“For Nor, I mean,” she added hastily.
Nor.
Sweet little Nor.
Poor kid.
Killam shoved his hands in his pockets.
“She won’t get in trouble, will she?” Ivy asked.
“I doubt he’ll even miss it.”
Ivy was a better human than he was. In her shoes he’d have trashed the robe, not given it to a love-sick girl destined to get her heart broken. But not Ivy. Even behind enemy lines she was thinking about others. When had he stopped doing the same thing? There’d been a point in time when he was like her, but he’d been doing this job for far too long.
Maybe it was time for a break. But first, he’d get this job done and Ivy home.
MONDAY. JABIR AL SAUD’S Home. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zak Samaan sipped from his glass as he surveyed the party. It was on the subdued side for a Jabir event, but it was still early. Only the inner circle of friends was present yet.
“Well?” Miran, his cousin, sidled up to him.
“Yousef said the money wasn’t ready.”
“What?”
Zak held up his hand. “Tonight.”
“This is cutting it close. We can’t screw up this job. It’s our in.”
“I know that,” Zak snapped.
He was very aware that this job could be their meal ticket. For a decade Zak and Miran had fostered relationships, built contacts, created their own little power structure with people everywhere. All to this end.
They’d be taken care of if they did this deal. Zak knew it. No more stroking the egos of men like Prince Jabir al Saud. No, people would be lining up to stroke Zak.
Miran passed Zak two small vials.
He stared at them in surprise.
“There were extras,” was all Miran said.
Zak grinned.
They were going to party tonight.
MONDAY. JABIR AL SAUD’S Home. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ivy shut the doors to the women’s wing behind her and breathed a little easier.
Her head was so jumbled with this job and she was on edge.
A little alone time would be good for her.
She climbed the stairs to her room and stashed the robe under her pillows to give to Nor later.
Ivy was conflicted about the robe. The gift would make Nor happy, but on the other hand Ivy was encouraging an unhealthy infatuation. What was the right thing to do? Destroy a woman’s dream? Or encourage a bad idea? At least Nor seemed to understand her position.
Better than Ivy did, that was for sure.
Killam wasn’t that much different than she’d expected him to be. He resented that he had to work with her.
No, he didn’t resent her. That was too strong of a word. He didn’t like having her here. But he did work with her. So long as that remained true, things would be fine.
Her, on the other hand, was a different manner.
Killam certainly didn’t like her calling him Piers. The name didn’t fit him. Killam was better, and in her head that’s what she called him. She was going to keep calling him Piers for now. Needling him was one of her few amusements.
Ivy grabbed her phone out from under her pillow.
What she needed was someone she could talk to. Someone who would understand her.
She stuck her head out of the room and peered down below, but she was still alone. Satisfied, she closed the door and leaned against it while she sent out a message in her chat group.
Ivy: Anyone around?
Ivy: Could use some f2f time.
There were nine chat group members. All of them worked for Aegis Group. No one could understand what Ivy was going through better than these women.
Her phone chimed with not one message, but two.
Haley: What’s up?
Merida: Anything for you, <3
Ivy could have wept with relief.
She glanced around, then decided the bathroom would offer one more layer of privacy. Ducking in there, she shut the door then sat on the fluffy bathmat with her back to the vanity and took a deep breath.
She couldn’t tell them specifics, but these were her girls. The people she could rely on.
Ivy hit the video chat button.
Almost immediately two windows divided her screen along with her preview frame. Both frames were dim.
“Oh, my God. What time is it there?” Ivy pressed a hand to her head. What had she been thinking?
Merida squinted off screen. She was still in a blouse, but her hair was up. “It’s midnight-ish.”
Haley snorted. “Heavy on the ish. It’s almost one.”
“Don’t remind me,” Merida groaned. “Are you on the west coast this weekend, Haley?”
Haley sighed. “Yeah, not that it’s a fun trip.”
“I am so sorry,” Ivy said.
They were ten hours behind her. She knew that.
“Don’t be.” Merida blew out a breath and shifted, sinking down into a plush sofa.
“Did you finally get new furniture?” Ivy asked.
Merida grinned. “Yup. We settled. Finally.”
“Big steps,” Haley said in a sing-song voice.
Ivy sighed, happy for her friend. Merida had nursed the biggest crush on her neighbor and friend for years. Over Christmas everything had changed. Merida still wouldn’t answer all their questions. Somehow her relationship was tied up in their old headquarters getting blown up.
That was Aegis Group. Every day a new explosion.
“Why are you awake?” Merida frowned at the screen.
“Me?” Ivy blinked.
“No, Haley.”
Haley groaned. “Kiddo is puking up her guts. I just got us both cleaned up. She’s passed out in my bed.”
“Haley,” Merida said, her voice taking on that tone. The one that said someone was in trouble.
“Don’t Haley me. She was sick. Her nanny can’t pick her up anymore. I’m in the adjoining room, not Ivana. It was just easier if I handled it.”
Ivy bit her cheek.
It was rough working for families. They got sucked into the dynamics and it was easy to feel part of something. In reality they were accessories, easily discarded or upgraded.
