figure out how I’m going to survive here.”
•●•
Lars swallowed. He’d spent the last half hour of the flight considering how to approach Tamara. Simply blurting out that he thought she’d killed Jaret would probably be a mistake since she was still skittish enough to bolt.
“Well?” She tapped one foot impatiently and settled her hands on her hips. “Did you lie about me being in danger? How would you have found out about something like that?”
“No, fraulein . I did not lie. This conversation might go better if we were more comfortable.” He settled on one of the sofas and patted the spot next to him.
She started his way, and then veered off and sat on the sofa at right-angles to his. “Okay,” she said through tight lips. “I’m comfortable enough.”
She wasn’t going to make this easy. Lars steepled his fingers together, surprised by how sweaty his palms were. He’d faced down seasoned killers with more aplomb than he felt right now. “I work for an organization that makes it their business to know things. While we were airborne, one of my associates called. Ermstatter told him you were on the plane, and he wanted to know who you were. Once I told him, he did some research through an extensive computer network.”
Her eyes widened and she drew into herself like a puppy that had been kicked. Lars extended a hand toward her and hastened on. “You have nothing to fear from us. Earlier you asked why I was in the casino. I was tracking Jaret Chen. It probably will not surprise you to know he is dead.” Lars sent his shifter magic outward, casting it in a net to assess both her reaction and the truth of her next words.
She sucked in a shaky breath and kept her gaze on the floor. “I found him that way in our rooms. I was afraid,” her voice trembled, “so I ran.”
Lars felt her lie in the pit of his stomach, but didn’t confront it directly. “I also know about your sister and her drug problem. I am so sorry for your loss.”
Tamara looked at him then; her blue eyes held a haunted edge. “Moira never used drugs,” she said, a hard edge of defensiveness roughening her voice. “That animal killed her and made it look like an overdose.”
“All the more reason you would have wanted him dead.” Lars kept his voice low, gentle. “I am no stranger to killing, fraulein . Some people are so bad they deserve their fate.”
“Oh.” Her voice was desolate, broken. “I’m guessing you know, then, or you wouldn’t have said that bit about bad people.”
“ Ja . I know. It takes much courage to—” A rush of unintelligible words in Irish tumbled from her, drowning out the rest of his sentence.
Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed. She ignored the flood. “Y-you won’t be telling anyone,” she moaned and wrapped her arms around herself as if she’d never get warm again. “Oh dear God, you said one of your associates knows too.”
Lars couldn’t stand to see her suffer. He moved to her side and took her into his arms. She sobbed against him while he smoothed her hair and waited for the storm to subside. “You need not worry about my associate, Garen, or myself. Or any who work for my firm, The Company. What we, yes, we , must concern ourselves with is that Jaret Chen’s gang has apparently decided you killed him. It is why they came after your taxi—and why they did not bother me again after accosting me on my way to the airport. I thought it curious at the time they did not send another agent after my car, or simply shoot the tires out, but now I understand why they left me alone.”
She pulled away from his chest and snuffled, wiping her sleeve across her face. Lars handed her a handkerchief from one of his many pockets and she blew her nose. “What was I supposed to do?” she demanded. “He killed my only sister. I’m certain of it, though I don’t have the kind of proof a magistrate would want. Moira’s death nearly killed our da. My family will never be the
•●•
Lars swallowed. He’d spent the last half hour of the flight considering how to approach Tamara. Simply blurting out that he thought she’d killed Jaret would probably be a mistake since she was still skittish enough to bolt.
“Well?” She tapped one foot impatiently and settled her hands on her hips. “Did you lie about me being in danger? How would you have found out about something like that?”
“No, fraulein . I did not lie. This conversation might go better if we were more comfortable.” He settled on one of the sofas and patted the spot next to him.
She started his way, and then veered off and sat on the sofa at right-angles to his. “Okay,” she said through tight lips. “I’m comfortable enough.”
She wasn’t going to make this easy. Lars steepled his fingers together, surprised by how sweaty his palms were. He’d faced down seasoned killers with more aplomb than he felt right now. “I work for an organization that makes it their business to know things. While we were airborne, one of my associates called. Ermstatter told him you were on the plane, and he wanted to know who you were. Once I told him, he did some research through an extensive computer network.”
Her eyes widened and she drew into herself like a puppy that had been kicked. Lars extended a hand toward her and hastened on. “You have nothing to fear from us. Earlier you asked why I was in the casino. I was tracking Jaret Chen. It probably will not surprise you to know he is dead.” Lars sent his shifter magic outward, casting it in a net to assess both her reaction and the truth of her next words.
She sucked in a shaky breath and kept her gaze on the floor. “I found him that way in our rooms. I was afraid,” her voice trembled, “so I ran.”
Lars felt her lie in the pit of his stomach, but didn’t confront it directly. “I also know about your sister and her drug problem. I am so sorry for your loss.”
Tamara looked at him then; her blue eyes held a haunted edge. “Moira never used drugs,” she said, a hard edge of defensiveness roughening her voice. “That animal killed her and made it look like an overdose.”
“All the more reason you would have wanted him dead.” Lars kept his voice low, gentle. “I am no stranger to killing, fraulein . Some people are so bad they deserve their fate.”
“Oh.” Her voice was desolate, broken. “I’m guessing you know, then, or you wouldn’t have said that bit about bad people.”
“ Ja . I know. It takes much courage to—” A rush of unintelligible words in Irish tumbled from her, drowning out the rest of his sentence.
Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed. She ignored the flood. “Y-you won’t be telling anyone,” she moaned and wrapped her arms around herself as if she’d never get warm again. “Oh dear God, you said one of your associates knows too.”
Lars couldn’t stand to see her suffer. He moved to her side and took her into his arms. She sobbed against him while he smoothed her hair and waited for the storm to subside. “You need not worry about my associate, Garen, or myself. Or any who work for my firm, The Company. What we, yes, we , must concern ourselves with is that Jaret Chen’s gang has apparently decided you killed him. It is why they came after your taxi—and why they did not bother me again after accosting me on my way to the airport. I thought it curious at the time they did not send another agent after my car, or simply shoot the tires out, but now I understand why they left me alone.”
She pulled away from his chest and snuffled, wiping her sleeve across her face. Lars handed her a handkerchief from one of his many pockets and she blew her nose. “What was I supposed to do?” she demanded. “He killed my only sister. I’m certain of it, though I don’t have the kind of proof a magistrate would want. Moira’s death nearly killed our da. My family will never be the
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