You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)(83)

Eli Nelson was dead thanks to the Taggarts, but someone would quickly take his place.

The thing they’d been missing was the government tie. Phoebe had been able to tie The Collective to various criminal organizations and foreign countries, but she knew they would also have a group of US politicians under their sway. She had to wonder if she wasn’t looking at one. Well, at his assistant anyway.

“We’ll see about that. Why is a man who is determined to change the world over to solar and wind power here at an oil conference?” He leaned in, just a little flirty. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure.” A little flirtation might help. She wanted information, too. “I’d love some champagne.”

He held up a hand and immediately a tuxedoed waiter turned to bring them glasses of champagne. She took hers and held it to her chest. She wore a designer black dress that Jesse had claimed should be illegal, but then he was the gorgeous pervert who had promised to fig her if she didn’t behave. Yes, she knew what that was. She read. A lot, lately. And every damn hero turned into a blond hottie with a Western accent. She pretended she was looking at Dale and let her chest thrust out. Jesse watched her from across the room, and the minute she turned his way, his eyes flared. Because Jesse liked her boobs. A lot. “This is an energy conference, Mr. Albertson. The king has every right to be here.”

“Energy in this part of the world means oil.”

“It doesn’t have to. Not if my boss has his way.”

He tipped back his champagne, swallowing the whole glass in quick order and grabbing another before the waiter could move away. “There are a few people who think he shouldn’t be here.”

There had been more than a subtle hint of threat in those words. “Really? Do you think he’s in danger?”

Albertson glanced around the room, his eyes shifting until they found Kamdar. The king was holding court, his bevy of gorgeous ladies surrounding him and laughing at his very horrible jokes. She was a little surprised to see Erin was hovering around the king. “I think Kamdar needs to play ball if he wants to keep his position.”

“His position is hereditary and they don’t play ball there. Cricket is really more popular in Loa Mali.” She was starting to feel the slightest bit uncomfortable. He was more inebriated than she’d counted on, and she couldn’t take him out with a quick uppercut. She was supposed to be a marketing consultant, and women in this part of the world weren’t exactly smiled on for kicking ass.

Albertson nodded. “Funny girl. What do you say we go back to my room? I would do just about anything to get out of this hotel, but apparently it’s the only place where we can get a damn drink in this country.”

She was tempted to lead him out into the city anyway. Even slight inebriation in public could get a citizen arrested in Dubai. It might be fun to watch this dipshit rot in a Middle Eastern prison for a while.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t dressed for the streets of Dubai since a woman could get arrested for showing her knees, so that little pleasure would have to wait. “I’m afraid I’m supposed to stay here at the conference. My boss was very insistent we all stay and do our jobs.”

“Which is what?” He was openly looking at her breasts now and Jesse had noticed.

He started across the ballroom, but luckily Simon was there to stop him from doing something stupid. She breathed a sigh of relief as the big Brit put a hand on Jesse’s shoulder and started talking to him.

“Phoebe, that’s the senior assistant to Senator McDonald you’ve ensnared with your far too on-display bosom.” Ten’s voice came over the tiny communications device in her ear. Ten and Hutch were watching from the suite, having cut into the security feeds. She could hear them, but she couldn’t directly respond since she wasn’t alone. The small bug planted in the broach on her left side allowed them to hear everything going on. She simply looked to her left, acknowledging the camera there to let him know she’d heard.

“I’m here to help the king with packaging and marketing his product to the outside world. As an alternative energy source, I’ve got to convince the big oil boys that we’re not really a threat. After all, they control the world when you think about it. We just want a tiny part of the market.”

“To begin with,” Albertson shot back. “You know Kamdar isn’t the first person to try this. His crap will go the same way the electric car went. He’s a dreamer if he thinks the cartels will allow him to have any kind of a foothold.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that they don’t get to have a say in it. And I don’t know if you’ve noticed but hybrid vehicles are very popular these days.”

“Because we allowed it,” he said, his voice taking on a nasty edge.

“Oh, I like that ‘we.’ That’s a very interesting statement,” Ten said.

“I always love the personal pronouns, too, boss.” Hutch put in his two cents.

She needed to bring the testosterone level down a bit. She smiled up at the senator’s aide. “I wouldn’t know anything about that. I did work on a few of the hybrid marketing plans in Europe. We did spectacularly well with women in Southern Europe. I’ve found the key is to give them a choice of pretty colors and have a proper celebrity endorsement. You have to get Clooney for Italy. He could sell anything there. They love him.”