Traitorous Attraction (12 page)

“Kate Swiss, it is wonderful to finally meet you. You are even more dazzling in person.” Marcus released her and took Kate’s hands in his, kissed both her cheeks and let his eyes and hands linger on Kate for several long moments before he turned to Connor, smiling thinly and looking annoyed that Connor was there.

Marcus’s fake smile reaffirmed that he’d been right. Marcus had jumped at the chance to see “Kate Swiss” and take her out to dinner.

“Thank you for your warm welcome,” Kate said. She introduced Connor to Marcus, and he shook the man’s hand. Marcus’s palms were damp and his blinking rapid. Nerves over meeting Kate or was he hiding something?

Marcus moved to Kate’s other side. “I’ve made reservations for the three of us. Luckily, we refer a number of international visitors here and I’ve gotten friendly with the maître d’. Otherwise, we would have been eating at 10:00 p.m. or at the pizzeria down the street.”

Kate laughed. “I’ve had my fill of pizza in America. I want to try the local cuisine.”

Connor loosened his jaw, realizing he’d been clenching it watching Marcus and Kate. He didn’t like Marcus, although he owed him a debt for alerting them that Aiden was alive. Was it that the man was practically drooling over Kate or were his instincts picking up on a deception?

The high ceilings of the room allowed the string quartet to play without overwhelming the space with noise. Polite conversation floated among the diners at the small linen-covered tables. Nearly everyone was wearing suits and dresses. Connor wasn’t familiar with the locals, but he guessed the tables were filled with the wealthy upper class who could afford to spend a few hundred dollars on a dinner. The income gap in Tumara was huge. The rich were very rich and the poor were very poor and the middle class didn’t exist.

Connor didn’t care for the way Marcus slid his hand to Kate’s lower back, walking her to their table. Connor followed behind. If Marcus’s hand slid lower to Kate’s rear end, Connor would grab it and break it off, information or no information. The streak of possessiveness was intense and unexpected.

Kate had gotten through to him, and when he stopped putting effort into rebuffing her, he found he wanted her in his bed. He didn’t want to share her.

They were shown to a table situated close to the dance floor, and Marcus took the seat closest to Kate. At Connor’s pointed look, Kate subtly shook her head as if to say, “No, you didn’t win the bet.” She’d wait for Marcus to do something more overt before admitting he had been right.

Connor shrugged and sat. At the rate they were going, he’d win their bet by the time their drinks arrived.

Marcus leaned close to Kate, angling Connor out of the conversation. “Kate, tell me what brought you to Tumara so unexpectedly. I didn’t hear from anyone at the consulate that you were planning a trip here.”

Kate took her dinner napkin and folded it on her lap. “Just between you and me, I’ve had some problems at work. My boss has gotten more and more demanding. I’m working nights and weekends, and he still isn’t happy. I’m stressed-out to the max.”

Marcus nodded in understanding.

Connor watched Kate work this guy, a mix of pulling on his sympathies and playing the damsel in distress.

Marcus took a sip of his water. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. You seem so put together and confident on the phone.”

“That’s part of the job. But, Marcus...” Kate paused and set her hand on Marcus’s. Marcus looked at their hands, and the smug smile on his face irritated Connor to no end. Connor had to suppress his jealousy—yes, pure, unadulterated jealousy. He wanted to reach across the table and wipe the dopey look off Marcus’s face with his fist. “I know with everything going on in the country, it’s getting harder and harder to keep the peace and do our jobs. I believe in this country. I believe
el presidente
is doing his best to address the people’s concerns and the problems facing the lower class.

“I’ve worked for the State Department for years. I love the work I do. I want to be part of the solution,” Kate said.

Marcus was clinging to her every word. If the guy weren’t attractive and muscular, it wouldn’t have bothered Connor as much. It wasn’t a crush from some pathetic, sniveling loser grasping at the attention of an attractive female. Marcus, in his tie-less suit and with his stiff, gelled hair, could pick a number of women in the room to take home. But he wanted Kate.

