Page 67 of Silk Shadow

"You're a breaking news story." Viper sat down next to her on the bed.

"I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but I'm used to being in the media." She turned to him with a rueful smile. "That doesn't faze me, but this will affect the share price. Robert's going to have his hands full pacifying the shareholders."

“I thought you owned the company?”

She leaned over and kissed his shoulder. “I own fifty-one percent of the company, the controlling share. That means nobody can buy me out, and I get to sign off on all the decisions.”

“What about Robert?”

“He owns a portion, as does my cousin, Raf, but the rest is owned by the public. It’s a listed company and my disappearance would have shaken confidence.”

Viper nodded. “What are you going to do?”

“Well, that press release Emily wrote will have helped. When I reappear, things will settle down.”

When she reappeared. Her stomach clenched, and she shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that now. They still had some time here. Even though she was well aware she was living in a blissful bubble, she didn’t want it to burst. Not quite yet.

"Enough about that. I'm starving. Let's order room service."

He chuckled. “You’ll get no argument from me there.” They browsed the menu, then deciding what they were going to have, placed their order.

They were about to eat when the room phone rang. Izzy glanced at Viper in alarm. Nobody knew they were here other than Phoenix and Pat.

Viper answered. “Hello?”

She saw his shoulders relax. “It’s Pat,” he mouthed.

She nodded and turned down the television so he could talk, and she could overhear the conversation.

“Yeah, we’re good. She’s good. Hanging in there.”

Izzy barely suppressed a grin.

“You want us to stay here for a few more days?” He nodded into the phone. “Sure, no problem.”

Her heart leaped. They weren’t being recalled. While she wanted this nightmare to be over, part of her didn’t want to leave the resort and go back to reality. She wanted to keep things just as they were, at least for a few days longer. It looked like she’d get her wish.

“Will do. You can count on it.”

He hung up and she raised an eyebrow. "Count on what?"

His blue eyes twinkled. “That I’ll do my very best to look after you.”

She laughed. “I’m sure that is not what Uncle Pat meant.”

He snorted. "He's my boss. Hard to picture him as Uncle Pat."

Izzy was fond of the gruff former Commander. She’d always known he’d been a Navy SEAL, although that was a very long time ago now. "I've always known him as that. He's my godfather. He and my mother were close."

"How did they know each other?" He sat beside her on the bed.

She shrugged. "You know, I never did find out. When I was a girl, I remember barbecues at Pat and Val's house. I used to play in the backyard with their son, Joe."

"The one who died in Afghanistan?" Viper asked. He remembered Blade being particularly cut up about that.

She nodded sadly. "Yes, he was a good friend growing up, but then his mother got sick and died, and he joined the army. I think he was looking for something to replace her. Pat fell apart and my parents helped him out, or rather my mother did. My father was always down here, at the mines. She was a good friend to him. I think they knew each other from before, when Pat was starting out, but I could be wrong. Anyway, he was always at our house."

Viper pursed his lips.

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