Fedorov:Best of luck tomorrow.
Best of luck. Fuck you. I toss my phone on the desk.
It’s dangerous to do business with a traitor lurking, and I want him bad. But there’s something warning me to be careful what I wish for. Not to mention that Fedorov is a shrewd sonofabitch, not to be underestimated.
70
ANTONIO
Blue skies, calm waters, and just enough wind to guide the sails. It’s a perfect day for a regatta.
With Chernov out of the country, I’m breathing a bit easier. The Russians are likely to let us stew awhile before they strike, and their brand of terrorism doesn’t normally involve wholesale terrorist attacks in the middle of a holy feast. Although they’ve done it.
Lucas approaches the dock with a sour look on his face. “What’s up?”
“Cristiano’s not coming.”
“What?”
“He’s got some type of flu. He can’t get out of bed.”
I pause for a second.The flu?Maybe Daniela’s right. Maybe I’m too damn suspicious. Not going to change now. “The flu?”
He shrugs. “Fuck if I know.”
I’ve never known Cristiano to take a sick day.Ever.“He must be really sick.”
“Said he can’t lift his head off the pillow.”
“Was he with you guys last night?”
He shakes his head. “He was a no-show. He must have already been feeling bad.”
If Cristiano isn’t here, he’s on death’s door. “Did you talk to him by phone or text?”
“Text.”
His family’s away, and he’d die before he’d call us for something right before the race. “Send someone over to check on him.”
Lucas raises his brow. “We’re spread pretty thin today, especially now with our best man down.”
“One of them,” I tell Lucas. “You’re still here.”
He ignores me because he hates any kind of praise.
Lucas is right about being spread thin. “Let’s hold off until after the race,” I mutter.
“You shouldn’t get on that boat without him, you know.”
“Why not? I’ve been sailing for as long as he has.”
“Your talents are on the track. We both know it. Besides, it’s more than that.”
It’s a safety issue. He doesn’t have to say it. We’ve taken extra precautions, but most of those are on and around the dock, where Daniela and the girls will watch the race.
“You need to change. I want you on the boat with me.”
“Me? I’m not a sailor.”