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Cautiously, he glanced at Isidore out of the corner of his eye to find only gentle compassion and understanding on his face. Not one ounce of judgment or horror.
“And I’d do that for you, Max,” Alexei easily agreed. “No charge. You let me see an actual, undiscovered mummy in a freaking sarcophagus and that two-fer will be on the house.”
Isidore muttered something under his breath that sounded like it might have been in Greek as he dropped his face into his hand. Max could only chuckle at Alexei’s enthusiasm. They were talking murder and Max had found his trigger man so long as he coughed up a mummy. Hell, he had a feeling Alexei would do it even if Max couldn’t produce a so-called fresh mummy.
“Max,” Isidore started and then stopped again to take a cleansing breath. “You shouldn’t rush any decisions. When this is all over, you have to be able to live with what you decide.”
He nodded and stared for several silent seconds at the alcohol in his glass. “You’re right. I think maybe I also wanted to be above petty revenge, and I’m kind of disappointed that I’m not.”
“It’s not too late to be,” Isidore pointed out.
Alexei snorted and lounged back in his chair. He raised his glass to his mouth and downed the contents in a single swallow. Smacking his lips and sighing happily, he held his empty glass up to Max. “There would be nothing petty about this revenge. It would be sweet and tasty. Some would even argue that this is justice. And getting justice always feels so very good.”
Max glanced from Isidore’s sweet smile to Alexei’s crooked grin and he was struck by the twisted feeling of being seated between an angel and a devil. Both were whispering wisdom in his ears, but he could definitely understand why the devil was so very tempting.
Izzie sighed and nodded. “Justice does feel good.”
Max moaned and squeezed his eyes shut. It did not help when the angel agreed with the devil.
15
EDISON WALKER
He had traveled the world, seen nearly all the great capitals, all the must-visit places. But not one of them blew him away quite like the Karnac temple complex in Luxor.
Of course, it might just have been the dazzling smile that graced Max’s lips as he stared up at Ed.
It had taken them a few days to get their plans nailed down, a place to stay, and transportation for them and all their gear. Another day was needed to unload and set up. Max had spent most of that time talking to his guy who would help at the Valley of the Queens and other contacts he had with the Ministry of State for Antiquities to get all his necessary permits lined up. Ed didn’t catch what was being said since his knowledge of Arabic was limited to a handful of phrases, but Max spent most of the conversations smiling. Ed could guess that Max needed to only mention Kazemde and doors opened for him.
Not to mention, this person also had a lot of experience working digs in Egypt.
For now, they were forced to wait for the last of the t’s to be crossed and the i’s dotted.
When Max had suggested an early morning tour of Karnac, Ed didn’t have the heart to tell him that it would be better if they remained hidden in the house. Max had been stuck inside for days now, working behind a laptop and scribbling on paper until he could barely straighten his back.
What were a few hours outside? So far, there had been zero sign of Rive’s or Katona’s people following them. It was only a matter of time before they caught up with them, but for now, he wanted to believe that he could keep Max safe.
And that smile, it made it all worthwhile.
“You’ve never been here, right?” Max asked, excitement bubbling over in his voice. It was something of a mix between going to see Santa Claus for the first time and showing off his secret clubhouse.
“No,” Ed whispered, his eyes still locked on the avenue that led the way into Karnac. Either side was lined with dozens of sphinxes stretched out on pedestals.
“Excellent. This is one of my favorite places in Egypt. I’ll try to keep my tour guide talk to leisurely Sunday stroll rather than graduate-level course on the influences of the various pharaohs on the development of the complex over the centuries.”
Ed snorted. “You’ve taught that class?”
“At three different universities,” Max replied, waving three fingers at him. “And they always fill up. It’s a favorite for both the graduate level and undergrads.”
Holding out a hand toward the entrance of the complex, Ed bowed his head to Max. “Lead the way, Professor. Your student is waiting for you to share all your knowledge.”
Max chuckled. “Don’t encourage me.”
