You Only Love Twice (Masters and Mercenaries #8)

Theo stopped his pacing. “How is she supposed to stop thinking about it? I’m not in love with the dude and I’m thinking about it.”


Kamdar crossed one leg over another and sat back. “I am thinking of this as well. Mr. Murdoch did me great service once. I don’t like the idea that he’s being tormented in a non-sexual fashion.”

“Yeah, well you would know all about the other,” Theo muttered under his breath.

Erin brought her head up and sent Theo a glare that could freeze water. “Give the dude a break. He’s now bankrolling this whole enterprise and he put his butt on the line, too.”

Kamdar looked as innocent as a decadent royal could look. “My buttocks are strong and completely at your disposal, Miss Argent.”

Erin sighed before turning to Phoebe. “Think about nice things. Get your head out of whatever horror show is playing through it and picture something nice.”

“I’m not going to be able to think about puppies and babies right now.”

Erin’s face screwed up in distaste. “Eww. Both of those things poop. I was thinking about what’s going on behind that door. I bet they’ve ripped off his fingernails by now. Maybe waterboarded the fucker. I don’t care what the Agency says. That shit is awful. And beautiful in its own way.”

Theo shook his head, a look of horror on his face. “What is wrong with you? Were you deprived of love as a child? Did someone drop you on your head and destroy the center of your brain that controls your humanity?”

If Erin was offended, she didn’t show it. “Nah. I grew up with three brothers and a four-star general father. Ma left when I was two. Hooked up with some academic type. I was the youngest and I was raised by a barbarian horde. Hit the military when I was eighteen and haven’t looked back. Look, some chicks dig rom coms and quilting. I study torture techniques, and that’s why it’s so fucking unfair that I get left out here at the kiddie table.”

Kamdar leaned toward her. “When we return to my island, I will bring you many men to torture. I will begin with my cousin. He annoys me greatly.”

“I’m right here, asshole.” Chapal had taken up the cause as well, joining Hutch at the computers.

“Ignore him. I do. Tell me more about the things you would do to a very, very bad man,” Kamdar said, his voice low. “Go into detail.”

Theo smiled. “Yeah, Erin. Kamdar there wants you to do bad things to him. From what I hear, he kind of likes a little bite of pain.”

Well, at least Theo was happy. According to Jesse, Erin was the sub and she was pretty hard-core. The only torture she was into inflicting was on the real bad guys. Otherwise, she wanted to be on the receiving end. Apparently Theo knew it, too.

“Miss Grant?” Chapal looked up from his system. “I think we have something.”

Finally. She walked over to where Hutch and Chapal had lined up a bank of laptops. “What is it?”

Hutch pointed to his screen. “We found four locations that would work. Two small, unoccupied office buildings and two residences. One of the residences is pretty big though. It’s on the outer edges of the city by the beach.”

“Could they land a helicopter there?”

Chapal nodded. “But there is also a helipad at the two office spaces. We have to consider the fact that they sent him on. It’s possible they’ve already smuggled him out of the country and into Saudi. They could drive, though it’s a long way to Riyadh, where they live.”

The door opened and Ten stepped out. There was no way to miss the blood on his hands and shirt. He was wiping his forearms off as he looked to Phoebe. “I think he’s ready to talk if you want to have a word.”

She nodded, her heart in her throat. She was trained for this, too.

She followed Ten into the room and tried not to think about how Albertson’s shirt had been white at one time.

“Bitch,” he managed between swollen lips. “Do you know what my boss is going to do to you?”

“Nothing if he wants to continue in his current role.” Phoebe kept her voice calm and even. “I can connect the senator to a group known as The Collective. I can also prove that he sold information about our troops to a man who calls himself the Caliph. If you cooperate, I’ll ensure you’re not prosecuted for high treason. Do you understand what the United States does to traitors? Especially traitors during times of war.”

It was all a big bluff, but she meant to make that case. Chelsea was pulling documents together, going through payments and looking into the senator’s accounts.

Albertson’s eyes got wide and she knew she had him. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”

“But you know something.”

He finally nodded.