Haley’s position was more complicated yet. She’d been hired to protect a client’s daughter as a live-in bodyguard. The problems had begun with Haley falling in love with the kid. None of them could talk sense into Haley, and Ivy was still smarting from being let go herself to tackle it rationally.
“Fine.” Merida turned her head a tiny bit, dismissing Haley’s stubbornness. “What’s up, Poison Ivy?”
“Oh man.” She sighed.
“Where the hell are you?” Haley asked before catching herself. “Never mind. I didn’t ask that.”
“I don’t even know,” Merida offered.
“Wow. Shit,” Haley muttered.
“Where do I start?” Ivy propped her elbow on her knee and considered her words carefully. “I guess most of all I’m struggling with who I’m working with.”
“Company guy or someone else?” Haley asked then hurriedly added, “Can I even ask that?”
“It’s not a company guy.” Ivy saw no harm in telling them that much. “God, guys, we have chemistry but he’s a total Han Solo type, does not play well with others. I feel like half of this job is dealing with him.”
Haley barked a laugh. “Does that sound familiar.”
Ivy chuckled. They’d all seen glimpses of Haley’s employer over the last few years. The man was hot with the most adorable kid. Ivy did not envy Haley’s precarious position.
Merida hummed before speaking. “What are you asking for?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’m not really asking for anything. I’m just venting that I’m working with someone so infuriating I want to knock his head off half the time.”
Haley snickered. “And the rest of the time you want to fuck him?”
Ivy huffed, and for half a second she was going to deny it. But what wa
s the point? These women would never meet Killam and the whole point of these girlfriends was so they could be honest with each other.
She nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I might not want to admit it, but he’s really good looking in every way I hate.”
Haley was practically giddy. “Oh, so he’s a total bad-boy vibe?”
“You two need to get laid,” Merida said.
“Thanks for rubbing it in,” Haley said dryly.
Merida just smiled.
“Is this a long-term job, or something short?” Haley asked.
“Short, hopefully.” Ivy prayed that it didn’t drag out. She wasn’t sure she could handle it.
“Then fuck him,” Haley said.
“I’m not hearing this,” Merida muttered.
Ivy considered the advice. It would just be sex. Working it out. “Maybe when this is wrapping up. I just don’t see it being a good idea right now.”
Haley sighed and glanced away. “You are the smart one.”
Almost all of them had tried to talk Haley into giving up this contract and moving on. But none of them had been successful. Haley loved her charge, and that emotional tie was strong enough to bind her there until she was fired. No matter how much she was taken advantage of.
“I have to run. I think kiddo’s going to be sick again.” Haley’s screen shifted as she began to move.
“Hope you get some rest,” Ivy said.
“Night,” Merida chimed in.
Haley’s screen went dark then disappeared, allowing Merida’s image to fill Ivy’s phone.
“How you really doing?” Merida asked.
“How much do you know?”
“Nothing, really. Logan called, wanted to know what you were doing, and Zain took over.”
“I think it's best if that’s all you know.” Ivy smiled, but didn’t feel it.
“Whatever he’s got you involved with, you can always come home,” Merida said.
Ivy had no doubt that if she wanted to leave today, her Aegis Group family would move the heavens to get to her. But then the job would be left undone.
“No. No, I’m good,” she said. “I just needed to see my friends and vent a little.”
“Well, we are good for that.” Merida hid a yawn.
“Go to bed. Give that fiancé of yours a kiss for me.”
“Not a chance,” Merida snapped.
Ivy laughed and wiggled her fingers before ending the call.
She didn’t feel much lighter, but at least she didn’t feel alone.
MONDAY. JOE’S BAR. New York City, New York.
Nasar sat in his car staring at the rundown bar in a suburb of the city.
For almost ten years he’d been working toward this moment. And now it was here.
He was going to get to face the man responsible for killing his family.
Nasar knew he couldn’t act on that knowledge. If he did, it would jeopardize everything he’d worked toward. But he still wanted to see the man. To look him in the eye. Of course that was all Nasar could do. It was still worth it.
Ten years ago his family had died in a drone strike. It had been an accident. That’s what everyone said.
Bad information had wrecked his life. So he’d set out to learn the truth.
It had been a slow journey. For the first few years it was all he could do to keep going. But he’d found a crumb. Following that lead, greasing a few palms, had led him halfway around the world to this moment and this man.
Daniel Smith.
Such an unassuming name for the man who’d killed Nasar’s family.
He got out of the car.
It was hard to breathe with all the pain weighing him down, but he managed to put one foot in front of the other, all the way to the doors of the bar.
He knew this might not go well. He was a brown man in a predominantly white suburb. But he couldn’t turn back. This was the one place he knew he could find Daniel Smith and speak to him without raising too much suspicion.
Nasar stepped inside and paused while his sight adjusted to the dim light.
The crack of pool balls hitting each other made him flinch. Laughter eased him and he picked up the strains of some pop station on the radio.
It was early, so the place wasn’t full.
Daniel Smith stood out in this crowd.
