Page 97 of The Twilight Theft

Moonlight glinted off the slow-moving river. I inhaled, pulling in the subtle earthy scent the river was giving off tonight. Better than the stink of diesel when the boats started up.

One more deception. Being by the water normally calmed me, but up close, it was a far cry from my dreams. I should have moved closer to the ocean instead of staying in DC after I left the CIA.

Or bought a boat and sailed the world.

All alone. No one hiding things or lying to me. Just me against Mother Nature.

“Hey there, handsome,” came a low purr.

“Vanessa,” I sighed. Of all the people to interrupt my wallowing. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Too bad.” She leaned back on the railing, running a hand up my arm. “I wanted to check in on you. Vijay said you were too busy to talk?”

Vijay? With all the chaos, I’d completely forgotten about his strange job offer.

“You know, I’ve always thought you should have been your own boss.” She stared off toward the buildings, her gaze unfocused. “Think about it—traveling the world as a crisis manager. Taking on the jobs you want, instead of having to play second fiddle to Craig.”

It was a dream we’d talked about more than once. Something I could do from that boat. Anchor in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the South Pacific—and do my thing. There was never any shortage of people getting themselves in trouble and needing help to get out.

How long could that last, though? How many liars and charlatans could I work for before calling it quits? At least working for Craig meant the ethical decisions were his, not mine. I could go home at the end of the day and say I’d just been doing my job.

How many of history’s monsters did exactly that?

Was I better than any of them?

“It’s not a limited-time offer.” She folded one arm, highlighting her cleavage, and ran the other hand over her shoulder. “If you reconsider, make sure you get in touch with him.”

“Why?”

She fluttered her eyelashes at me. Not in the way she had in my apartment Thursday morning, but in the way she did when professing her faux-innocence.

“We’re not together anymore, Vanessa. Why would you set that up for me?” There had to be an ulterior motive. She always had one.

She shrugged, her gaze roaming over my face. “I’ve been offered a job in Italy and I’m thinking of taking it.”

I straightened. “Italy?”

“A headhunter found me.”

“You work online. Why would you move to Europe?”

She smiled, the type of smile I hadn’t seen from her in years. A genuine one. “I need a change of scenery. Believe it or not, I’m sorry for what I did.”

Sorry because she missed our apartment or my paycheck or my connections, sure. Maybe she was sorry she didn’t have me in her bed. But sorry because she’d magically transformed into a good person and regretted what she’d done?

“Amazing cuisine there.” She moved closer, so her hip rested against my hand on the railing. “The job’s near Naples. I could have a little garden and grow tomatoes and herbs. Maybe grapes. Although I’d need a good cook to make it worthwhile.”

“Should be able to find a nice Italian chef to share the kitchen.”

“You love Italian food.” Her hand crept up my arm again. “Think about the amazing markets you could visit and all the fresh ingredients.”

I stared out at the water again, the gentle waves lifting the boats moored next to us.

The job offer, the fake apology, tempting me with Italy—all another poorly executed manipulation.

I’d been in Italy when I found out about my parents’ accident. Stuck in Leonardo da Vinci airport for a four-hour layover on my way home from Istanbul, while my world crumbled around me. Vanessa had gotten me home two hours early, but my parents were already gone.

She’d helped me get through the revelation in their wills that they’d adopted me, through my decision to leave the Agency, and through Alex’s death.

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