Page 98 of Close Pursuit

No wonder Alex was a head case. He’d never asked for any of that training. It had been forced on a little boy with no choice in the matter. She really was starting to hate Roman Koronov. At least she’d thwarted Roman’s attempt to get the list of D.U. staffers. Satisfaction coursed through her.

“How in the hell did you end up running with an asshole like Koronov?” Mike asked.

“He’s a doctor. I went with him on Doctors Unlimited mission into Zaghastan.”

“He was your partner? I heard you were coming out to my neck of the woods to play. I would’ve stopped by and said hi if I knew you were there.”

She’d played a whole lot of poker for toothpicks with Ian over the years. She knew his tells, and he was being evasive with her, now. Why wouldn’t he be square with her? Did it have to do with protecting a cover for his job, or was it something else? Something he didn’t want to admit? What had he been doing out there at the end of the world?

“What took you to greater downtown Zaghastan, bro?”

“Work.”

She rolled her eyes. “What kind of work?”

“Classified work.”

“C’mon, Ian. I’m not a kid anymore. I know what was going on in that region. Don’t bullshit me. What were you doing?”

He shrugged a little under the bandages swathing his torso. “Observing.”

“So you weren’t one of the military types dressed up to look like rebels?”

His laser-sharp gaze snapped to hers and his voice dropped to a bare murmur. “What do you know about that?”

“Only what I saw with my own two eyes. Those ‘rebels’ were way too well armed and slick to be locals. I know a trained soldier when I see one. I grew up with all you lugs, remember? Those were Spec Ops types.”

He sighed. “Could you keep that to yourself? It’s highly classified information.”

She shrugged. “I’m just a civilian aid worker on a humanitarian trip. Who’s gonna ask me about something like that? Your secret’s safe with me.”

He snorted skeptically. “Not as long as you’re hanging around with that guy. He’s trouble.”

It was her turn to snort. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“Stay away from him, Katie. He’s a big shark and you’re a tiny little minnow.”

God, she hated it when her brothers said things like that to her. It was just that kind of dismissal of her that had sent her to Zaghastan in the first place. But Ian was looking a little gray around the gills, and she wasn’t feeling too hot herself. She would pick that fight with him later.

“I’ll let you get some rest. Mom and Dad are driving down to see you, today. They’ll be here this afternoon.” On that note she let herself out of Ian’s room.

She didn’t relish the interrogation her parents would subject her to when they saw her injuries and, moreover, heard she was hanging out with the guy who’d stabbed her brother.

“You okay?” Alex’s voice asked in concern from behind her. She was surprised he was still out here, waiting for her. Reluctant gratitude flowed through her.

“I was thinking about having to face my parents this evening.”

“If it put that look of pain on your face, don’t do it. Come to my place and let me take care of you.”

“I thought you were avoiding your place.”

He shrugged. “Everyone seems to know I’m involved with you. I’d rather be surrounded by known security measures and force the hostiles to come at me head on if they’re going to make a run at you.”

“What about Dawn?”

“She’s in a safe place.”

She winced. “I’m pretty sure the guy who jumped me followed me from the convent. I think they’re using Dawn as bait to find us.”

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