Love and Let Die (Masters and Mercenaries #5)(97)

Charlie shrugged at that. “Of course he had evidence. He’s the one I hired to kill the bastard. I’m sure he didn’t mention that to my uncle.”

“No, I’m sure he left that bit out,” Knight said. “So the question becomes what is Nelson doing in India? I understand why he would spend so much time in Russia. He’s doing some of the syndicate’s dirty work.”

Ten looked up at the MI6 agent. “Why would he be working with Dusan? Tell me something, Charlotte, what does your cousin do and why would he need someone of Nelson’s talents?”

Charlie shrugged a little. “He wouldn’t unless a whole lot has changed. Dusan wasn’t my father’s favorite. He put up with him because he was his brother’s kid, but he thought Dusan wasn’t loyal enough. He wanted to go to college. My dad wasn’t big on the whole scholarship thing when it came to his soldiers.”

“He liked them dumb and loyal, huh?” Knight asked.

Charlie nodded. “Yes.” Dusan was actually one of the only cousins she could stand to be around for more than three minutes. “He didn’t have a high profile when I was living in Russia. My uncle must have put him in charge of a group after I got out. You said he was working the pipeline?”

Ian nodded. “That’s what we’ve figured out. They steal crude straight from the pipeline.”

She knew how the scam worked. “But they would need a finger man. Uhm, a man who works for the oil company who can tell them when the coast is clear, so to speak. The government has been trying to crack down on that kind of thing. Most of the oil companies take security seriously, so he would have to have someone on the inside or he would have to be negotiating with someone who was already there. It’s how they dealt with all the hijacking stuff.”

Chelsea popped up over Charlie’s seatback. “Our father particularly enjoyed hijacking aid and relief packages. He stole everything from antimalarials to AIDS drugs to vaccines for babies. He would sell them on the black market. Such a lovely man.”

Baz was suddenly behind Knight. “We’ve got the go-ahead. If we’re all here, I’m ready to take off.”

Knight nodded, turning away.

“Give it another minute or two. We have one more passenger.” Simon glanced out the window to his right. “Here he comes now.”

Ian stood. “What the hell? Did the Agency send someone else?”

“Nope. I have no idea who it is.” Ten held his hands up. “As far as I know, I’m on my own.”

“You might be, but Tag is not,” Simon said as a shadow fell over the front of the plane.

A man entered, the sun behind him making it hard to see him for a moment.

Sean Taggart had a duffel bag in one hand and a ball cap on his head. “I have my knife kit. If it gets taken by some security f*ckers, you’re buying me a new one, brother.”

Sean had come for his brother. She couldn’t help but love him for it. The fact that Ian would have backup that he absolutely, one hundred percent trusted warmed her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ian sent a terrific frown his brother’s way. “You’re supposed to be watching out for Grace and your daughter.”

Sean sobered. “Grace and Carys are perfectly safe and you know it.” He was tight-lipped as he looked around the cabin. He obviously wasn’t going to talk freely until he and his brother were alone. “And someone has to watch out for you.”

“In the back. Now.” Ian looked down at her. “Don’t you move.”

She glanced around the small cabin. “Where would I go?”

“We leave in five minutes, Taggart. You should get your family situation sorted,” Baz said before disappearing back into the cockpit.

Ian stalked off followed by his brother. Charlie was left with Ten.

“Now, darlin’,” he said, switching to sit next to her. “Whatever are we going to do on this very long flight?”

“Tag is going to kill you,” Knight said with a shake of his head as he left to join his partner.

Gorgeous lips turned down in a sulky frown. Tennessee Smith likely wouldn’t have to kill often. He would just seduce the information out of his victims. “It might be worth it. Besides, I’m not so bad myself. Don’t discount me just because the packaging is so damn pretty. Maybe I can take Tag down. I’m just wondering why he would hide such a lovely wife. I wouldn’t hide you, honey. You were obviously meant to be shown off.”

“Ian didn’t hide me. I faked my own death and then spent the next five years working my way back to him. He’s my Master and my husband, and if you think I won’t shoot your balls off if you try to touch me, then you haven’t worked up a proper profile on me.” She gave him a smile and couldn’t miss the fact that Simon was covering a laugh.

Ten might be gorgeous, but he had nothing on Ian.

“You can’t blame a guy for trying. It’s a long flight and I don’t read magazines.” He turned his chair around. “How about you, sweetheart? Why don’t you come sit on old Ten’s lap and we can talk about all the things we can do at thirty thousand feet.”

“Touch her and I’ll kill you,” Simon said. “If you need some relief, Yank, I suggest you have a wank in the loo.”

Chelsea faced forward in her seat, her shoulders up around her ears.