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Angelina watched Alec dress for work. She’d never really had the opportunity to watch a man go through his peculiar morning routine—so different from a woman’s morning routine. They’d woken very early and had gone running together, working up a satisfying sweat. Then they had shared a shower, something that was becoming a treasured ritual.
She’d observed Alec shaving earlier, as he lathered up and scraped the stubble from his face, meticulously maneuvering the razor over the tricky patches— especially his chin—and she’d experienced momentary regret. Right before they’d pulled on their sweats and gone jogging in the pre-dawn, he’d kissed her. She’d felt that stubble as he’d nuzzled her cheek, sending shivers of awareness throughout her body. An unshaved masculine face was a potent sexual weapon.
But then, nearly everything about Alec was a potent sexual weapon.
To distract herself from that suddenly uncomfortable awareness, she asked, “So what is my assignment this morning? What do you want me to do?”
“It might not sound like much,” he said as he checked the action on his gun before returning it to his shoulder holster, “but I want you to write down everything you can remember about Caterina. Every detail, no matter how small. I want to know what makes her tick. What motivates her. After that’s done, I want you to talk to my sister. Keira can try to track your cousin down, and knowing everything about her will help.”
“But I have not seen Caterina for eight years,” Angelina exclaimed. “She was sixteen when she left Zakhar. How can what I knew of her before she disappeared tell your sister anything about her now?”
“People don’t change,” Alec told her, placing a comforting hand against her cheek. “You might not believe it, but most people are who they’re going to be as adults by the time they’re six years old. Numerous studies support this. So if you’re a shy child at six, you’ll be a shy adult. You might be able to overcome the outward, visible signs of shyness, but you’ll still feel shy inside. The same goes for other character traits. Something in your memories of Caterina could be the key to finding her—that’s what I told the king last night, and I meant it.”
“This is good,” she told him seriously. “This I can do.” It was a challenge, but now she was fired up. Everything she could remember about Caterina—even the most painful memories—would be written down. She would even call upon her parents to jog her memory, if necessary. She would capture every little detail and try not to think of Aleksandrov Vishenko wanting her cousin dead. Getting closer by the minute. It was a race against time, but she would do whatever she could to win. If Alec believed this was the best way—the only way—then that was what she’d do.
He glanced at his watch. “Gotta go,” he said. “McKinnon will be at the embassy in twenty-one minutes exactly—he’s punctual to a fault. So kiss me as if you mean it, and get started on your assignment. Call me at the embassy if you need something.”
Two minutes later, he still hadn’t left, and he removed his mouth from hers with reluctance. “Guess you meant it,” he murmured.
Chapter 15
The minute Alec walked out the door, Angelina picked up the phone. She was supposed to be on duty with the queen this morning, and though she’d officially been relieved of that duty, she wanted to let the queen know personally.
She identified herself to the palace operator when her call was answered, and waited patiently until she heard the queen’s voice on the phone.
“Angelina?” Queen Juliana said. “I’m glad you called, because I wanted to talk to you. Andre told me about your new assignment, and I’m so glad you’re involved in this investigation—although not the reason for it. Your cousin... I know how much she meant to you. Means to you,” she quickly corrected. “Please don’t worry about anything except finding her before Aleksandrov Vishenko does.”
Angelina was touched by the queen’s concern. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Juliana,” the queen reminded her. “When it’s just us, it’s Juliana. Remember?” Then she returned to the issue at hand. “Andre and Alec—they’re focused on the big picture, the human-trafficking case. And they’re right in a way. It has to be shut down and the men responsible brought to justice. But bringing Caterina home safely is just as important, and not only because she might have evidence against Vishenko and might be willing to testify against him. You need to bring her home safely because...well...because what happened to her should never happen to any woman. Ever.”
