Page 33 of Silk Shadow

"Did you tell anyone else about the party?"

"No, I wasn't even sure I was going until I'd spoken to Izzy. If she didn’t want to, I wouldn't have gone."

Viper very much doubted that. Robert wasn't the type of guy to sacrifice his evening for someone else, even a woman he professed to be in love with.

"How's the shoulder?" he asked.

"Freaking painful."

Good, thought Viper, as he left the room. Served him right for taking Izzy onto the yacht and putting her in harm's way. And for being a prick.

CHAPTER 14

His next stop was Emily.

Izzy's personal assistant opened the door, her face wet with tears. To her credit, she looked awful. Her eye makeup was smudged and running down her cheeks, she still wore her wrinkled party dress from last night, and it was clear she hadn't slept a wink.

"Any news?" She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.

"I'm afraid not."

Marching back into the room, she threw herself onto the bed. "Poor Izzy! God only knows what those monsters are doing to her now."

Viper preferred not to think about that, but he did know that if it was the cartel and they planned to ransom her or use her as a bargaining chip, it was in their best interests to keep her alive. This wasn’t piracy in the traditional sense, although he did have some experience of that. One year, while deployed on a warship off the coast of East Africa, he’d had several run-ins with well-funded, organized crime groups operating from motherships with the sole purpose of stealing crude oil from tankers. They used excessive force and didn't bother with kidnapping for ransom. Any hostages or casualties were shot and killed. It was easier that way.

The men who'd taken Izzy were not interested in oil. They had something else in mind, something to do with her father's company.

"I'm sure she's fine," he said with more confidence than he felt. "They won't hurt her. She's too valuable as leverage."

"Do you think so?" she sniffed.

He nodded. "Emily, I need to ask you a question. Did you know about the party on the yacht before Robert arrived?"

She thought for a moment. "Yes, I know Casper from the social scene in D.C. and he texted me an invite days ago, but I hadn't replied. It was up to Izzy."

Everything was up to Izzy, it seemed.

Everybody danced to her tune.

"Did the two of you discuss it?" he asked.

"We might have done," she admitted, sitting up. "Yes, we did. Casper came around to the hotel yesterday morning. We had drinks and he asked us again. Izzy said we'd play it by ear, depending on the shooting schedule."

"Did you discuss it with anyone else?

"I don't think so. Oh, wait a minute, the golfers were there."

"Golfers? You mean those men you were talking to at the pool?" He'd noticed them but deemed them not a threat. Maybe he’d been too hasty.

"Yes." She flushed. "I met up again with them that night you and Izzy left the club."

He narrowed his eyes. "Are they staying here?"

She flushed. "Matt is in room 375."

"Thanks, Emily." It was time to pay them a visit.

Room 375 was situated on the third floor of the hotel, two below theirs. Viper knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer. After knocking a second time, he went back down to reception.

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