Page 24 of Locked and Loaded

Yasmina's face went very still. "I see."

Fatima turned to Lennox with a warm smile. "Ms. Abbington, I apologize for the inconvenience. That should not have happened." She shot a look at Yasmina that could have frozen the fountain in the center of the riad. "Yasmina will arrange a complimentary spa treatment for you, as well as dinner this evening at our restaurant. With our compliments."

"That's really not necessary," Lennox said, though she didn't mean it.

"I insist." Fatima's tone made it clear this was not optional. "Yasmina?"

Yasmina's lips pressed into a thin line. "Of course. I'll make the arrangements now." She looked at Lennox, and the apology came out through clenched teeth, each word a tiny surrender. "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience, Ms. Abbington."

Lennox let the silence hang for just a beat longer than comfortable. "Thank you, Yasmina. I appreciate that."

Fatima nodded once, a crisp dismissal, and Yasmina turned back to her computer, her fingers hitting the keys a little harder than necessary.

Lennox walked away from the desk with a small smile on her face while she willed her heart rate back to normal. She wasn’t sure how criminals did it. She knew the card was fine and the address was correct, and she still broke out in a sweat when asked about it. Damn good thing it was a false alarm. She wasn’t sure what she would have done if they’d found her out. The name was false, but she did pay the bills, so it wasn’t like anyone was getting ripped off. Still, that had drawn far more attention than she’d like to her and her fake ID. She blew out a breath. A drink was definitely in order. A free spa treatment and dinner. Maybe this evening wasn't going to be a total waste after all.

Lennox approached the podium, and the young woman immediately smiled at her. “Ms. Abbington. How are you this evening?”

“Fine, thank you.” Lennox returned her smile. “A table, please.”

“Of course. Right this way.” The hostess showed Lennox to a table tucked in the corner by the far side of the pool. Lennox looked up. They had covered the indoor pool with cloth on the roof to provide shade, and of course it was the center of all this, so all the tables were surrounding it. There was also a small spot for what looked like live music not far from where Lennox was sitting.

She liked being tucked into the corner. It was the perfect table. She could see whoever entered or approached. She didn’t know if the beautiful hostess had tucked her here on purpose, to hide away that she was by herself so she wouldn’t frighten off other customers, or because she read that Lennox was tired and really wanted to be tucked away. Either way, she was very pleased with her seat.

She decided that since she was going to pamper herself for one evening, she would eat anything she wanted and have a glass of wine. Just one. The waiter came by. She ordered her selection, and he offered her some suggestions in terms of appetizers and a meal. Her mouth was watering already.

A gentleman walked by. He took his seat over in the small area that had been reserved for musicians. Lennox watched while he got organized, and she tried to remember the last time she’d been anywhere that there’d been live music. It had been ages. Not just before her sister had been taken, but maybe a year.

It made her sad to realize how much time she’d been wasting working. It was great to work, and she loved her job as a forensic financial investigator. Hell, it had prepared her for this, and it helped her do the research to find her sister and gave her the skills to outrun the bad guys, at least so far. But it also made her… boring.

That was the word. She didn’t go out with friends much. She worked all the time. She hadn’t really been participating in life, just work. She fought the feeling of loneliness threatening. She promised herself that once she got her sister back and went back to living a normal life, she would engage more. She would spend time exploring in Europe, not just Zurich where she lived, but the whole of Europe. She would travel. She would make time for her friends. She would make time for a lot of things.

The waiter approached with a bottle of wine. “I just wanted one glass.”

He nodded. “Yes, miss. But I have to open a new bottle, so I thought you might like to taste it.” She offered him a smile, glanced at the label, and nodded. He went through the actions, opening the bottle and pouring her a small bit. She swirled it in the glass. It was a lovely color, crisp white. She immediately took a sip, but she savored it much more than she normally would have. It was a reminder that she needed to savor her life in general. She sniffed the wine again and nodded at the waiter. He filled her glass and then disappeared.

The wine was divine. Whether it was because she had picked an extraordinary bottle or because someone had shot at her earlier and now suddenly everything seemed so much more intense, she wasn’t sure. But she was going to enjoy tonight, because she deserved it, and she wouldn’t feel guilty, although, realistically, that was impossible.

But she would do it because she knew Chloe would want her to. Chloe was her polar opposite. Maybe it was because they had different mothers, but Chloe’s mother was a vicious bitch. She also knew how to live well. It would’ve been much better if she hadn’t drained the life out of their father doing it, but she had to give the woman credit. She knew how to live. She knew how to wring the joy out of everything.

Chloe, fortunately enough, had inherited the best of both of her parents, of their dad and her mom. Chloe knew how to wring joy out of life, but she also knew when to be logical and how to be responsible.

Lennox took another sip of wine and silently toasted her sister. They would be together again soon. It was a promise that Lennox made to herself, and to Chloe.

The sound of the oud floated across the riad as the musician strummed the first few notes. Its rounded wooden body reminded Lennox of a lute she'd once seen in a museum, although this one seemed older somehow, polished smooth by years of use. The music was soft and almost haunting. Lennox turned to watch the gentleman playing. He was older, with gray hair and a lined face, but it was obvious that he knew what he was doing. His fingers moved with incredible speed across the strings. The sound that he made was beautiful, and Lennox was mesmerized. The musician went from one song to the next, and she was thoroughly enjoying it.

The waiter came and placed her first course, which was pita bread with a variety of sauces, in front of her. She took a bite. The flavors exploded in her mouth. Somehow, food had never tasted this good before. She took another bite and a sip of wine. It felt almost like the best food she’d ever eaten. She knew that couldn’t possibly be true. She’d dined at some of the world’s best restaurants, but still, the flavors were incredible, and the music just seemed to complement it all. She turned back to watch the man as she continued enjoying dinner. This would be her night to savor, and it would be the memory that kept her going on the long nights to come.

CHAPTER TEN

Dragan cursed as he tried to figure out his next move. Now that he knew Lennox was after her sister, his mission changed slightly. It was good information to have, but he wasn't quite sure how that tied in with the Society. It was obvious she thought the Society had her sister or had a hand in this, but it didn't really make sense. The only way to find out for sure was to ask her, and that meant he had to find her again, and fast. He glanced at his watch. He was pretty sure that Ali's shop would still be open. He had no other leads. The only thing to do was retrace their steps. Maybe Lennox had done something that would lead him to her.

He hated being in this position. He prided himself on being smarter than this—not losing someone he had already found—but sometimes life threw a curveball, and this time it was by way of being shot at. Now he knew better. He was prepared. He traced his steps back to Ali's stall and walked in.

“Oh, shit,” Ali said. “What do you want?”

Dragan rubbed his arm, hopefully evoking the unconscious memory of where the kid had grabbed it before. Dragan smiled. “I need to know more about that lady's visit earlier, man.”

“I told you everything,” he said, nothing but pure New York poured out of his mouth now.