Love and Let Die (Masters and Mercenaries #5)(68)

“But you’re quite effective at other work. You could be very valuable to someone like Nelson. Or someone like Taggart.”

She laughed a little. “You can’t imagine that I’ve been working for Ian all these years. He had no idea I was alive. I think that’s funny since you and your partner obviously did.”

An innocent look came over Baz’s face. It was a handsome face, but there was something dark about the man. “Now, I’m deeply offended. I assure you if Damon had known that Ian Taggart’s long lost wife was alive and well, he would have contacted the man. He’s very loyal when it comes to his friends. No, we’ve only known you as The Broker. We started to suspect The Broker was a woman last year when a million dollars stolen from the Taliban showed up in a fund for educating women in Afghanistan.”

That had totally been Charlie’s idea. It had been a fun day all around. “I’m a feminist.”

“You’re an anarchist,” Baz retorted, but there was very little judgment in his tone. “And you’re playing with fire. If your ‘clients’ ever figured out that you play them against each other, you’ll have more than your uncle and Eli Nelson out to kill you.”

A girl had to have a hobby. Hers just happened to be causing chaos for some of the world’s worst terrorists and criminals. It was fun. “I tend to be very careful about who I do business with.”

Chelsea usually had a deft hand about not getting caught with her fingers in the cookie jar. Which was good because the cookie jar was probably rigged with explosives.

“But you really got on our radar a year ago. We had an operative in one of the terrorist cells you did some work for.”

A little smile crossed her face. She’d enjoyed that little side project. “Sorry. I shut that down faster than your operative could. He was slow.”

They had received information about a cell working to strike at several of Europe’s public transportation systems in a coordinated effort to topple the economy. She kind of liked Europe. It was really hard to plan an operation like that when all the money disappeared.

“Our operative was working his way up the food chain. You blew the whole thing right out of the water. The cell turned on each other. Our operative watched while they accused each other of taking it. He was accused as well. He barely made it out alive.”

So they had multiple reasons for disliking her. She’d upset their plans. “I wasn’t in on the MI6 project. I simply saw a problem and I solved it. They were planning on releasing sarin gas into the air filtration systems of the undergrounds in London, Berlin, Paris, and Rome. They were ready to buy the gas. Your operative was too slow. I wasn’t willing to risk a couple hundred thousand people and the European economy because your guy wanted to move up. I also think you’ll find that I tipped off the cell’s plans to the Agency.”

His jaw firmed. “Yes, they didn’t mind holding that over our heads. Might I ask why you didn’t come directly to us?”

“I consider myself to be American.” She was her mother’s daughter, and her mother was from California. She’d always wanted to go home, but had settled her daughters on the East Coast in an attempt to hide from their father. He’d still found them.

“You were born in Moscow.”

“But I was happy here. My mother was American. I gave up my Russian citizenship, or I would if I could actually show my face at a government office. I send bits and pieces along to the Agency from time to time and they dispense it as they see fit. But Ian has nothing to do with that. He’s spent the last couple of years working strictly for himself.”

Baz’s eyes narrowed. “Not only for himself. He’s still in good with the Agency. He wouldn’t have been able to do all that work in England without having a few good contacts. Damon is high on him.”

She wasn’t sure she trusted Damon Knight. “He didn’t seem real high on Ian back at Alex’s. He seemed pretty pissed when Ian had a gun on him.”

“Ian only got the drop on him because Simon was following us. Bloody bastard. Otherwise you would be on your way out of the country.” He sat up, straightening his shirt. “Aren’t you tired of running?”

That was a dumb question. “Of course I’m tired.”

Baz sent a little look behind him, glancing into the kitchen. A laugh boomed from the neatly appointed room. At least Ian found something amusing. The British agent turned back, leaning in. “What if you didn’t have to run anymore? What if you could settle down with all the money you’ve made and find a place where a woman of your talents could, shall we say, excel?”

“What are you trying to say?” If he was going to make an offer, she would rather he just came out and said it. Because the truth was she was tired. The thought of running again made her violently ill, but if she managed to get out of this situation, she would have to do it. She would have to take Chelsea and hide somewhere, and then they would hide somewhere else, and so on and so on until they were caught and killed or managed to make it to old age. She’d made her play for Ian and she’d lost, and she had no real idea what she should do next.

“I’m trying to say that you could do well for yourself. We’re not all like the Agency. Not all organizations will use you and dump you. Some organizations would do much to be able to properly use all your talents.”