“Oh, I see.”

By the time we arrive at the house, my clothes are sticking to my skin from the extreme humidity. It’s a relief to be back indoors, where the air-conditioning keeps the temperature nice and cool. “That’s Amazonia for you,” Rosa says, smiling as I gulp down a glass of cold water I grab from the kitchen. “We’re right next to the rainforest, and it’s always like a steam bath outside.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” I mutter, feeling in dire need of another shower. It had been hot on the island as well, but the breeze coming from the ocean had made it tolerable, even pleasant. Here, however, the heat is almost smothering, the air still and thick with moisture.

Placing the empty glass on the table, I turn toward Rosa. “I think I might use that pool you showed me,” I tell her, deciding to take advantage of the amenities. “Would you like to join me?”

Rosa’s eyes widen. She’s clearly surprised by my invitation. “Oh, I’d love to,” she says sincerely, “but I need to help Ana prepare lunch and then clean the bedrooms upstairs . . .”

“Of course.” I feel slightly embarrassed because, for a moment, I forgot that Rosa is not here solely to keep me company—that she has actual duties and responsibilities around the house. “Well, in that case, thank you for the tour. I really appreciate it.”

She grins at me. “It was my pleasure, happy to do it anytime.”

And as she busies herself in the kitchen, I head upstairs to change into a swimsuit.

Chapter 9

Julian

I find Nora by the pool, lounging with a book under one of the umbrellas. Her slim legs are crossed at the ankles, and she’s wearing a strapless white bikini, her golden skin gleaming with droplets of water. She must’ve been swimming recently.

Hearing my footsteps, she sits up and places her book on a side table. “Hi,” she says softly when I approach her lounge chair. Her sunglasses are too big for her small face, making her look a bit like a dragonfly, and I make a mental note to buy her a more fitting pair on the next trip to Bogotá.

“Hello, my pet,” I murmur, sitting down on her chair. Raising my hand, I pull the sunglasses off her nose and lean forward to take her mouth in a short, deep kiss. She tastes like sunlight, her lips soft and yielding, and my cock instantly stiffens, reacting to the proximity of her almost-naked body. Tonight, I promise myself as I reluctantly lift my head. I will have her again tonight.

“What was your meeting about this morning?” she asks, her breathing slightly uneven after the kiss. Her dark eyes hold curiosity and just a hint of caution as she looks at me. She’s testing the waters again, trying to determine how much I’m willing to share with her now.

I consider that for a moment. It’s tempting to continue keeping her in the dark. Despite everything, Nora is still so naïve, so ignorant of the real world. She got a small taste of it back in that warehouse, but it was nothing compared to the things I deal with every day. I want to continue shielding her from the brutal nature of my reality, but there is no safety in ignorance any longer—not when my enemies know about her. Besides, I have a feeling my young wife is tougher than her delicate appearance would suggest.

She has to be, to survive me.

Arriving at a decision, I give her a cool smile. “We just got intelligence on two Al-Quadar cells,” I say, watching her reaction. “Now we’re figuring out how we can wipe them out and capture some of their members in the process. The meeting was to coordinate the logistics of that operation.”

Her eyes widen slightly, but she does a good job of controlling her shock at my revelations. “How many cells are there?” she asks, shifting forward in the chair. I can see her right palm curling into a fist next to her leg, though her voice remains calm. “How big is their organization?”

“Nobody knows, except their top leaders. That’s why it’s so hard to eradicate them—they’re scattered all over the world, like vermin. They made a mistake, though, when they tried to play hardball with me. I am very good at exterminating vermin.”

Nora swallows reflexively, but continues holding my gaze. Brave girl. “What did they want from you?” she asks. “Why did they decide to play hardball?”

I hesitate for a second, then decide to fill her in. She might as well know the full story at this point. “My company developed a new type of weapon—a powerful explosive that’s almost impossible to detect,” I explain. “A couple of kilos is all it would take to blow up a mid-sized airport, and a dozen kilos could take out a small city. It’s got the explosive force of a nuclear bomb, but it’s not radioactive, and the substance that it’s made of resembles plastic, so it can be molded into nearly anything . . . even children’s toys.”

She stares at me, her face turning pale. She’s beginning to understand the implications of this. “Is that why you didn’t want to give it to them?” she asks. “Because you didn’t want to place such a dangerous weapon in the hands of terrorists?”

“No, not really.” I give her an amused look. It’s sweet of her to ascribe noble motives to me, but she should know better at this point. “It’s simply that the explosive is difficult to produce in large quantities, and I already have a long list of buyers waiting. Al-Quadar was at the very bottom of that list, so they would’ve had to wait years, if not decades, to get it from me.”

To Nora’s credit, her expression doesn’t change. “So who is at the top of your list?” she says evenly. “Some other terrorist group?”