He was a big man sitting hunched over the bar nursing a beer. He was alone which suited Nasar just fine.
Time to make his move.
Nasar crossed to the bar and sat with one stool between them. He peered around the space before openly looking at Daniel while the bartender made his way toward them.
“Afternoon,” Nasar said.
Daniel glanced his way and gave him a single nod. “Afternoon.”
Nasar ordered a beer on tap with no intention of drinking it.
He accepted the drink, staring at the frothy white layer on top for several moments.
What did he say?
Nothing he’d thought of until now made sense.
How did one begin to talk to the man responsible for killing everyone you cared about?
“Whatever answers you’re looking for, you won’t find them there.” Daniel’s voice was a soothing rumble amidst the storm of Nasar’s thoughts.
Odd that it would be the murderer who calmed him.
He glanced up at Daniel. “Doesn’t hurt to look.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He took a pull from the bottle in front of him.
Nasar’s gaze went to Daniel’s bicep. His shirt sleeve rode up revealing a tattoo of shredded flesh with the Air Force logo underneath in steel gray tones.
“You served,” Nasar said, leaping on the opportunity handed to him.
Daniel nodded. “Yeah.”
For a few moments they said nothing, then Daniel spoke again. “Were you...?”
Nasar inhaled then glanced at Daniel. He’d known so many men like him. “I was a translator. I worked for you. Not you, but—”
“Yeah, I get you.”
“What did you do?” Nasar asked, already knowing the answer.
Daniel had been a drone pilot.
“Oh, I’m just a mechanic.”
Nasar blinked.
That wasn’t right.
The documents he’d seen said Daniel Smith was eight years retired. And a drone pilot.
Nasar took a drink to hide his confusion.
“You guys who saw the gnarly stuff on the front lines. You’re some brave souls. I never was that brave,” Daniel said more to himself than out loud.
Was he telling the truth? Or was this a lie? Some cover story?
Nasar had walked in here prepared to swap stories about those years, hear about the number of kills Daniel had under his belt. Instead, the man Nasar had come to meet was something else entirely.
What the hell?
His phone rang, saving him from the spiral of questions.
He excused himself, threw a ten on the bar and ducked outside.
Was it possible Daniel was the drone pilot? Or had someone lied to him?
Nasar couldn’t say for certain which it was. In this world, everyone lied to get ahead or push their agenda.
He needed to ask more questions. He needed to find out for himself how he’d gotten here. Somewhere in all the crumbs was an answer he hadn’t seen yet. And maybe that would be the missing piece.
Nasar prayed that would be the end of this, that he could put it to rest. His family deserved as much.
8.
Monday. Jabir al Saud’s Home. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Killam reclined back on the lounge in the cool room. Jabir was too amped up for any kind of a late-afternoon nap, as was his habit. So he’d invited Killam, the cousins and two others back to his private living room. Killam had accepted so he could stay close to Jabir. Given the phone call Killam had made earlier, the closer he appeared to Jabir the better.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, willfully ignoring the sounds and smells coming from the bar.
> The so-called water delivery must have been Jabir’s drug dealer. While Jabir was generous with what he had, he normally wasn’t this free. At least Killam hoped that’s what the delivery was about. Jabir was very good at keeping his two lives separate. Killam had to hand it to the guy, he was irritatingly consistent.
One thing was for certain. Tonight was going to be a rager.
Killam wished he could warn Ivy or ensure she’d be restricted to the women’s wing of the house. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea of her being part of this crowd tonight. There was just something in the air. Something that had Killam on edge.
He blew out a breath.
It was also very likely he was stressing about nothing. Ivy’s presence alone had him off-kilter to the point he was questioning his instincts. He didn’t work with a partner. This wasn’t natural. And yet here he was.
“Killam. Killam,” Jabir called out.
Killam lifted his head and looked across the lounge to where Jabir was leaning over the bar. He had a cigar in one hand and was pointing it at Killam.
“You are a badass,” Jabir proclaimed.
“You’re too kind,” Killam said.
Jabir howled as if Killam had said something funny.
“When are we going to get to see these cars?” Zak asked, glancing between Jabir and Killam.
He grit his teeth. No part of him wanted to humor these guys.
“Never,” Jabir said. “You can’t drive what you can’t afford.”
Killam winced.
The cousins merely threw back their heads and laughed.
Jabir planted his hands on the bar, then crawled over it. Something crashed to the floor.
Great.
He managed to clamber over the bar and down a barstool instead of simply walking around. Killam sat up, prepared for anything. Instead, Jabir plopped down on the chaise with him and slung an arm around Killam’s shoulders.
“You’re a good friend. A real good friend,” Jabir muttered.
This close Killam could see how blown out Jabir’s irises were and smell the alcohol on him.
He slapped Jabir on the shoulder. “You’ve always treated me well.”
So long as no one harshed his vibe, Jabir was a rather happy drunk. He didn’t tend to get paranoid, either. Killam hoped the cousins were sober enough to keep control of their tongues.
Necessary Risk (Aegis Group Task Force Book 4) Page 10