“Only when you’re breathing.”
The two of them had been trading verbal punches for a month. But it was obvious to everyone at BKI that, despite their outward animosity, they were actually crazy about each other. Trouble was, neither waswilling to admit it because neither was willing to bend on his position. Rusty was determined to remain in the closet. Ace was determined never to get involved with anyone who wasn’t out. So, just like Emily and Christian had done, Ace and Rusty limited their flirting to flaying each other alive with their tongues any chance they got.
Emily very much wanted to shout at them to work their shitout. Because anyone with eyes in their head could see they were perfect for each other. But considering how all the Black Knights kept trying to convince her to give in to Christian, and considering she didn’t want to be labeled a hypocrite, she decided to keep her mouth shut.
“And let me guess… This Layla broad went to the SAS to try to confirm Surry’s claim,” Christian said, dragging Emily’smind back to the conversation. And to the fact that his hand was now wrapped around her shoulder, all heavy and warm and reminding her of what it felt like when it was on her breast and—
Ugh!
“According to my contact, that’s right.” Samantha dipped her chin. “And she must be cozy or sucking the dick of someone there at the SAS”—good ol’ Samantha, never one to couch her words—“because shenot only confirmed that you were, in fact, former SAS, but that you might have been the soldier involved in the Kirkuk Police Station Incident. Once she found that out, she put a dozen of her finest reporters on your trail.”
“And from there they discovered I had an uncle and that my uncle had a house in Port Isaac.” The muscle beneath Christian’s eye was freaking out.
“That’s the longand short of it.” Samantha nodded.
Ace blew out a disbelieving breath. “It happened just the way we thought.”
“Guess that means we’ve been in this business too long,” Boss said, “when nothing surprises us anymore.”
There was a chorus of grumbled agreement around the table.
“Now”—Boss went on, still spinning the blade. It caught the glow of the fluorescent lights overhead and sparkledmenacingly—“for the question we’ve all been waiting for. Who the fuck gave this fucking BBC bird Christian’s name?”
Ah, Boss, Emily thought.A man after my own heart.He might be the only member of BKI with a dirtier mouth than hers.
Ozzie, who had remained silent up to that point, typed something on the laptop sitting in front of him and then spun the machine around until they could allsee the screen. “Let me introduce you to Lord Asad Grafton.”
Emily blinked at the photo of the man on the screen. “He doesn’t really fit the mold of most English lords.”
“From what I can find out, Grafton was the product of a brief dalliance between the prior Lord Grafton and an affluent African princess. He took over his father’s business after his father’s passing, as well as his father’stitle and seat in the House of Lords.”
Emily took a closer look at the photo. “He has merciless eyes.” Glancing around the table, she said, “Is this him? Have we finally identified him?”
The faces staring back at her were tight with emotion. The excitement in the air was palpable.
“I think so.” Ozzie nodded, his crazy hair doing a dance atop his head. He was wearing a gray T-shirtthat read: Everything I Know I Learned fromStar Trek. “But the limited amount of digging I’ve done on him in the last hour hasn’t revealed any ties between Grafton and the black-market businesses we know Spider is involved in. Although, there is this…”
Ozzie did some hocus-pocus on the keyboard. For a brief moment, the screen went blank, then a video began playing. It showed Asad Graftonspeaking at a podium outside the Palace of Westminster. He was going on about tax reform and bringing production back to Britain.
His highbrow English accent struck Emily. Given the dregs of society that Spider employed and the bottom-feeding nature of his businesses, she’d always assumed the man would look and sound like a thug.
After the video finished playing, the screen froze on ashot of Asad turning from the podium. Across the table, Angel made a noise. Considering the guy was usually as quiet as a church mouse, it caught Emily’s attention. For the first time since she’d met him, she saw emotion on his face.Intenseemotion.
“What?” She turned back to the screen, trying to see what he was seeing. “What am I missing?”
“Sonya Butler,” he said in that raspy voice.
“Who?” Emily squinted at the laptop image and the blond woman taking Asad’s arm.
“You know Sonya?” Ozzie lifted a brow.
“I worked with her on a case when I was Mossad, before I—” Angel cut himself off. “Yes. I know her.”
Ozzie and Samantha both leaned forward eagerly. Boss stopped spinning his knife. Becky had been in the middle of unwrapping a Dum Dum lollipop but stopped. Andboth Rusty and Ace grew very still. As for Christian? Well, his hand tightened on Emily’s shoulder, not helping her pounding heart one little bit.
“So you know she used to work for Interpol?” Ozzie said.
“Used to?” Angel lifted a dark eyebrow, his hell-black eyes fierce.
