‘What’s he like?’ she asked quietly.
‘Exactly as you’d expect.’
‘Ugh,’ she said with a shudder. ‘I hope I don’t have to sit next to him at dinner.’
We both glanced at the table – no place cards.
I hooked my arm through hers. ‘We’ll just have to stick together then.’
‘Agreed.’
‘Can I ask,’ I said, ‘if you’re not here to meet Kovalec, then why?’
‘Why did we accept the invitation to dinner?’
I nodded.
‘A favour to Julian. Besides, Dale’s in the same field and I suspect there’s an innate curiosity about one of the world’s richest men.’
I looked over to where Dale had joined Julian and Kovalec. They were talking animatedly and Kovalec seemed to be cracking jokes – hilarious ones if measured by the laughter. I peered more closely at Julian, who was facing me, spotting the lines of tension around his eyes. Oh god, hewasnervous. My stomach knotted again.
I had to talk to Tommy. Whatever was going down, he’d know how best to protect Julian. I just had to convince him to do it.
‘Excuse me,’ I said to Trudy. ‘I need the loo.’
‘I’ll save you the seat next to mine,’ she said.
I left Trudy, depositing my half-drunk champers on a nearby table, then approached the staircase leading to the deck below. With every step, I kept Tommy in my periphery,willinghim to look in my direction so I could signal for him to follow.
Just as I reached the top of the staircase, I finally caught his eye and with a subtle jerk of my head, I summoned him, then descended.
At the bottom of the stairs, I ducked into an alcove and waited. Andwaited. In tense times, seconds can feel like minutes and minutes like hours. This felt like days, but eventually I saw Tommy’s feet on the stairs, then the rest of him.
Wordlessly, I slipped into the salon through the sliding door, keeping an eye out for crew. Seeing no one, I crossed to the day head, an ornate half-bathroom off the salon. I entered, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Tommy came in seconds behind me.
‘You’re being reckless,’ he scolded.
‘Yes, yes, your stance on my presence is crystal clear but we don’t have time for that. How do you plan to keep Julian safe?’
‘Safe? He’s not in anyphysicaldang?—’
‘Fromprosecution, Tommy. Surely you can nab Kovalec without Julian ending up as collateral damage?’
‘Idon’t have the authority to?—’
‘Are you being obtuse on purpose?’ I asked. ‘I meanyouas in MI6.’
He shook his head. ‘I don’t work for MI6. I told you, I’m not a spy.’
‘Well, whoever then. Can’t you make a phone call or something? Make sure Julian’s given immunity for cooperating?’
‘Ally, I can’t shareanyof the details of this operation with you.’
‘What if I wore a wire?’ I offered again, now desperate. ‘Kovalec has already been leering at me. I could probably?—’
‘Ally,’ Tommy whispered sharply, cutting me off. ‘You don’t need to wear a wire – the entire yacht is bugged.’
