He grimaced. “There’s no chatter, and we can’t find a digital footprint. Your brother is sort of a recognized expert on disappearing. Normally, when someone disappears, they leave at least a breadcrumb for someone to find in case it’s under duress. We have several typical ways, and then we’re trained to look for atypical things. But he didn’t. So, we’re not sure if he’s really in trouble or just hiding really well.”
“I’m sorry. I want to help, but I really can’t. I’d do anything to help him.”
“Any place he would go to be alone, some place no one but him would know. Does he have any friends in Egypt he’d go to if he were in trouble? Or maybe just over the border?”
“Again, he never spoke of knowing anyone outside of the embassy. He was close to Jacques, the French Ambassador, but I’m guessing that’s not the kind of person you’re looking for. You’re looking for exit contacts.”
He smiled with a wink and tapped the tip of her nose. “Clever girl.”
She huffed. “I read, Waters. And I make movies, including an espionage thriller, remember?”
“Yeah, that one was probably my favorite.” He gave her a wicked grin and several quick eyebrow raises.
“Gee, I wonder why. Was it that beautiful red-haired spy, I wonder?”
“Mmm. Very sexy. But I know someone sexier,” he teased. He framed her face in his hands, looking her over, amazed that he was actually in bed with this woman.
And you’re not fucking her, you moron.
“Not to beat a dead horse, but I need you to think about anyone Ka-Bar might contact, anyone he knows in Egypt, no matter how insignificant. If you think of anyone, I need you to tell me. And if you remember anything… anything at all that someone might be angry at him for or want to teach him a lesson for… I need you to tell me that, too. Even if it seems long past, petty, or not worth mentioning.”
“I guess I would suggest starting with talking to anyone who was there when we lived there. I was between nine and ten back then. About nine months total, I think. I mean, the embassy was crawling with all kinds of people living there, working there, visiting there. They would have registration books, much like a hotel, recording every time anyone came in and out the doors. It’ll be a shit-ton of people. Hope your tech guy is a robot. It’ll take forever to comb through them all.”
Waters kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re so damn smart.”
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “I don’t want to talk about my brother anymore. It might ruin the next little while.” Pushing him onto his back, she lay on top of him. She worked her way down his front, her nails dragging behind, causing him to groan. When she reached his navel, she looked up at him through her lashes. Then she went back to kissing him, following the cut of his hips.
The first swipe of her tongue had him groaning. “Kubrick, you don’t have to—”
“Shut up and enjoy it,” she mumbled.
And when she took the tip of his cock into her mouth, he was a goner. He fisted her hair gently and watched her do her magic.
20
MARCH 6TH-7TH
Kai
“Serrano. Where the hell are you? Call me. And don’t screen your calls. I expect you to be available when I want you.” Click.
Insufferable dick-smoker. I do not have time for you and your molting fits.
With a sigh, she leaned back in her desk chair and slouched, one elbow resting on the arm of the padded chair as she massaged her temple. Whatever he wanted was going to piss her off. Then again, everything he said, did, thought, and wanted pissed her off.
Waters walked into the War Room, thankfully clothed, and handed her a Crankiness Bomb and a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast. “Thank you. Breakfast for dinner is awesome. I’m going to need the fortification.”
He perched his ass on the desk. “Brick was cooking and made you extra. What’s up?”
Kai sighed. “Big Bird is molting again. He just called me.”
“Did he say what he wanted?”
“No. Other than he called once, and because I didn’t answer, he accused me of screening my calls and avoiding him. That man is annoying even half a continent away.” She sipped her hot chocolate and then started to devour her food.
Ohmygodeggs! Yet another clue this was a unique situation—starvation after sex.
She noticed the fucker was smirking at her as she shoveled the food down. “I’ll be in the room when you call him. Be sure to put him on speaker.”