Connor didn’t blame Marcus. But he was territorial when he desired someone or something. It wasn’t a trait he enjoyed about himself, but he didn’t like watching another man flirting with the woman he wanted.

“Are you asking me for a job?” Marcus asked.

“Not asking you,” Kate said. “But exploring the possibility.”

“You want to move to Tumara?” Marcus asked.

The interest in the guy’s eyes bordered on yearning. This guy needed to calm down. He was sitting at the table ogling another man’s girlfriend, and that other man was in the same room, at the same table, staring at them. This guy was either led around by his hormones or was ballsy.

“I’d like to, yes,” Kate said. “Connor and I are here to look around. He’s not as hot on the idea as I am. I’m hoping to convince him.”

Good idea to imply some underlying tension and give this weasel the impression he might stand a chance with Kate.

Marcus turned slowly to Connor. “You don’t like our country?”

Connor shrugged noncommittally. “I haven’t decided. It’s my first time here. Kate says good things about the politics and the people. She lives and breathes it. Am I wrong to think moving here will mean I’ll see even less of her?”

Marcus returned his attention to Kate. “We work long hours. Especially lately. You’ve seen the news. The world loves to cheer for the underdog, and the AR is doing its share of barking. No one realizes how much trouble and violence they bring to the people.”

The conversation was naturally leading around to the AR and the government’s problems.

The waiter arrived with drinks and took their order. Marcus ordered appetizers for the three to share, promising they would delight.

“It is a privilege to work for the Tumaran government. I will see if I can find anything available that might suit your skill set,” Marcus said.

Connor guessed any job that Marcus found for Kate would be working in close proximity to him.

“That’s so nice of you. Kate is a woman of many talents. I’m sure you can find something for her,” Connor said.

“I hate to ask a favor on top of a favor, but if it’s possible, I’d like to work on projects that will keep my hands near the fire. I can’t see myself being happy filing paperwork,” Kate said. “I do enough of that now and I’d like a change.”

Marcus turned his chair to face Kate. “I wouldn’t recommend something boring. Not for the woman who single-handedly resolved several problems with the AR.”

Kate lowered her head and blushed. “I had the right intel at the right time to make sure the government was ahead of their plans.”

Sphere was firmly on the side of
el presidente
and the government. It didn’t surprise him. Then again, Sphere wasn’t on anybody’s side but their own. They would switch allegiances if it was beneficial to them.

“You never told me how you knew what you did about the AR,” Marcus said.

Kate laughed and winked at him. “I can’t reveal my sources. At least, not yet.”

Connor was starting to feel as if he was on someone else’s date. A bad date. A sleazy date. The longer Connor was with Marcus and watching him talk to Kate, the more irritated he became.

Marcus took a sip of his wine. “Kate, are you sure you want to stay mixed up in the problems
el presidente
has with the AR? They’re dangerous. Pockets of rebellion are springing up every week. We stamp out one group and two more pop up.”

Kate patted her hair. “The government has it under control.” She sounded naive, as if she had every confidence in
el presidente
and the Tumaran government. Connor guessed it was her intention.

“Do they?” Connor asked, hearing the challenge in his voice. Kate had been handling the conversation well, but Marcus’s characterization of the AR grated on him. His brother had chosen to fight on the side of the AR and that meant something to Connor. Ariana was a motivating factor, no doubt, but what else had stirred his brother to change sides?

“We do,” Marcus said, a chill in his voice. “We’re routinely looking for members of the group and we have investigators question them. We find out what we can about their plans, their movements and their locations. Those who are willing to work with us get much more leniency. Those who insist on maintaining silence are punished to the maximum extent allowed by law.”

Connor’s ears tingled. Marcus needed just a little push and he would give up more information, information they needed to locate Aiden. “No loyalty among thieves? I imagine most are quick to spill what they know to get out of trouble.”

“You’d think. Most like to play the big, strong hero. We break them eventually.”

The idea of his brother “breaking” gnawed at Connor’s control. That word could mean anything: prison, torture or death. Heat flushed through his body and it took him a moment to gather his control. He stood. “Please excuse me. I need to use the men’s room.” If he didn’t get away from the table and from Marcus, he didn’t trust his next words.

