A Cold Dark Promise (Cold Justice #8.5)(12)

“I hadn’t planned any strippers, but I did round up a couple of the guys to come over tonight for a few beers and some steak. When can you get here?”

Alex hesitated. “Something came up.”

He sensed the moment Frazer’s focus shifted. “How so?”

“You at your laptop?”

“I’m sitting on my deck with a beer. Izzy is insisting on making me brunch before she catches a flight to OBX to close on her houses. Kit’s going with her and they’re driving back in Kit’s car—alone.” Disapproval dripped from Frazer’s tone.

Alex understood it. It was disgruntlement that they couldn’t wrap the people they loved in cotton wool. Dissatisfaction they couldn’t force the world to their will.

“Izzy and Kit can take care of themselves. They should be fine.” Frazer’s girlfriend was a former Army captain and routinely carried a Glock. Alex liked her. She was reserved. Alex was reserved, too. People with secrets generally were. She and Lincoln Frazer were perfect for one another.

“I know she should be fine. Doesn’t stop me from thinking about all the bad things that could happen.” Frazer’s tone was beyond pissed and made Alex smile. He sympathized. He really did. Unfortunately, they didn’t get to make all the rules when it came to the women they loved.

“What’s up?” Frazer asked with a sigh.

“I’m going to send you two photographs.” Alex hit send and carried on talking. “The one guy’s name is Vladimir Ranich. The second is Ahmed Masook.”

“Jane Sander’s ex.”

“Yes.”

It made sense that Frazer had checked Jane out. He’d checked out everybody associated with The Gateway Project.

“Alex,” Frazer finally drew out, “where did you get these images?”

Time to ’fess up. “I took them this afternoon in Antibes.”

There was a long-suffering sigh. “I know you aren’t working—so what’s going on?”

Alex expelled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. When Frazer said “working” he wasn’t talking cybersecurity. “If I was working I wouldn’t tell you, you know that, right?”

Frazer laughed. “I know you better than that, Alex. You asked me to be best man for a reason.”

It was humbling to realize Frazer trusted him even though Alex had killed more people than most serial killers. Death was often the most effective solution to a serious problem, but Alex couldn’t do it anymore. He couldn’t pass judgment or carry out a sentence for other people’s misdeeds. Not unless someone forced his hand.

“You know you’re getting married next weekend, right?” Frazer said drolly. “You need to get a move on and tell me what’s going on.”

Alex glanced at the door. Jane and Reilly were both sleeping. He’d set up a basic alarm system that would alert him to intruders or to anyone trying to leave the property. He didn’t trust Jane’s ability to resist spying on her child. He’d swept for bugs. Twice.

“Jane discovered Masook was in Antibes and that he’d brought their daughter with him.”

“So, let Interpol serve the arrest warrant,” said Frazer reasonably.

“Jane thinks he’ll have paid off enough local cops to receive a warning and flee. If that happens she’ll never see her daughter again.”

Frazer huffed. “So, she asked you to help her?”

“I said no.”

“And yet there you are.”

“She was gonna try and do this herself.” Alex let out a frustrated breath and ran his hand through his short hair. “She played by the rules, Linc. She went through the court system and allowed Masook to see his child even though she must have hated taking that risk. And he fucked her over. Gave the legal system the bird because he’s a rich asshole and thinks the rules don’t apply to him.” His voice vibrated with anger.

“And you’re such a fan of rules. What else?”

“He hit her.”

Silence on the other end of the line. Violence was common in their business, but there was something particularly wretched about a man hitting his wife.

“Tell me about this other guy Ranich,” said Frazer.

“When I was working for the agency he was funneling weapons from old soviet military installations into the black market. I showed Jane a photograph and she said she’d seen Ranich at Masook’s house once, but she doesn’t know anything about him and hadn’t been introduced.”

“You believe her?”

“Yes, I do.”

“So, you think Vladimir Ranich is selling arms to Ahmed Masook?”

“Not necessarily. But I am sure Masook’s legitimate businesses don’t make enough money for him to live the way he does, and it seems like a hell of a coincidence they just happen to be here at the same time.”

Frazer groaned. He knew this was too big for either of them to ignore.

“Ranich might also be looking to buy something for the Russians.” Alex thought about the woman who’d watched him in the cafe. She might have been attracted by his devilish good looks, but his spidey senses had pinged way too fervently for that. “I think the Agency might be involved. And if not Five Eyes or Israel, then possibly France or Germany.”