Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
That reminder upset her more than she wanted to admit. “I don’t like lies, Zale. If you’re going to be half a world away where I can’t even reach you to talk to you, I have to be able to trust you implicitly. Lying about anything erodes trust, and I already have too many trust issues.”
“I realize that,” he agreed. “I knew it every single time I talked with you about what I was doing in Vegas. Elliot gave us the assignment once you made it into the semifinals and your picture was everywhere. He told us about the bet between Liam Gram, his father, and Daniel Wallin. He said he believed Wallin was trying to determine if you were Gram’s granddaughter and possible heir. At that point, he admitted to us that you are his daughter and he wanted you protected. When I told him I was involved with you, he absolutely forbade either of us to tell you the truth about who he was or that he wanted us protecting you.”
There was a tinge of anger in his voice, something she didn’t associate with him when it came to his work. Vienna fought back the urge to soothe him. She needed to hear what he had to say. It was important, and both of them were easily sidetracked because they weren’t used to having to explain their actions.
“I explained to him that my omitting information and keeping it from you could very well put my relationship with you in jeopardy. He was adamant and said then we didn’t have a very strong bond if it could be broken so easily. He’s never been in a real relationship and has no idea how difficult it can be when you’re someone like me with no background in relationships.”
“Partners don’t lie to one another, Zale,” she said. “Having been lied to for my entire life, it’s even more distasteful to think my chosen partner would choose to lie to me.”
“Lying is a part of our job. Misleading and misdirecting. That’s how we stay alive, Vienna, so Elliot acted like it was no big deal.” He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her with his dark eyes filled with trepidation. “I knew it was. I didn’t want to deceive you, but we were under orders, and the one thing you don’t do is disobey a direct order from Elliot unless it’s a matter of life or death.”
“Lying can’t be part of our relationship, Zale.”
“There will be things I can’t tell you about my work when I’m going out,” he said.
Vienna nodded. “I can accept that. Just don’t lie to me. Tell me what you can and say up front that you’re not allowed to divulge anything else. I’ll understand.” She was silent for a moment, biting down on the corner of her lower lip. “Are you ever involved with other women as part of your job?”
His dark eyes jumped to her face. “As in sleeping with a woman? Or having a female partner? What do you mean?”
“You have female partners?”
“There are a few female operatives. I’ve never partnered with any of them. Rainier has. I think Rush may have. We didn’t have any at the hotel, although I think we could have used one. But no, Vienna, I don’t sleep with women as part of my job, and if Elliot ever asked that of me, I’d break my contract.”
“Was he using me as bait to draw out Wallin?” She paid close attention to Zale’s eyes. They narrowed, and for a fleeting moment she could see the killer in him blazing back at her.
“Had I thought he was deliberately using you as bait, that would have been an issue that he wouldn’t have overcome. I would have stashed you somewhere safe and hunted him down. He may have known all along that you were his daughter, but I’m not certain he ever looked that hard for you. When it became apparent Wallin was hunting for you, you were already entrenched in that tournament. Elliot didn’t think Wallin would make a real attempt to murder you because he had to establish beyond a shadow of a doubt that you were one of Liam’s heirs.”
“So, he really did change his orders from finding out who was killing the agents to guarding me?”
“Yes. Although the original order stood. We thought only Rainier and I were at high risk, not you. Not until those men showed up in your room posing as security. That’s when we realized you were in real danger. Rainier and I both talked to Elliot about getting you out of there. In the end, he said to try to see it through until the end of the tournament. He knew Wallin would play cards with you if you won—and you won.”