"Still, that sounds like good news. Why don't you look happier?"
"I got a bad feeling from Dominic. The Samantha news was good, but I felt like he used it to change the subject."
"And the subject was…"
"I told him what happened to us at the lake. I asked him why he hadn't called me back. He made some excuse about having locked his phone away during his meetings. He uttered the appropriate amount of surprise and concerned words and all that, but it felt hollow. Like there's something else going on."
She frowned. "You don't really think he was meeting with Qadir, do you? I mean, Dominic is a billionaire. He's a global leader, a philanthropist. Why would he risk meeting with a renowned terrorist?"
"The obvious answer is that he wouldn't. But Dominic has run into a lot of issues with his project in Tajikistan. He lost two men in an ambush, and he's received a lot of threats. If Qadir had the power to pave his way, I'm sure he'd pay to make that happen."
"He'd make a deal with the devil."
"I'm sure he wouldn't see it that way. He always tells me to look at the bigger picture. Look at the end, not at the means. He was that way when we were in boarding school together. He will use people to get what he wants. I'm not sure that he knows how to live any other way."
"Did you tell him about David Hartford?"
"I just said that he'd been killed in an explosion; I didn't get into details. He asked me if that meant everything was over. I told him I wished it did, but it appeared that David's targeted revenge bombings had been taken over by someone else who decided to use his massive bank account to launch their own attacks. I told him again that he should cancel the summit. He said he would consider it after talking to other people tomorrow."
"He's a stubborn man."
"He is. And I shouldn't judge him for using people since I have been using him."
"Well, I assume you are actually trying to protect him on his next trip, so maybe you're using him for resources and access, but you're still doing your job. How do you manage all that? Do you have a team?"
"I have a woman who helps me. Her name is Kai. She used to be at the agency. She came out of retirement for me."
"Does she know about your hidden agenda?"
"She does."
"Is she who you contact when you say you need to talk to people?"
"She's one of two people I've been talking to. The other is still an active agent." He cleared his throat. "Did you order dinner?"
"I did. I think I'm going to take a shower before it gets here. I'm hoping there's one of those fluffy robes in the bathroom."
"There is. Want some company?"
"That might make the shower a little too long, and dinner should be here shortly. Can I have a rain check?"
"Any time," he said with a sexy smile.
When she walked into the bathroom and saw more luxury, she let out a little sigh of pleasure. She turned on the shower, stripped off her clothes, and stood under the hot stream of water, lathering herself with expensive bath products that smelled incredible. It felt good to wash off the dirt of the day, to feel warm and safe. It might not last long, but she was going to hang on to the feeling as long as she could.
After getting out of the shower and drying her hair, she put on her new undies and then wrapped herself in the deliciously warm robe and went back into the living room.
The dining room table was now covered in covered dishes, and Max was opening the wine. "How was it?" he asked. "You look a lot better than you did before."
"It was great. The splurge idea was one of your best ones ever."
He laughed at that. "Good. I'm glad you're enjoying it."
She pulled the lid off a plate and saw a nicely grilled salmon, and her mouth watered. "The good just keeps getting better," she said as she sat down.
He handed her a glass of wine. "I thought this meal deserved wine instead of beer. You made a good choice."
"I don't know much about wine, but it was expensive, so fingers crossed." She took a sip. "Nice."
