Page 101 of Blue Moon

“What do you want to do for the rest of the day?” Ryder asked. “Do you have to work? I mean with the necklaces?”

“No, I’m all yours.”

Given that she’d been sending him nudes, she was probably expecting an invite to his hotel room, but no way was Ryder going there.

“One of my buddies told me there’s a monastery at Jvari? How do you feel about visiting? I want to take some pictures.”

Yeah, she was surprised. “Uh, okay? Yes, there’s a monastery. It’s very old.”

“I’ll let the driver know. In case he needs to get directions or something.”

“It’s easy to find. Just outside the city.”

But Ryder texted anyway so Tamaz could prepare.

Twenty minutes later, they exited Tres Amigos, and the limo was waiting, complete with two glasses of chilled champagne. In case Elene didn’t fancy the bubbly, Tamaz had drugged all the bottles of sparkling water too.

“After you,” Ryder said, and let her climb into the back seat first. She slid over to sit behind the driver, and he stopped himself from grinning like an idiot when she picked up her allocated glass. She was smart, but not smart enough to suspect he was playing her at her own game.

“Here’s to fun in Tbilisi,” he said and clinked his glass against hers.

“To fun in Tbilisi.”

28

RYDER

Elene woke almost five hours later.

By then, she was secured to a chair in a safe house, and Ron Hill had confirmed she was the right woman. He’d also tried to spit on her, but Ana had dragged him out of the room. Asshole. Now he was watching on a monitor in the next room with Khatia, ready to assist in any way possible. And he would assist. His freedom depended on it. Khatia had promised to turn him loose if Blackwood recovered Luna’s money, on the condition that he never again returned to the US. He’d actually complained about that. Apparently, Georgia wasn’t as much fun as he thought it would be.

Ryder leaned against the wall, arms folded, watching as Elene blinked slowly and looked around, confused. The first thing she saw was Ana, sitting backwards on a dining chair—or arse about face, as Emmy would say—her arms resting on the back.

“Where…where am I?”

“That’s not important.” Ana spoke in English for Ryder’s benefit. He was the only person on the team who didn’t speak any Georgian, although Ana admitted hers was rusty. And Ron had only learned a few phrases. “What’s important is why you’re here.”

The colour drained out of Elene’s face, and she jerked at the handcuffs. Then realised her ankles were taped to the legs of the chair and gasped.

“W-w-why am I here?” She noticed Ryder standing in the corner, and her eyes took a moment to focus. “I don’t…I don’t understand. They took you too?”

Ana was sitting too close for comfort, invading her personal space. “It’s simple. You stole our client’s money, and we want it back.”

Her gaze met Ryder’s. “You’re the police?”

Ana answered for him. “Ara, saq’varelo. We don’t play by any rules.”

“Well, you’ve made a mistake. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Without looking behind her, Ana beckoned toward the doorway. A moment later, Ron Hill walked in, and if Elene had been pale before, now she turned absolutely ashen.

“Where’s the money, Irina?”

“I… My name isn’t Irina.”

“So you lied about that too?”

Ana leaned forward an inch. “Next, you’re going to tell us that Irina is your twin sister, and you’re an innocent party in all this.”

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