“No, sweetheart. This is Reid’s fault. He involved Finn, who talked to you. All you did was what you had to do.”
“I could have listened to you,” she said.
He surprised her by laughing. “You could have, but you didn’t and probably won’t in the future.”
“It’s not funny, and I feel somehow responsible.”
“You aren’t,” he reassured her. “And now that we know there’s a lot more in play, we can act accordingly. Fariq could have asked to leave at any time. There’s not a lot we could do to stop him. The FBI is just a show of force on his part and Reid’s way of ensuring we wouldn’t try to hold him.”
“Reid’s involved.” She shook her head in disbelief. “How could he involve Finn like that?”
“First, Finn isn’t some naïve neophyte. Had it gone down the way Reid thought, it would have been over and done with and none the wiser. But when it started to go sideways, Springer grabbed Finn. My guess is he thought to use her as a bargaining chip to take on Reid. What neither of them counted on was Finn, like you, is not inclined to take orders and has a nose for a story. Want to clue me in about what you know that you’ve been withholding?”
“I need you to know, I never thought it was relevant to anyone’s safety. Gerold Springer is a German nationalist with fascist leanings. He didn’t impress me as the guy Fariq would groom to take over. He’s basically a thug in a Saville Row suit. The rumors are that there is an heir apparent, but he is very elusive. How did you find out about Reid?”
“Ghazil knew.”
“He didn’t tell me.”
Noah barked a short laugh. “Sweetheart, if you know Ghazil at all, you know he keeps secrets. He keeps less from us because we have him on a rather large monthly retainer.”
“That rat! That’s how you knew where I was going to be.”
“Only because I asked the right questions and frankly, let him know you were my woman. For all his faults, he really does have a romantic side.”
“I’m not your woman.”
“Yes, you are, and you know it. One of the things that will be included in that long discussion you and I are going to have is the status of our relationship.”
Noah said nothing more but checked the mirrors of the SUV several times. They barely made it onto the speed ferry, which would take a little over two hours to get them back to the mainland. Noah had tipped the man directing cars to let him have the last place in the corner—where he would have an unimpeded view of anyone trying to approach their vehicle. After turning off the engine, he faced her.
“Is that all of it?”
“Pretty much…”
“All of it, Zara,” he grumbled menacingly.
“It’s nothing I know for sure…”
“You have good instincts. Let’s hear it.”
“It’s just that none of this makes any sense unless there is something big happening… like 9/11… something of that size. Nothing goes on in global arms dealing without Fariq being a direct part of it or with at least his tacit agreement. And the guy who coordinates that? Some shadowy figure he’s grooming to take over. Now we know that figure is Reid.”
“But why?”
“That I don’t know… maybe he was radicalized when he was in school, or maybe he just wants the kind of power and money Fariq has. We don’t know that for sure. But where does Springer fit in?”
“My guess is he planned to use Finn against Reid. And Fariq is just sitting back to see who comes out on top. If Reid can’t handle a thug like Springer, he’d never be able to hold Fariq’s organization together.”
Zara nodded.
“We may not have enough to take to the authorities and have him arrested, but we know enough to safeguard ourselves and move against him.”
“Or maybe you just let them go and stay safe.”
“They sent a hit team after you in London, and they had a sniper in Mykonos. You can’t hide forever, and my guess is Finn isn’t safe either. No, we need to take them down or at least cripple them, so they are no longer a threat.”
“Do you think you’re the first people to try to take Fariq on?”
“No, but we’re the ones who don’t have to play by the rules. Fariq took on the wrong set of men and damn sure came after the wrong women. We’ve always prided ourselves on just getting the job done and letting law enforcement worry about bringing them to justice. The flip side of that is you screw with us, and we won’t wait for law enforcement to take you down. We’ll come after you with everything we’ve got. It’s part of why we can do what we do so effectively.”
Before the conversation could continue, the phone rang again.
“Taylor.”
“Noah, it’s Thom. Are you guys on the ferry?”
“Yeah. What have you got for me?”
“We have a man who is going to pick up your vehicle on the ferry and turn it in for you. There will be a car waiting to take you to a private airport outside of Athens. They’ll fly you into Monaco. We have an old fishing cottage outside town that should work well. I’m headed there to finish up the communications setup and general security.”
“But it’s private and secure, right?” Noah asked.
“Yes, very, but also very defensible.”
“So, you’ll be there and gone before we arrive?”
“No, is there an issue?”
“I just need some time alone with Zara. We have a few things to iron out.”
Zara was listening to the conversation and didn’t like the sound of that. The muscles in her ass and her pussy tighten for the same reason. She had no doubt Noah intended to turn her ass a deep shade of red before he worked her pussy over with his cock. One she dreaded and one, God help her, she wanted more than life itself. She needed to feel him mount her, thrusting in and out and filling her in a way no one had ever done.
“What I’m going to do is just finish work and fine-tuning. The majority of the security system work has already been done. I was planning to get there later today, but I can come tomorrow afternoon if you’d prefer,” Thom said.
“That sounds good.”
“If he doesn’t think it’s secure…” Zara started.
“We can change our flight plan and head back to Wales. I’d rather we go to ground quicker than that, but if you prefer Wales…”
Thom laughed on the other end of the line. “I’ll leave that to you two. Let me know if I need to make other plans. Otherwise, I’ll see you late in the day tomorrow. Why don’t you send me a list of things you need once you figure it out—you know pantry items, extra pillows…”
Zara reached up and punched the button, cutting off the conversation.
“Does it bother you at all that I’ll never be able to look this guy in the face and not be absolutely mortified?”
“Why? Because he knows you answer to me? Trust me, it’s no different from what he sees every day. And at some point, I’m hoping he’ll take a certain blonde pilot in hand. We don’t try to rub anyone’s nose in it, but we’re a small, tight-knit family, and there are very few secrets. But you do get points for thinking about seeing Thom in the future.”