Page 101 of Roaming Holiday

Jack huffs, putting out the cigarette before rising. “I’ll use my clearance to pull his records. See what we can offer.”

I’m finally fighting for something—for someone. My tiny world—once filled with dread, blood, and darkness—has grown and I don’t want my old life anymore. This would be my last underground job. The thought of going back under claws at my chest.

I hope Nina will still love me by the end of it. I need her to.

I’ll be fine. I’ll survive. As long as Nina is safe. It would ruin me beyond redemption if she was harmed because of this. Being tethered to her is the release I didn’t realize how desperately I needed. She unlocked part of me I forgot existed.

Jack and I spend an hour reviewing the information, and we conclude that Jose Rivera is Arlo’s biggest competitor. Neither is the biggest drug supplier in southern Europe. If Arlo wants to be the biggest, Rivera is the next obstacle.

I call Adonis and request to conduct business with Arlo at his compound, but he declines outright on the grounds that his neutrality is compromised by letting Nina and me seek refuge. Instead, he offers to pass along a message about where to meet, and Jack and I agree on the location where Arlo had interrogated me. The building Nina set on fire.

Next, we schedule the royal guard to be on standby tomorrow at noon. Last, I turn to my boss and say, “I need to borrow your car.”

“For what?”

“Contingencies.”

Jack hesitates, considering me for a moment before releasing a breath and tossing over his keys. “Don’t wreck my baby.”

“Don’t plan to.”

I drive to my safe deposit box downtown to grab my emergency bag. After double-checking that all of my equipment, paperwork, and cash are inside, I head to the apartment of my old roommate, Noah, who instantly informs me that my room has already been rented out. I almost pity the new person.

I offer Noah five hundred euros to park around the corner from a building—where I’m meeting Arlo—and to bring me the car if I call. If I call, he has to find another way to get home.

“Just like that?” he asks.

“Two-fifty now, two-fifty after. I might not need you, though.”

“Will I still get the other two-fifty?”

I nod.

“And all I have to do is sit in a car and wait for your call—maybe.”

“I’ll text you exactly where to park and exactly where to drive to, should I call you. You sit there and do nothing. You call no one. You talk to no one. You don’t look through the car. I’ll know if you do any of those things and there will be hell to pay. Understood?”

Now it’s his turn to nod.

“Good. Arrive at the east side of the palace tomorrow morning at ten o’clock and call me. I’ll get you through.” My phone dings with a text from Nina.

“The palace?” Noah echoes.

Nina

Are you coming?

I have a surprise.

I slap the money into Noah’s palm and leave without another word. Anticipation thrums through me on the drive back, followed by a pang of guilt. I don’t want to lie to Nina—I respect her. Everything fell apart in the first place because I was lied to. She deserves better than that, but I would rather her be safe and hate me than in danger and love me.

As I head to Nina’s room, I throw back some pain pills for my wounds. It won’t leave a permanent scar, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t hurt.

“It’s open!” she calls when I knock on her door.

I enter to find her stretched across a beige tufted sofa, wearing a short silk robe. She grins at me, twirling her finger around the curly phone cord as she listens to whoever is on the other line. Damn. How can I view her as anything other than an angel? She’s other-fucking-worldly.

I drop my bag of clothes by the door and cross the room, my gaze locked on her bare skin.

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