Love and Let Die (Masters and Mercenaries #5)(96)

Simon stopped at their aisle, looking to Ian. “Everything is in place.”

“And the office?”

“Is closed for the week. I sent Phoebe home, and she’s going to work from there until we decide it’s safe.”

“She probably threw a party,” Ian muttered.

“She cried. She cries a lot,” Simon said with a sigh.

Jesse frowned as he took a seat at the back. “She’s just a little sensitive. You should try being nicer to her.”

“So everyone is off then?” A new voice filled the space, and Charlie turned to see a large man with golden brown hair and green eyes standing in the aisle. He was wearing jeans and a black T-shirt that molded to his broad shoulders and muscular chest.

Ian glanced up at the newcomer. “Everyone who’s alive.”

He’d asked her to keep up the illusion that Avery was gone.

The newcomer shrugged a little. He leaned forward, moving in close to Ian. “I’ll believe that when I see it.” Had she not been sitting so near, she wouldn’t have heard him. “I know Adam’s work when I see it. If you need anything, I’m here for you.”

Ian’s eyes tightened. “I’ll let the Agency know. Ten, this is Charlotte Dennis. Charlie, this is Tennessee Smith. I hope you’re still using your real name. Has the Agency forced you to join the color scheme of aliases yet?”

An “aw shucks” grin came over the man’s face. “Naw, you know I think those Agency names are a little silly. I know we’re supposed to hide our real names, but I’ll just kill anyone I need to and it’ll be fine.” He reached out for her hand, drawing it up to his lips in a gallant gesture. “Not that I’m a killer, darlin’. I’m really more of a lover. Charlie, is it?”

Ian reached over and grabbed her hand out of Ten’s. “Not to you. She’s Mrs. Taggart to you."

He pulled her hand back, but didn’t let it go. She threaded her fingers through his.

Ten’s handsome jaw dropped open. “The dead one?”

A shit-eating grin lit Ian’s face, and he brought her hand to his lips, brushing them across her knuckles. “Guess you don’t know everything, do you? And if I hear you calling her Charlie, I’ll strangle you.”

Ten sat down across from Ian, his big body taking up the chair. “Well, I like my natural coloring. Zhukov still looks blue, by the way. He’s also become decidedly chatty.”

Charlie could imagine what had loosened his lips. His time with Ian would almost certainly have warmed him up. “Did he admit that I wasn’t supposed to be his only victim?”

“He’s already admitted that the entire McKay-Taggart team was on the list. Though they had left off the new kid. He was real disappointed about that. Apparently not being on a hit list makes him feel like he’s not on the team.”

“It’s rude,” Jesse said from the back. “I’m just as dangerous as the rest of you.”

“I’ll kill you myself if it makes you feel better.” Simon took his seat.

Jesse shrugged. “I just think it was rude for them not to include me, that’s all.”

Ten frowned, his grin disappearing. “The fourteen people on that list included your niece.”

Ian’s hand tightened slightly on her own, the only acknowledgment that he’d heard what Ten said. “What does the Agency know about Nelson’s recent activities?”

Ten crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ve placed him in Russia and a couple of places in India. Since you shut down his last enterprise, he’s been moving quite a bit.”

“What are his ties to the Denisovitch syndicate?”

Ten hesitated, his eyes looking around the cabin.

Ian shook his head. “We made a deal, Ten.”

“Is she really The Broker?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ian replied.

How much had he given up to keep her out of the Agency’s hands?

She kept her mouth shut. There was no way she was going to push him. Her ass was already sore.

Damon Knight walked out of the cockpit. “You know who she is and you also know that he’s not going to admit to anything, so you might as well not try. I’ll be honest, I suspect the younger one, too, but he put her in the deal so we can’t have either one of them.”

He’d protected her sister? Even Chelsea turned, staring at Ian for a moment.

“The Broker is done,” Ian said with a grim finality. “You don’t have to worry about that particular problem again. Now, part of my deal with the big bosses was that you would give me full disclosure on Nelson, so start talking.” He dropped her hand, his body closing off from her.

Nelson was still between them. She fought to keep a smile on her face. No matter how close they seemed when he was making love to her, there was still a gulf there, keeping them apart.

Patience. It had always been her downfall, but she was determined to remain patient this time.

“Fine,” Ten finally said. “From what we can tell, Nelson’s ties to Mikhail Denisovitch go back four and a half years. We have a man in a friendly syndicate. As friendly as syndicates can be. He says Nelson started meeting with the heads of the syndicates after he claimed to have evidence against your wife in the murder of her father.”