“Actually, what do you think about going through his room while we’re gone?”
WHIT
We took the train as far as Aswan, Ricardo only speaking to me when absolutely necessary. To be fair, he appeared ill the whole of the journey; every jolt of the carriage left him reeling and sweating. But no matter howsick he felt, he somehow managed to glare at me at regular intervals. If he’d had a gun on him, he would have shot me—I was sure of it. I saw so much of Inez in him I couldn’t quite meet his accusing eyes.
I knew one day she’d look at me the same if my plan failed.
Ricardo slumped over the side of the boat that carried us to Philae. The river lapped against us in gentle waves, but even so, he regularly threw up into the river. The sun’s glare was relentless, and sweat dripped down my back. It was hotter during the day in Aswan than in Cairo, despite it being winter.
“Maybe I should have come alone,” I said as I rowed.
Ricardo wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Estoy bien.”
I fell silent, hearing the dismissive tone. But I had told Inez I’d speak with him, so I stopped rowing, dragged the oars onto my lap. “You can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
He sighed, rubbed his eyes as if he wanted to rid them of the sight of me. I never thought he’d embrace the idea of the two of us, but I hadn’t believed he’d thought so low of me.
A drunk and a womanizer and a liar. Out for a good time and nothing else. Sneaky and secretive. It was something my father used to say. Probably still would if we were ever in the same room again.
“I’m disappointed in you, Whit,” Ricardo said. “You took advantage of her.”
There was no way around that, so I kept silent. I got the sense that he knew the truth, and I forced my face into a nonchalant expression. Maybe he’d think I was hoping to avoid an argument. Part of me was, but the other railed at his dismal opinion. His disappointment made me want to howl, made me want the bottle.
“I see you won’t deny it.”
“Everything will work out,” I said through gritted teeth.
Ricardo regarded me stonily. “Now that you have access to her fortune, you mean.”
For fuck’s sake. I shifted on the wooden seat. Philae came into view, the temple rising high above the water. It never failed to pull a gasp from me. Ricardo flicked a glance over his shoulder, but then he faced me once again. He wouldn’t let me ignore him.
“I know what I’m doing,” I said finally. “I have a plan.”
“Which is?”
“None of your business.”
“She’smyniece.”
“I know,” I said. “And she’smywife.”
A muscle ticked in Ricardo’s jaw. “If you hurt her…”
He didn’t need to finish. I understood perfectly. Ricardo would make me rue the day I ever laid eyes on Inez Emilia Olivera.
As if I didn’t already.
I dipped both oars into the water and rowed us to the island shore. Ricardo stumbled over the side and began dragging the boat up the bank. I’d never met anyone so stubborn in my life, except, of course, for my wife. But I kept my mouth shut and helped him with the task. That done, I went up the gentle slope, careful to avoid the jutting rocks rising from the packed earth, Ricardo trailing after me, breathing heavily. We passed the spot where I told Inez I was leaving for England. The look on her face, the utter resignation.
Bloody hell.
The mess I was in.
“Abdullah!” Ricardo yelled as he reached the seemingly abandoned campsite. Sand nearly covered the fire pit, and even from where I stood, I caught sight of the ransacked headquarters, crates overturned, empty bottles half-buried, the crate of magic-touched objects pillaged. “What the hell is going on here?”
I squinted, using my hand to shade my eyes from the fierce glare of the sun. The hot sand scalded the leather of my boots, but I barely noticed. Where there ought to have been dozens of workers digging or enjoying the noon meal, there were none. The tents had all been torn apart, and there were stretches of sand stained with blood.
“Shit,” I muttered.
