Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(45)

“Good,” he said, trying to cover up the fact that hearing those words gave him a sense of satisfaction they shouldn’t. He should be pleased because a woman in love was so much easier to deal with. She would turn to her lover when the going got rough. Oh, he had no illusions she would choose him over her family, but he might get some play out of her emotional state.

Or he could soak it in and enjoy her for every second they had left. He could bask in her warmth and pretend it was all real since he wouldn’t find anyone like her ever again. He could move her into his place and play house, pretending for the next few weeks that they were exactly what they appeared to be—a couple finding their way, learning each other because they were invested in their relationship.

He could let everyone else worry about recon and intel, and he could spend all his time sinking into her, bonding her to him.

A tempting thought, but he wasn’t the kind of man who let his fellow operatives do all the work.

Don’t trust anyone but your brother and your sister, Tennessee. Not even a partner. Definitely not a woman. It’s fine to enjoy one, but that’s not how your life is going to go. They’ll always turn on you. It’s the way of our world.

His adopted father had practically beaten those words into him. Not physically, but he’d said them enough that they should have been ingrained in Ten’s brain. He was simply far stupider than Franklin Grant gave him credit for.

“Are you with us?” Ferguson asked, his eyes narrowing. “Do you need to talk about something?”

Where the hell was Tag when he needed him? A good punch in the face might force him to focus. This was all Faith’s doing, but he would put it on a proper footing tonight. He would be the Master. “I’m fine. Markovic, did you learn anything?”

The big Russian looked perfectly comfortable in a set of leathers. There was a woman at his feet as well, a lovely brunette. She wore an emerald green corset and killer stilettos. He tried to remember her name. Desiree Brooks. It was a porn star name for an MI6 agent, but according to all the reports on her she was quite deadly. She looked happy to be hanging on to the Russian’s leather-clad leg.

“Is there a reason MI6 is here?” Ten asked.

Theo looked down at the woman. “She’s MI6?”

Markovic shook his head. “She is with us now.”

“I decided it was time to leave the service,” the woman replied in a quiet British accent. Not too upper-crust. There was a bit of the country in her. “I came over to bring the boss some information on a few ops we have running and Nick decided he needed a girl for the night. He’s worried his beauty will drive all the women insane.”

The Russian shrugged. “They have never seen such a man before. I cannot be loving them all, so it’s better they think I am unavailable. As to your problems, I do not believe the assassin was working for the Odessa mafia.”

“What do you mean?” He thought this had been established. He simply wanted to know why they were after Faith.

He’d been almost relieved. If Faith was dirty, he couldn’t really hurt her. If Faith was a criminal, he wouldn’t have her on his conscience for the rest of time.

“My contacts tell me Kozak has not been an active member for a long time. He’s been in hiding and working independently.”

“So he was affiliated with the Ukrainians but the mafia wasn’t paying the bills?” Theo asked.

“That’s what Taggart’s contacts claim as well,” Knight stated. “There’s no order from any of the usual suspects. I can’t find a syndicate that wants her dead. I’m looking into some of her contacts in Africa, but that’s going to take a bit more time.”

“Who would want her dead if she’s not disrupting a criminal practice?” He said the question aloud, but it was more to himself. His mind was whirling, working through the problem. He needed to check into the land her clinic was built on. It was possible someone was trying to eliminate a problem and ease the way for their own profit. Money tended to be at the heart of most crime. Money or passion. “We looked into the ex-boyfriend. Are we sure he’s the only one?”

“She was with him throughout the last part of her residency,” Theo replied. “There were a few lovers while she was in med school according to Erin, but nothing serious. She got into the lifestyle during college and seems to use it almost as stress relief.”

Theo wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. “I’m more interested in her business. This smells like money to me. From what I can tell, Faith hasn’t been very passionate about anything except her job.”

Up to this point. She seemed fairly passionate about him. He couldn’t forget the way she’d come to him the night before, offering affection and kindness.

Shit. He wanted to believe she was real.

“That doesn’t mean someone wasn’t passionate about her,” Penny said.

Now that he could see. He could certainly understand someone getting obsessed with her beauty and grace. “Look into everyone in her background again. And I want a close eye kept on the sister. Do we have eyes on the senator?”

Knight nodded. “One of my men is working with Michael Malone. They’re in DC at the moment, but that could change. The senator has a private jet. It can be difficult to follow him if he decides to leave spontaneously. So far all we’ve got on him is that he visits a woman in a DuPont Circle condo twice a month.”