* * *

“He seems uptight,” Marcus said, signaling to the waiter for a refill on his drink.

Kate rolled her glass between her hands. “Connor? I guess you could say that. He’s not comfortable being here. He wants me to stay in America and find a new job there.”

“If you want to be one place and he wants to be in another, what can you do to change it?” Marcus asked.

Pretend relationship aside, Kate found it difficult to get on the same page as Connor. He was closed off, distrusting and harsh. Breaking into his thoughts, earning his trust and seeing his softer side had been a wonderful experience. Marcus didn’t know how much his comment resonated on an emotional level with her. “I don’t know that it will work. If I find the right opportunity and Connor doesn’t want to live here, I can’t change his mind. Connor does what he wants to do,” Kate said.

Marcus had come close to detailing the work she’d done in support of
el presidente,
which might have divulged the role she’d played in Aiden’s disappearance. She hadn’t told Aiden about the government raid on the AR before it had happened even though she knew he was undercover with the AR. Her boss had asked her to hold the information. She should have questioned why instead of blindly accepting that Sphere was acting in the best interest of their agents. If Sphere had learned that Aiden had changed his loyalty to the AR, they would have wanted him dead, and a government raid could have met that purpose. Kate didn’t want Connor to learn from someone else that she could have warned Aiden and saved his life. She’d have to tell him the truth. Kate refocused on Marcus, not wanting to miss anything important.

“Can I speak frankly for a moment?” At Kate’s nod, he continued. “You’re a strong woman and you’ve learned the art of negotiation. We know the only way to get things done is to play nice in the sandbox. How can you make a relationship work with someone who is strong-willed and who doesn’t understand life is a series of compromises?”

Kate had a feeling she was about to lose the bet with Connor. She leaned away, hoping to dissuade Marcus from using Connor’s absence to make a pass at her.

Marcus covered her hand with his. “I don’t mean to upset you. But if you decide your relationship with Connor is unworkable, my heart is open to you. Both as a friend and a colleague. I’ve felt a connection with you since we first spoke, and now that we’re together, I feel it more strongly.”

Marcus was willing to blow apart their friendship for the possibility of sleeping with her. Typical. She couldn’t cut him off at the knees. Not when she needed him on her side and to remain an ally. Kate fished for more information. “We’ve always had a good rapport. I’ve trusted you with information my superiors thought I should keep to myself.”

“I’ve done the same with you.”

Kate nodded, seeing her opening to ask about Aiden. “You sent me a picture of an American a short time ago. Have you located him?”

Marcus shifted. “Initially, I believed he was being held by the AR. But I’ve heard some disturbing rumors lately that he was found to be a traitor and arrested. I don’t know what information is true or who I can trust.”

Kate waited for him to continue.

He took a sip of his drink. “We have some Americans in La Sabaneta.”

La Sabaneta was the worst prison in the country. Violent offenders were housed there, and controlling the prison population sometimes meant taking extreme measures. Was Aiden one of the Americans held inside the prison? “If the American consulate finds out, it will create an international incident.”

Marcus rubbed his forehead. “I am aware. It’s why I sent you that picture the first time.
El presidente
doesn’t want any further interference from the international community, and Americans in danger in this region will bring that interference. But what can we do now? If the Americans are released, they’ll sell their story to the press. If we don’t release them, someone could still find out about them. We’re in a difficult position.”

Kate nodded in sympathy. Inside, she was boiling. Misinformation was part of the game, but she and Connor had wasted time tracking Aiden to the AR only to learn he had been a prisoner of the Tumaran government. Was he still alive?

“I wish I could offer something to help,” Kate said. “My position is precarious. My boss doesn’t listen to me.” By getting the information and then distancing herself from it, she hoped to avoid suspicion. She turned the conversation back to something personal. “If I were to find a job here, I’d stay. Connor is returning to the U.S. at the end of the week. I don’t know what that will mean for our relationship.”

Marcus seemed happy about her response, and she hoped it had distracted him from reading more into her questions about the Americans in La Sabaneta and Aiden.