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“Gerold Springer is out. You must have been lying low. His apartment was bombed late last night. Several fatalities, Springer among them.”
“The heir apparent?”
“Perhaps, but my money is on Fariq. After all, Springer did try to make a play for Fariq’s organization, and Fariq isn’t ready yet to leave.”
“Ghazil, thanks, and sorry about the threats. You’re right. I’d never do that to you.”
“That’s all right, Zara. Want to make it up to me?”
She laughed. “Sure, what do you want?”
“An invitation to the wedding.”
“What wedding?” she asked, confused.
“Yours, of course. You don’t honestly believe a man like Noah Taylor isn’t going to claim you as his, then make you put a ring on your finger and place his collar around your pretty little neck, do you?”
“We’ve never even talked about marriage… much less the other. You don’t think he wants that do you?”
“In case you missed it, Taylor isn’t much on words. He’s a man of action. I suspect when he catches up to you, he won’t do much talking.”
She laughed. “You’re probably right about that, at least. Well, if there’s any kind of celebratory event, I’ll be sure you get an invitation. If nothing else, next time you’re in London, brunch at the Savoy on me.”
“Thanks, darling. If you need help planning anything, do let me know.”
He rang off, and Zara shook her head before doing the same, stomping the cell phone into multiple pieces and tossing thething into one of the holding tanks in the boat. Her next call was to Finn. She prayed she was alone and could take the call.
“Zara?”
“How’d you know? Can you talk?”
“Not for long. Croft is on his way back to the house. I have maybe five minutes. Are you all right? Do you have any idea how pissed the whole lot of them are, Noah, in particular?”
“I’m fine. I’m sure they are pissed, and I don’t want to think about how pissed Noah is. Jesus, the man has a wicked hand.”
“You’ll be lucky if it’s just his hand.”
Zara laughed. “Yes, I will. How are you holding up?”
“You mean because it seems my brother is not the man I ever thought he was, but instead is part of an organization that has put out a contract on my best friend?”
“Don’t go there, Finn. There was no way for you to know any of this. I’ll be fine. It isn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last, although I suspect knowing I have the Wild Mustang boys behind me will deter some of the possible hitters. Fariq has agreed, in exchange for Thom’s laptop, he’ll call everything off, and we’ll go back to square one. Neither you nor I can pursue the story, but at least everyone is safe. And let them know there may be something afoot there in Mesa.”
“They’re already working on that. You aren’t really thinking of confronting Fariq directly, are you? Have you lost your mind?”
“I have no choice. If I hadn’t agreed, he was going after Noah. Ghazil believes your brother is the one who actually put the hit out on me, and if he’s the heir apparent, Fariq is the only one who can stop him.”
“I get that, but Fariq could have done that, and he hasn’t.”
“I know, but he wants Thom’s laptop and the information buried, so he’s willing to do an exchange. Oh, shit. Ghazil just told me Gerold Springer’s apartment was bombed last night.Springer is dead. The team might know already but tell them just in case.”
“Zara, I don’t know what you think you’re going to do, but you need to let them bring you in and keep you alive.”
“And do what? Hide the rest of my life? Look, I know he’s your brother…”
“No, the day he became Fariq’s henchman and put a contract out on someone’s life, he ceased being my brother. If it comes to it, and it’s you or him… you take him out. He’s dead to me already,” Finn said with a catch in her throat.
“I’m sorry, Finn.”
