Page 75 of Close Pursuit

“I wouldn’t go that far,” he replied quickly.

Smart man. He must have read her distaste in her body language. He’d backed off faster than she expected.

“What can you tell me about Alex?” she asked. Might as well take advantage of her uncle’s position if he was planning to take advantage of hers.

“I expect you know more than I do.”

“Indulge me,” she replied lightly.

Charles pursed his lips, weighing her for a long moment. Then he leaned back in his desk chair, folded his hands across his stomach and assumed a storyteller’s tone of voice. “To understand Alex, you first must understand his father…”

Alex’s lawyer stared at him in open shock. “You’re serious?” Chester blurted.

“As a heart attack,” Alex replied firmly. “And Lord knows, I’ve got more money than I can ever spend.”

“Your investments have done very well,” the lawyer conceded. “I’ll file the emergency guardianship request this morning.”

“Text me when the judge approves it.”

“Will do. Give me a few days to draw up the long-term guardianship paperwork and get the legal adoption started. The fact that there’s no agent for the infant could be a bit of a hurdle, but our family law guys will come up with something. As for the other matter, I can have a trust fund set up by the end of the week.”

“Let me know when the paperwork is ready to sign.”

“While you’re here, how are things going? You’re…” the lawyer paused delicately, “…staying out of trouble?”

“If you mean, am I mixing drinking and driving, I’m not. I’m not gambling, and I haven’t hired a hooker since I went to jail. Haven’t you heard?” he added sarcastically. “I’m doing humanitarian work, now.”

Chester rolled his eyes. “I worry about you, Alex. You’ve had a rough few years.”

He sighed. “I appreciate you giving a damn about me.” God knew, there weren’t many people he could say that to

“You’ve got so much potential to do great things. I’d like to see you achieve it.”

He studied the lawyer, considering the man’s words. Potential? That would involve having goals. Passions. Of the intellectual variety, he amended quickly.

“While I didn’t expect you to start a family quite this way, I think it’ll be good for you,” Chester announced.

A family? Alex’s mind reared back in dismay This wasn’t a family. This was simply him looking out for a helpless infant with no family. Nothing more. He wasn’t emotionally attached to baby Dawn. He was just making sure the child had the resources to be safe. He could relate to being alone in the world at a young age. It sucked.

Chester had done much the same for him many years ago when his life imploded. The lawyer had quickly and quietly maneuvered Roman Koronov’s financial holdings into a trust for Alex sand his brothers shortly after Roman was arrested.

“Now, all you have to do is find a wife to go with your daughter,” Chester said jovially.

Alex jolted. Awife? Him? He snorted in derision, but an image of Katie in the throes of an orgasm flashed into his mind, followed by memory of what it felt like to hold her in his arms as she cuddled up to him.

Bah. He wasn’t the marrying kind. He didn’t even trust her. She was aspy, for God’s sake. Or if she technically wasn’t one, she was damned well working for one.

He supposed there was a certain logic in being so attracted to her. The only family he’d ever known was in the spy business, as well. He must equate love with spies at some deep, subconscious level.

Screw that. He was done with the whole rotten, twisted head game.

He stood abruptly, and Chester rose with him. “I’ll be in touch, Alex.”

“Thanks,” he said shortly. Need to get out of this claustrophobic office rolled over him. He needed fresh air. Open space. Now.

* * *

Katie knew most of what Uncle Charlie told her. Roman Koronov lived and breathed espionage. He blatantly used his sons as a cover to come to America and taught his boys the tools of the trade.

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