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“She’s dangerous, period, to herself,” John grunted as he collected his own cup and moved back to the coffeepot. “What the hell were you doing tracking my handler?”
“At the time, I really had no idea she was your handler. She was tied to three men I was investigating; the connection points made her easier to trace.” Bailey narrowed her eyes on the other woman again. The more she interacted with her now, the more familiar Tehya seemed. There was something about the way she held her head—her almost instinctive attempt to hide her face behind the veil of her hair, or by staying in profile—that piqued Bailey’s memories. She just couldn’t place it.
“We’ll have to discuss that later, John,” Tehya warned him.
John nodded sharply, and Bailey could almost see his concern. Whoever led the team he was a part of wouldn’t be pleased with this information.
“So why is she here?” Bailey asked again.
Tehya slid into a chair at the table, crossed her jean-clad legs, and stared back at Bailey with a grin as John sat down in the chair between the two of them.
“It was business,” Tehya sighed mockingly. “As a broker, John Vincent is in high demand. Fortunately, he’s rather picky about the jobs he takes.”
“Is he really?” Bailey glanced over at him.
He was leaning back in his chair watching both of them with a slightly worried expression. Now, why would he be worried? Unless he knew as well as she did that eventually Tehya’s identity would come to her.
Bailey was drawing some amazing conclusions since Atlanta, since realizing her cousin was a part of the team John worked with.
If she wasn’t mistaken, if her memory wasn’t faulty, and it normally wasn’t, then she was betting Tehya was just as “dead” as Micah. Perhaps just as “dead” as Trent.
“He is.” Tehya nodded, obviously biting back a laugh even as she kept her voice low. “In this case, I felt it was in his best interests that I come to Aspen in case I was needed during the transaction.”
John shook his head. “What Tehya is beating around the bush about here is the fact that Warbucks has made contact again. He seems rather interested in the fact that we’re an item now. He contacted Tehya with a message that he’s rather enjoying the fact that I’ve taken such initiative.”
“He’s also rather confident of the fact that you’ll choose John over the others as well. He wanted to warn John that there would be no negotiation in terms of his payment, despite your relationship.”
“I take a straight fifteen percent per sale.” John shrugged. “I’m not willing to go lower. It’s not worth my time otherwise.”
Tehya shook her head. “Jerric Abbas is willing to go fourteen percent.”
“Jerric doesn’t have the connections I have, nor does he have the negotiating power.” John grinned as Bailey barely kept from rolling her eyes at the mention of the other man’s name.
“Jerric hasn’t been in the brokerage game long enough to develop a name for himself outside his security abilities,” Bailey stated. “He’s a terrorist, and that’s what he’s known for, not his brokerage background.”
“But his connections to the differing terrorist states could give him an advantage. Who do you think is going to be bidding the highest for the item?” Tehya asked.
“It doesn’t matter.” Bailey finished her coffee before rising and rinsing her cup. “Warbucks doesn’t care who is going to be bidding for it. He’s going to be concerned with the highest price and the most security. That’s what John is known for, whereas Jerric hasn’t had the time to prove he’s capable of providing the highest quality of those two resources.”
She glanced back at John in time to catch the surprise on his face.
She was revealing the time she had put into investigating him, as well as Warbucks. Jerric Abbas had never been known for his strength in negotiations before sixteen months prior, just after the explosion he’d supposedly escaped from.
Fortunately, Jerric hadn’t really escaped; Micah had simply taken his identity. A little cosmetic work here and there, and he had slid perfectly into Jerric’s life. So perfectly that there were moments even Bailey was amazed at her cousin’s effectiveness.
Oh yes, there was no doubt in her mind that Jerric Abbas, Micah Sloane, and the deceased Israeli Mossad agent David Abijah were one and the same. She just wasn’t so certain about John Vincent and Trent Daylen.
“You’ve put a lot of research into this,” John said carefully.
“I’ve had a lot of free time in the past year,” she pointed out mockingly. “And an overriding curiosity.”
“Curiosity can be dangerous in this business,” Tehya stated as she rose to her feet and carried her own cup to the sink. “I’d better be going now.” She turned back to John. “Warbucks is supposed to be making contact in the next few days. I’ll check in to a hotel in Aspen. I’ll text you my location once I’ve settled in.”
John gave a brief nod as she shrugged into the coat she had hung at the back door, then slipped out of the house. Bailey stared back at John silently for long moments, her eyes narrowed, her thoughts moving in several different directions. Overriding was the idea that John was still trying to keep secrets.
“Full disclosure,” she finally said firmly. “I believe we may have discussed this already.”
His lips quirked with irritating amusement. “I would have disclosed to you fully, sweetheart, if you hadn’t shown up.”
