Page 66 of Between Love and Honor

No doubt she would, but this was Ben’s score to settle.

He didn’t need his buddies riding shotgun. With any luck, the whole thing would be resolved tonight.

The secretary pressed a button on the wall. “Roll the video.”

Quinn sidled up next to him, their bodies not exactly touching. He intertwined his fingers with hers once again.

The video began to play. Alexi Ronoff’s tone was smug as he tossed the micro card presumably containing VOYEUR into the air and caught it again.

“Hello there, Special Agent Ben Segar. Or should I call you by your code name, Mariner?”

Ben blew out a breath. He underestimated how shedding his alter ego would affect him. And that made him despise the Russian on the screen even more than he already did.

“I enjoyed my little visit to your boat the other evening. What a fine vessel she is. Trading information on the dark web does have its perks, does it not? Especially for one trying to make a living on a measly government salary.”

Ben couldn’t stop the snort that escaped.

“Your reputation as an honorable dealer in, shall we say, strategic information precedes you. And it seems we have mutual interests,” Ronoff continued. “Well, aside from a beautiful photographer whom we both seemed to share a love for. Such a pity about her early departure from this earth.”

This time Ben actually snarled at the screen.

Ronoff held the card between two fingers to scrutinize it. “I believe this belongs to you. I’ll admit, I’m a little curious about what exactly all those formulas mean, especially since you are so eager to get it back. But I find I cannot be bothered with this jumble of numbers.” The Russian’s face grew hard. “You are trying to sell something that belongs to me. Something I’ve already paid for.” His lips formed a sly smile. “I propose we make a trade. I’ll be in touch with the logistics.”

“What?” Quinn shouted, practically launching herself at the screen.

“Easy.” Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and hauled her back against his body.

But she refused to remain still, instead turning and hitting him with the same fury she’d just directed at Ronoff.

“How could you?” she hissed. “You promised me Ronoff would never see that list.” She punctuated each word with a fist to his chest.

“Hey!” He gripped her by the wrists. “Stop it, Quinn. The list is safe. You’re safe. And so are your parents. This is just a ruse to get my AI back.”

“Oh, yes, your ever-important artificial intelligence.”

She actually rolled her damn eyes. “Forgive me if I don’t see a computer program as comparable to that of seventeen human lives.” She shook off his hands. “For such a smart man, you really are a dolt. You can’t program a solution to this, Ben. So, you and Alexi bond as black hats and he gives you back your AI and you give him a fake list. Then what? In the meantime, someone with access to the real list is still floating around out there and my mother’s life hangs in the balance!”

It took everything Ben had to keep his composure. “I agree.”

Her jaw dropped. “Then what the hell are you doing?”

“The traitor has been posing as the Phoenix on the dark web,” he explained as patiently as he could. “And we know he’s been posing as other identities as well, including mine. From what I found last night, Ronoff hasn’t paid up for the list. All I have to do is have the Mariner do a little boasting about the trade and the traitor will surface for the rest of their money. In the meantime, I meet with Ronoff, arrest him for your attempted murder as well as a bevy of other charges the Treasury Department has been building against him.”

She was silent for a long moment.

Too bad it wasn’t long enough.

“That’s the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard!” She pivoted on her heel to face the others in the room. “Mr. President, I demand to speak to the British ambassador. Better yet, the prime minister.”

“Well, hell, why stop there?” Ben taunted her. “How about we call the Queen?”

She whirled around. He was expecting her to be wearing a look that would have his balls shriveling to raisins, but, once again, he’d misread her signals. Her face was so pale it was nearly translucent. And her green eyes were wide and unfocused.

Damn it.

Quinn was frightened out of her mind. He was an ass for provoking her. The sting of her distrust faded a bit while his chest tightened at her obvious distress. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and tugged her toward the door. “Wil you excuse us a minute, Mr. President?”

Ben didn’t wait for an answer. Instead, he towed her past the marine guards and down the hall to the first empty office he could find. Pulling her inside, he slammed the door shut behind them.

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