“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 care so much about 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 this is a 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?”

“It’s crass to talk numbers like this. We should meet. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow will be too late. You see, I’m also entertaining an offer from Laskin, except he will pay me. He has plans for Kira to consolidate his power with my father’s.”

“Kira is mine.”

“Perhaps. But she has other uses.”

The call ended.

Chapter Forty-Four

Rand stood at the helm in the cockpit and studied the controls. The vessel really was perfect for their cover story. Just the sort of thing a bodybuilding author of testosterone-filled spy thrillers would want to impress a woman he’d stalked across five thousand miles.

What a strange mix of truth and fiction they were playing. Kira, for her part, didn’t have to fake a damn thing. She came to Malta to find out about her parents and yesterday had her world upended. At the same time, she’d gotten involved with an author who’d followed her to Malta.

The relationship was genuine on both sides, even if the author was sketchy in his actions.

All true.

But Freya had been wrong about Kira’s acting ability. She could have pulled this off even if the essential facts weren’t true.

She climbed the stairs to the upper deck with two cups of coffee and handed him one. “You sure you can drive this thing?”

He chuckled, kissed her, then took a sip before answering. “Sweetheart, I’ve not only been an officer in the Navy for most of my adult life, I’m also a SEAL. Sea, Air, Land… This is the sea part.”

She rolled her eyes. “This isn’t scuba! And we aren’t jumping from a plane.”

“I promise you, I can handle a boat much bigger than this.” He cupped her ass. He really liked the not-fake part of this cover story. “Now, put on your bikini and sun yourself on the bow while I…drive this thing.”

“How do you know I have a bikini?”

“Hopeful thinking.” He squeezed, then released her butt. “Too bad I can’t take us out shirtless, but I’m under strict orders not to show off my muscles.”

“This is ridiculously unfair,” she grumbled.

“I didn’t make the rules.”

It would take an hour to get to their port on Gozo. The boat could get them there faster, but he was reluctant to open up the engines. He didn’t want to draw attention, and they weren’t in a hurry.

Kira spent the cruise sunbathing as he’d requested. Except she gave him a cheeky grin and removed her top once they were out on open water. She slathered her breasts in sunscreen, so he enjoyed the view even though it was a bit distracting.

After she was properly protected from UV rays, she picked up her cell phone. A moment later, his phone flashed with a text.

Kira

One of us should go topless, and since you can’t…

He laughed. This was their last hour of even a fake vacation. Everything after this would be covert intelligence gathering. Kira’s playfulness was just what they both needed before heading into battle.

She donned her top and cover-up as he turned toward the harbor. The boat had handled like a dream. Someday, Rand would insist on a do-over. A real vacation and chartered boat to travel between islands. They could return to Malta or stay closer to home and explore the Bahamas. Better yet, they could go halfway around the world to Micronesia. Palau was on his scuba bucket list.

But that would be in the future. First, they had to get through today.

Before disembarking, they settled in the galley to make their final check and get the last update. The supplies he’d received from the Navy in the wee hours of the morning were locked in the lazarette at the stern, hidden beneath life jackets, extra hoses and lines, and spare batteries.

Teague Collins had yet to get a response from Nadia, but he’d keep trying. It was early at Little Creek—not yet 0300—but the team was ready.

They ran through their checklist, starting with the technology that would do the heavy lifting.

Kira and Rand each had a tiny spider drone that FMV was beta testing for Raptor. Leah Ellis, the woman who designed it, was married to a Raptor operative, and she’d provided similar drones to Diana to help with Kira’s rescue six months ago. Kira owed so many people for that miracle.