Page 92 of Don't Look Back

“If they manage to figure out who—what—I am, you need to be shocked. You don’t know me. I was conning you. Turn your back on me and get out.”

“I won’t do that?—”

“Promise me, Kira.”

“I can’t leave you.”

“If you don’t, then whatever happens to me will be for nothing. I’ll need you to finish the mission. Find out what Laskin and Kulik are planning and tell my team.”

“But what if I don’t know anything? What if I can’t finish the mission? How could I live with myself if I left you and we still fail?”

“Then do it for me. Do it because I love you and it would destroy me to watch them hurt you just to get at me. Promise me, Kira.”

Her eyes burned at the intensity of his words and gaze. He’d said it. He loved her.

She cupped his jaw and ran a thumb over his cheekbone. “I promise.”

Rand was just drifting to sleep when his cell phone rang. As a SEAL, he didn’t have the luxury of ignoring it, no matter how late.Especiallywhen it was late.

Kira stirred beside him as he checked the phone. It was a call to the number Freya had set up and printed on the business card he’d passed out at the gallery.

Could be anyone, but he suspected he knew who was calling.

He hit the Accept button. “Fallon.”

“Are you really an author, or are you conning my sister?” Reuben’s voice—and tone—were easily recognizable.

“What’s it to you?”

Kira turned on the bedside lamp, then rolled to face him. Her expression showed she was alert in spite of being fully asleep a moment before.

“She’s my sister.”

“And you careso muchabout her. It’s heartwarming, really.”

“I’m not convinced she’s not complicit with Conrad and our bitch of a mother. But that doesn’t mean I like the idea of a con man using her to get to my money.”

“You’d make an interesting character for my next book. Tell me more.”

Reuben let out a sharp laugh. “I might like you in a different situation.”

“You can like me in this situation. I make your sister happy, and I can help you.”

“How so?”

“I can keep her away from your father. Convince her to return to the US and forget about the Kulik billions. Whatever you need.”

“And why would you do that?”

“Because you’ll pay me.”

Kira’s narrowed eyes told him he knew what their very public first argument would be about. Worked for him. Let Reuben think he was dividing and conquering.

“So thisisa con.”

“I’m looking out for Kira’s interests. If it benefits me too, so be it. The book business is uncertain.” That was true enough.

“How much do you want?”

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