The Freedom Broker (Thea Paris #1)(63)

The receiving line surged forward, and people anxious to rub Buddha’s belly nudged her out of the way. She headed for the back of the room to find a better vantage point.

In direct contrast to the colorfully clothed Africans, the Chinese contingent wore all black, tuxedos for the men, a floor-length evening gown that clung to the lone woman’s svelte figure. Her jet-black hair contrasted with her pale complexion and red lipstick for dramatic effect. Thea recognized Quan Xi-Ping—and her brother, Chi—from Christos’s party. They would be the main negotiators on behalf of the Chinese National Oil Company, bringing more than twenty-five years of combined experience to the table.

Chi was reputed to be a genius with logistics, while his stunning sister was the “closer,” a woman who didn’t take no for an answer. The general held her hand to his lips for an endless moment, as if transfixed by her loveliness.

A strong hand grabbed Thea’s arm. Rif. There were storm clouds in his eyes. “Next time I shower, I’ll handcuff you to the sink.”

“I had errands to run. As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

“Men attacked us in Santorini, our plane crashed, and we’re about to start negotiations for a billion-dollar commodity in a war-torn country. You need to be extra careful.”

Genuine concern had replaced his anger. He was right. She’d been irresponsible, unfair. “I’m sorry. I’m so used to traveling alone, I rarely think about it.”

“I have no interest in being Big Brother . . .” He stared across the Livingstone Room as Nikos entered, decked out in a designer tux. “But now that I see yours is here, I’ll leave you to the family reunion.”

She strode toward her brother and hugged him.

He returned her hug, hard. “I heard about the plane crash from Peter. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Let’s talk about you. All the hotels in all the towns in all the world, you walk in here?”

He smiled. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

Her playful tone changed to one of concern. “What’s going on, Nikos?”

“I was rude to you in Santorini. I’m sorry I lost my temper. To make it up to you, I wanted to offer my support. With Father missing in action, you shouldn’t have to face everything alone.”

“Thank you. I wanted to do whatever I could to support Peter and Ahmed in the negotiations—and I sense there’s a connection here to Papa’s kidnapping.”

“I’ve come across the Quan family before. They don’t play fair.”

Papa would be aghast if he knew Nikos was here. Still, maybe this situation could mend fences in their family.

“I had a meeting canceled in South Africa. Being close seemed like kismet.” Her brother’s expression was earnest, beseeching.

General Jemwa headed straight for them with the Chinese siblings in tow. Nikos was about to come face-to-face with his kidnapper. How would he react? She braced herself for an explosion. Her brother had a terrible temper. She’d witnessed it more than once over the years and had a scar to prove it.

“Ms. Paris, good to see you again. We can arrange for that steak you wanted tonight. And look who’s here, the brother I rescued from that horrid warlord many years ago.” Jemwa turned to Xi-Ping and Chi. “Did you know about Nikos’s kidnapping?”

“Maybe we should discuss the reason we’re all here. I understand we’ll have an early start in the morning.” Thea wanted to avert her brother’s infamous temper. Things were tense enough.

But Nikos surprised her. He merely gave Jemwa a curt, emotionless nod. “That’s okay, Thea; if the general wants accolades about his heroism, he’s welcome to share my tale of woe.”

Chi gave Nikos a cold look. “Well, the general won’t be reflecting on your shared history at the bargaining table.”

Nikos smiled. “If I were worried about Paris Industries’ competition, it wouldn’t be because of you. I crossed paths with Xi-Ping a few years ago when I imported goods into China. She’s a ferocious negotiator.”

Chi had a flat affect. “It’ll be me you’ll see in action. My sister is just window-dressing.”

Yikes, what a sexist! Xi-Ping stared at Chi in an unsettling way.

Thea ached to get away from the siblings—and to separate Nikos from General Jemwa, in case the situation soured. “General, would you like to join me for a drink with the prime minister? I see he’s finished the receiving line.”

“Of course.”

A subtle spark in the general’s eyes told her that Kimweri wasn’t the giant’s favorite person. Still, he tucked Thea’s hand under his arm. “Nikos, come see me later so I can hear how you’ve been doing. Always a pleasure to catch up with old friends.”

Friends? Hardly. Only a slight wariness in her brother’s gaze belied his enthusiasm for this meeting. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Rif staring at her. She didn’t blame him for standing alone in a corner. This was the cocktail party from hell, with more tension in the room than even she could tolerate. She glanced over her shoulder, almost expecting to see a knife aimed at her back.





Chapter Forty-Four



It had been a while since Nikos had had this much fun at a cocktail party. He only tolerated these events as a necessary evil when he was Nikos Paris. The best part about Ares was his ghostlike persona, since very few people met with him directly, and those who did craved the same anonymity.