My mission is simple: get us out of each other’s hair before we do something stupid—like hurt our families, blow our cover, or damage our careers. We’re fire and kerosene, combustible for certain, but best kept far apart for the safety of ourselves and others.
“See you in the morning,” I whisper as she reaches the door.
She glances over her shoulder with a sigh but gives me a tepid thumbs up before poking her head out to make sure the coast is clear.
A moment later, she vanishes, disappearing down the hall to her own room.
She’s clearly not thrilled about pretending to be my girlfriend, but at least she’s on board with the plan. Now we just have to take down the head of one of the world’s largest criminal organizations without killing each other, and we’ll be home free.
The fact I’m more worried about surviving my partner than the man we’ll be targeting isn’t a good sign, but things could always be worse.
As if to prove it, Sabrina and Andrew choose that moment to begin making loud, passionate, drunken love to each other in the room on the other side of mine, ensuring I go to bed with every pillow on my mattress pulled over my head and a sour feeling in my stomach.
I tell myself it’s the buttered popcorn I ate earlier, but deep down, I suspect that I’m envious of my brother.
I’m jealous he’s found the woman of his dreams, that she doesn’t have any professional conflicts of interest keeping her from his bed, and that she doesn’t want to murder him. Dead. Preferably with her eyeballs.
Chapter Five
From the texts of Alexandra Rochat
and Blaire Bendel, Co-Director of Union Ten
Blaire: Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. Nadia is off for a few weeks, so I’ll be your contact for this one. I hate to interrupt your holiday fun, but you know how it is. Trouble doesn’t take a day off, so neither can we. I assume you’re on an encrypted line.
Zan: Of course. And it’s no problem at all. I’m not much of a holiday person. More a captive to my family’s annual madness.
Blaire: Ah, yes. And it sounds like you’re in for double the madness this year. How’s that going? Nick seemed to be having fun when I chatted with him
earlier, but that man would grin through a root canal.
Zan: It’s been nice. And convenient for planning the mission.
Blaire: Right. About that… I wanted to touch base with you before we move forward. It’s not too late to get someone else on this one. Virginia is wide open until February, and she’s already bored with laying low in Croatia. I can have her meet Nick in Bali. I know close-contact undercover operations aren’t your favorite, and there’s plenty of work to be done in Zurich.
Zan: Thanks, but I’m actually looking forward to this one. I think Nick and I will make a good team.
Blaire: Really? I got the impression, when we last spoke, that he wasn’t your favorite.
Zan: I was frustrated that we got in each other’s way in Romania, that’s all. But now that we’re working together, I’m sure we’ll be fine. And I don’t mind close contact work. I only struggled with William in Barcelona because of the…odor issue.
Blaire: Oh, yes. That poor man. And poor you! I had no idea his halitosis had grown so severe. I hadn’t met with him face to face in years until we interviewed him for the regional director’s position. Just between us, Neville and I agreed Will should stay close to his home office from now on, at least until the issue can be brought under control. It’s hard to slip by a target unnoticed when your breath is slapping people in the face.
Zan: That might be wise, yes. But seeing as Nick has no prohibitive medical issues, I’m sure we’ll work well together.
Blaire: And you don’t think the fact that you’re closely connected in your personal lives will be a problem? Nick said you intend to keep the trip a secret from your families, but if they were to discover you’re in Bali together, you consider that an acceptable risk? It wouldn’t make things difficult for you personally?
Zan: One of my sisters is married to his brother, and the other is engaged to marry his other brother. The women in my family clearly have a weakness for Von Bergen men, so…
Blaire: A weakness most women share, I’m sure. They’re quite a trio. Genetic lottery winners, every one.
Zan: Exactly. So it wouldn’t be hard to sell a lapse in judgment with my brother-in-law. And then we’d move on and put it behind us. One of the good parts of having a family prone to high profile drama—an island fling between Nick and I wouldn’t be news for long.
Blaire: Well, then, it sounds like you’re ready to mobilize in forty-eight hours. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all. We’re all past ready to see Stefano behind bars. A win here would be a great start to the New Year. Have a happy one, by the way, if we don’t connect before then.