AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Not just him. I mean, Decker Ashford and Rile DeLéon gave me my first assignments after I left the CIA. Keon Edgemon too.”
I recognized the names of three of the four men who were the founding partners of the firm officially known as the Invincible Security and Intelligence Group. The fourth was Grinder Stone, a man I’d never met but admired as much as the other three.
She sighed. “They knew better than I did how much I needed to get back to work.”
“From what I understand, they’re all good men.”
“Everyone who works with and for them is—men and women.”
“Present company included,” I said, winking.
Her eyes met mine, and in them, I saw gratitude rather than the anger from earlier. “Thanks.”
“Housemade tarama with caviar Petrossian Osciètre,” said the waiter as he set our first course on the table in front of us.“Priyatnogo appetita.”
“He’d be fired for that in Moscow,” Casper said under her breath when he walked away.
“Yeah? Why’s that?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure, except to say a ‘servant’ telling someone to enjoy their meal is considered presumptuous. Tarama is one of my favorites,” she added, changing the subject.
“What is it?” I asked, studying the pink spread with the consistency of hummus.
“Cured roe, usually cod or carp, mixed with olive oil, lemon, and garlic.”
“You’re familiar with Russian customs as well as delicacies?”
“I started out in the CIA, as you know. If you’re undercover in a particular country, you better be damned well versed in their etiquette.”
“I wish I’d started out in foreign intelligence rather than domestic.”
“I’m sure either the Invincibles or K19 would welcome you on their teams.”
I’d met Casper while working with K19 Security Solutions and their second team, K19 Shadow Operations, on a recent investigation into serial kidnappings and murders in the Adirondack Mountains. I was assigned to the case when Winslow, the woman who’d turned down my marriage proposal, was kidnapped herself. The original intention had been for me to go undercover in the world of competitive skiing to see if she’d been abducted by someone affiliated with the sport.
Winslow had escaped her captor prior to the start of my assignment, but I’d stayed on as an investigator since I also had experience with a previous case headed up by the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program. That investigation had ended with the arrest and conviction of a man who, until then, was the most prolific serial killer in US history. While the exact victim count in the Adirondack case was still undetermined, I wouldn’t be surprised if it took the top spot in terms of number of victims.
K19 had mentioned something about offering me a position with them whenever I decided to leave the bureau. However, given one of their senior agents had been college roommates with my boss at the FBI, it hadn’t gone anywhere.
After reaching out to Decker Ashford to say I’d be interested in joining them if the opportunity presented itself, I’d received a call from Rile. He’d not only invited me to the Christmas party Casper mentioned, but he’d asked if I could convince her to attend as well. It sounded as though she was considering it without my prompting.
I pulled the bottle of vodka out of the bucket of ice and saw we’d already consumed half. Which meant rather than driving us home, I’d have to call for a car service to shuttle us to Casper’s house, then find a place to spend the night, pick my car up in the morning, and return to Palm Beach then.
“Since I’ve already had too much to drive…” I said, pouring another glass for her and for myself.
Casper raised her glass in a toast. “It’s really meant to be enjoyed with food.”
“I’m currently familiar with the reason why.”
She laughed. “Are you aware Russians tend to have greater trust in those with whom they’ve gotten drunk?”
“Is it working?”
“I told you how long Beau and I were together before he proposed, didn’t I?”
“Does that mean you trust me, Casper?” I asked, no longer joking.
The smile left her face too. “I guess I do.”
