’s in town. We’ve covered his tracks pretty well, but you can never be completely sure. In some ways, Blaine’s life is in your hands.”

I feel all the color drain from my swollen face as this sinks in. His life? Good grief, I can barely take care of my own life. Just last month I sprained my ankle while trying to rearrange my closet. I must look pretty panicked, because Dad immediately adds, “That probably didn’t come out right. What I meant was, I’d like for you to keep an eye on Blaine, just make sure nobody treats him oddly or takes an unnatural interest in him. A nd if anybody calls here asking for him, you let me know immediately. If that happens, we’ve got an emergency situation on our hands.”

“Wow,” I say. “This is totally bizarre.” Dad smiles reassuringly as he walks out the door. “Just think of yourself as a junior undercover agent.”

A t those words, a chill runs down my spine. A junior undercover agent. A spy. I feel electrified, energized. A lmost like a mini Sydney Bristow. Except with shorter legs. A nd frizzier hair.

Seven Sins.

… all determined to get what they want, when they want it. No matter the cost, or the drama.

LUST ENVY
PRIDE
WRA TH SLOTH GLUTTONY GREED

SEVEN DEA DLY SINS BY ROBIN WA SSERMA N

Commit the third sin in this juicy series!

From Simon Pulse

Published by Simon & Schuster

bestselling author of the Mates, Dates Series,

Meet Cat, Becca, Squidge, Mac, and Lia. These girls and guys are totally tight—and totally obsessed with the game of truth or dare… even when it reveals too much!

Every book is a different dare… and a fun new adventure.

Read them all:

White Lies and Barefaced Truths

The Princess of Pop

Teen Queens and Has-Beens

Starstruck

Double Dare

Midsummer Meltdown

From Simon Pulse

Published by Simon & Schuster