worked the combination.
“Soon.” Graham dropped his heavy weight into a plush upholstered chair. “This one’s going to require some serious maneuvering. When my contact calls, I’ll set the drop.”
Miranda leaned closer to Matt as she shifted Roz again. Wayward strands of her dark hair tickled his nose, and he brushed her ponytail from his face, but not before he caught a whiff of something fruity. And must she stand so damn close? Her shapely ass teased his thigh, and he reached down to shift her hips aside. She snatched his hand in fierce but silent protest, squeezing his fingers with more strength than he gave her credit for. He got the warning. Hands off.
Matt forced his attention back to the scene outside the closet.
“This is the last time,” Keyes said as he emptied the contents of the briefcase into the safe. “Our deal served its purpose in the beginning, but I mean it when I say your contact needs to make other arrangements.”
“You and I both know that’s a problem.” Graham looked like he wanted to sneer. “You opened this pipeline. Shutting it off won’t be easy.”
“We are done after this drop.” Keyes slammed the safe door shut. “Tell them.”
“These aren’t the kind of people you tell what to do.” Graham’s face sharpened and Matt caught a shadow of worry. “It ends when they’re ready.”
“This agreement was never indefinite.” Keyes grabbed the books off his desk and returned them to the shelf. “Both sides knew there were limits. I’ve kept my end of the bargain. They need to keep theirs.”
“You’ve obviously no idea who you’re dealing with,” said Graham.
Keyes straightened to his full diminutive height and stared at his personnel manager. “I expect them to do as agreed, and I expect you to deliver the message.”
“Fine, I’ll deliver it,” Graham snapped. “But I wouldn’t be holding my breath if I were you.”
This was exactly the break Matt needed. Only two things were worth that kind of down payment. Diamonds or weapons. And in most cases, the two went hand in hand.
As much as it pained him to admit, Graham was right. The diamond cartel had a ruthless underbelly. Keeping promises didn’t come high on their list of priorities. But keeping money flowing did. Keyes lived in a fantasy world if he thought there was any code of honor they would adhere to. This was a one-way street.
“Call me when you have the drop time,” Keyes said as they crossed into the outer room. Graham’s response grew muffled.
His fruity-smelling companion tried to reach for the door but Matt grabbed her shoulders, holding her still until he heard the telltale click of the outer door. Then, with an exhale of relief, he let her go.
Miranda bolted out of the closet like he had the plague. “I knew it!” She set the monkey on the floor and looked up at him, eyes full of indignant anger. “I knew the minute I saw you something’s wrong.”
Well, damn. Hiding the reason he was here was useless. She’d plainly heard the deal go down. “Okay, so I’m on a minor investigation. Don’t get worked up over it.”
His biggest problem right now was keeping her quiet. He’d spent months tracking the diamond flow this far. Stopping now was out of the question.
“That’s it?” Her tone was incredulous. “That’s all you have to say about it?”
“What else is there?” He leaned back against Keyes’s huge desk. “I’m doing a job just like you. No need for anything to change.”
“Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you”—her arms crossed over her chest—“but I saw the way you do your job. There’s nothing delicate about it.”
He pushed off the desk. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“This isn’t the airport where you can thrash about recklessly. Katanga is fragile and vital to this community. What’s your plan to protect it?”
The woman had lost her mind. “Did you just hear that conversation? That kind of money brings
“Soon.” Graham dropped his heavy weight into a plush upholstered chair. “This one’s going to require some serious maneuvering. When my contact calls, I’ll set the drop.”
Miranda leaned closer to Matt as she shifted Roz again. Wayward strands of her dark hair tickled his nose, and he brushed her ponytail from his face, but not before he caught a whiff of something fruity. And must she stand so damn close? Her shapely ass teased his thigh, and he reached down to shift her hips aside. She snatched his hand in fierce but silent protest, squeezing his fingers with more strength than he gave her credit for. He got the warning. Hands off.
Matt forced his attention back to the scene outside the closet.
“This is the last time,” Keyes said as he emptied the contents of the briefcase into the safe. “Our deal served its purpose in the beginning, but I mean it when I say your contact needs to make other arrangements.”
“You and I both know that’s a problem.” Graham looked like he wanted to sneer. “You opened this pipeline. Shutting it off won’t be easy.”
“We are done after this drop.” Keyes slammed the safe door shut. “Tell them.”
“These aren’t the kind of people you tell what to do.” Graham’s face sharpened and Matt caught a shadow of worry. “It ends when they’re ready.”
“This agreement was never indefinite.” Keyes grabbed the books off his desk and returned them to the shelf. “Both sides knew there were limits. I’ve kept my end of the bargain. They need to keep theirs.”
“You’ve obviously no idea who you’re dealing with,” said Graham.
Keyes straightened to his full diminutive height and stared at his personnel manager. “I expect them to do as agreed, and I expect you to deliver the message.”
“Fine, I’ll deliver it,” Graham snapped. “But I wouldn’t be holding my breath if I were you.”
This was exactly the break Matt needed. Only two things were worth that kind of down payment. Diamonds or weapons. And in most cases, the two went hand in hand.
As much as it pained him to admit, Graham was right. The diamond cartel had a ruthless underbelly. Keeping promises didn’t come high on their list of priorities. But keeping money flowing did. Keyes lived in a fantasy world if he thought there was any code of honor they would adhere to. This was a one-way street.
“Call me when you have the drop time,” Keyes said as they crossed into the outer room. Graham’s response grew muffled.
His fruity-smelling companion tried to reach for the door but Matt grabbed her shoulders, holding her still until he heard the telltale click of the outer door. Then, with an exhale of relief, he let her go.
Miranda bolted out of the closet like he had the plague. “I knew it!” She set the monkey on the floor and looked up at him, eyes full of indignant anger. “I knew the minute I saw you something’s wrong.”
Well, damn. Hiding the reason he was here was useless. She’d plainly heard the deal go down. “Okay, so I’m on a minor investigation. Don’t get worked up over it.”
His biggest problem right now was keeping her quiet. He’d spent months tracking the diamond flow this far. Stopping now was out of the question.
“That’s it?” Her tone was incredulous. “That’s all you have to say about it?”
“What else is there?” He leaned back against Keyes’s huge desk. “I’m doing a job just like you. No need for anything to change.”
“Well, I hate to be the one to break it to you”—her arms crossed over her chest—“but I saw the way you do your job. There’s nothing delicate about it.”
He pushed off the desk. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
“This isn’t the airport where you can thrash about recklessly. Katanga is fragile and vital to this community. What’s your plan to protect it?”
The woman had lost her mind. “Did you just hear that conversation? That kind of money brings
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