Seducing the Accomplice by Jennifer Morey

rec room with a wine cellar. Upstairs, Calan took Sadie’s hand and led her into Murati’s home office, which doubled as a bedroom. Letting go of her, he booted the computer on the huge mahogany desk. No password. He searched Murati’s email and file folders. Nothing unusual came up. He kept his computer clean.
    He searched the rest of the office and other rooms but found nothing. Frustrated, he led Sadie out of the house through the back door. Now he’d have to wait until Murati returned.

    When Sadie saw the Durres marina ahead, hope lifted her spirits. “Are we going to Italy now?” He hadn’t said much about where they were going. Even with a fake passport she wouldn’t mind getting out of this country, and she knew there were ferries that would take them to Italy.
    “No.”
    Those brief hopes deflated like a beach ball with a hole. “Why are we here, then?”
    He parked and got out, taking his duffel bag with him. She followed, watching him open the trunk, unzip the suitcase and reach inside. Sadie moved around the side and caught sight of wads of cash inside the suitcase. A lot of cash. A suitcase full of euros. He took a bundle out and stuffed it into his duffel bag.
    Sadie gaped at him. Was it stolen?
    He fleetingly met her look and then zipped the suitcase shut.
    “Is this why you’ve been evading my questions?”
    Lifting the suitcase out of the trunk, he slammed the trunk shut and started toward the marina with the luggage in tow. Still recovering from her shock, Sadie hurried to catch up to him. Walking briskly, she studied his hard profile.
    “How much money is in there?” she asked.
    “Stop asking questions.”
    Like hell she would. “Where are we going? That’s a question you shouldn’t have any trouble answering.”
    “You said you wanted to go to Montenegro. We’re going to Montenegro.”
    What? She looked at the row of boats docked along the pier. “We’re sailing there?”
    “No.”
    “What are we doing here then? Why won’t you tell me?”
    They walked to a not-so-bad-looking yacht, where he stopped. Stepping aboard, he turned to offer his hand. She took it, but only because she didn’t want to trip in her shoes and fall into the sea.
    “Whose yacht is this?” It looked to be close to a hundred feet. Nice. Expensive.
    “Ours.”
    “Do you own it or did you charter it?”
    “Chartered it in Orikum.”
    Still, it had to cost a fortune. “Why? You had the plane in—”
    “Contingency,” he cut her off.
    On deck, she followed him to a sliding door, where he inserted a key into the lock and opened it. Pulling the suitcase with him, he stopped just inside and looked around.
    There was a white sofa and chair and a brown leather ottoman next to a dining table with four chairs. He passed that and the galley to reach some stairs that led to the lower deck. He was carrying the suitcase. It had to be heavy with all that money inside, yet he made it seem feather light. Below deck, he found a small cabin with two twin beds and wood paneling. Guest quarters. Opening a closet, he put the suitcase inside and shut it again.
    “Let’s go.”
    She followed him up the stairs and outside on the aft deck, where he locked the door and helped her off the boat.
    “What if someone finds that money?”
    “They won’t.”
    She noticed him look around, constantly vigilant. Anything suspicious he’d have noticed, or more aptly, anyone.
    They reached the car and he opened the passenger door for her. She looked longingly toward the marina.
    “Get in.”
    She sent him a sullen look and didn’t move. “Why can’t we take the boat to Italy and fly home from there?”
    “It isn’t that simple anymore. Whoever’s behind all this knows I flew into Andoni.”
    In secret.
    “I knew I should have taken my chances at the hotel.”
    “Then I would have stayed with you.”
    Really? He wouldn’t have left her alone? “You mean, if I hadn’t have gone with you, you’d have stayed?”
    “Of course, I