Page 44 of Scarlet Mark
I eyed the back of a man’s head. “How do you know?”
“Trust me. It’s him.” She shivered again, whatever he’d done to her evident in the way she shuttered her expression. “He never leaves Amir’s side.”
“A bodyguard,” I translated. Or maybeenforcerwas the better term. “Raoul is his primary business associate.”
She shook her head again. “No. When it’s important, he sends Taviv.”
“Raoul is noted as his negotiator.” I lifted my arm, needing my opposite hand, and skimmed through all the screens to pull up the man’s profile. “See.”
Amara took the item from me and began reading the profile, her gorgeous eyes flickering as she took in all the details. Her lips pinched to the side. “No. He might use this guy for his less important deals, but he’s not important to Amir. Those he trusts most, he meets in person and keeps near him.”
“Like Jenkins?” I asked.
“That’s complicated.” She set the tablet in my lap, her attention on me. “I was a gift from Amir to Malcom, a way to finalize their partnership. No one outside a few people know, which is why Taviv is usually the one who meets with Malcom.”
“And that’s why you’re saying he’s Assad’s true right-hand man, because otherwise it would be Raoul.”
“Yes. I’ve never seen Raoul before, and the things Amir has planned, he would want his lieutenants involved.”
“What do they have planned?” I asked, setting the tablet to the side and giving her my full attention.
“To ensure Malcom becomes the next president of the United States. To give him the power and ability to remain in charge due to a cataclysmic series of events that will require an extension of his presidency. To solidify his alliances with certain countries. There’s a whole plan that’s already in motion, and Malcom thinks he’s in charge. But it’s really Amir. He’s the true mastermind.”
That sounded about on par with what I knew of the crime lord. He had a myriad of contacts throughout the world, all partnerships created through years of weapons trading and other items. Like biological and chemical warfare. He had access to it all and profited significantly from war—hence his operations in the Middle East, a known hub for conflict.
“I need a list.” I stood, searching for a pad of paper and a pen, and handed them to her on the couch. “List every name you can think of, including Malcom’s political partners—both good and bad. Put a positive sign next to anyone you consider to be decent and not involved. A negative sign beside those with known ties to his nefarious activities. And a check mark beside those we should kill. You work on that while I make you some fresh coffee.”
I didn’t offer to add anything to it since she seemed okay without the sugar and cream last night.
“Okay.” She bent her head, already writing.
Having her agreeable and compliant was new. I rather liked it. “I’ll order us some food, too.” Because I was starving.
She just nodded, her focus on the task.
* * *
An hour later,our lunch finally arrived and Amara handed me three pages of names. I noted several senators and other politicians on the list, most of which she marked with positive signs. One had anXbeside it—Senator Dresden.
“Did you ever meet Senator Dresden?” I asked, very aware of the name and the senator’s darker inclinations.
“Yes. At a charity event. He’s dead now. That’s why I added theX.” She took a bite of her spätzle dish. There were mushrooms in it, but no meat.
“I know.” From what Nikolai told me, Senator Dresden had more than deserved his fate. “What about the other twoXs?” I knew she meant they were dead, but didn’t know much about them.
“Sharsky was a governor that Malcom made me suck off and kill after gathering some information. Wilson was a political analyst for one of Malcom’s political rivals. He gave me to Wilson for a night in exchange for some answers, then had me poison him after we were done.”
The casual way she recounted the horrors of her past made my stomach churn. No one should have endured what she went through. However, that she did so and maintained her sanity spoke volumes about her character. Every time she spoke, my admiration for her went up another notch.
“This is good,” she said, pointing to her food. “You should try it.”
I smirked. “Nah, the currywurst is the best.” And something that hadn’t been on the hotel menu. It required a special delivery, which Wyatt’s brother really needed to address. Currywurst was a fucking staple in this country. To not have it on the hotel menu was criminal.
We ate in silence while I reviewed the names. So many allies, the majority of which had positive signs because they were political connections. About fifteen others had negative marks, only two of which were senators, the others being wealthy patrons.
And then only a handful were marked for death. “Why are there only seven check marks on this list, Amara?” I expected at least twenty. Yet she’d only checked Assad, Taviv, Malcom, and four notable campaign donors.
“You asked me to check the ones I want dead. Those are the seven.”
