Charade (20 page)

“We’ll all hit the lab together, grab the eggs and head for the border.
Piece of cake.”

She nodded. “Thanks. Once Teal is in safe hands, you and I will go after the Butcher.”

“There’s something you don’t know, Sasha. My team hit Palermo yesterday. I’m sure Vincenzo’s in custody by now.”

“Actually,” she drawled, “there’s something
you
don’t know. He’s here.
Under Zelasko’s protection.
In one of the cottages next to the fortress.”

As Jeff stared, she explained how she had stumbled upon the Butcher, and how he had confessed his true identity, apparently never suspecting that Sasha had had a hand in his betrayal.

“Remember when I said I can get an escape vehicle? It’s his. He arrived in a Hummer. I’m going back for a visit tomorrow morning, and hopefully, I can swipe the keys.”

“Negative. You can’t take chances where he’s concerned. If he suspected for a second it was you who betrayed him—”

“I
want
him to know,” Sasha assured him with a grim smile. “I want to look him in the eye and
tell
him it was me. After that, he’ll go to prison and I’ll go into witness protection. Because we both know my life won’t be worth dirt if I don’t. But I’m fine with that. Even though…” She sighed. “The idea of never seeing Dad again didn’t bother me before. Now that I finally know he didn’t kill Mom…” She sighed again,
then
squared her shoulders. “I can’t afford to care about any of that. All that matters is making Dante pay for the terrible things he’s done.”

“We’ll find another way,” Jeff told her. “You’re not going into witness protection. That’s nuts.” Stepping closer, he added firmly, “You’ve had a helluva day. And I didn’t make it any easier. But I’m not going to let you throw your life away—”

“Basta!”
she repeated forcefully, and this time, he was pretty sure she
did
mean bastard.

And he wholeheartedly agreed. He was a first-class jerk who didn’t deserve to breathe the same air she did. But for the moment, he was all she had, and he was determined to do his best for her. “You’re exhausted,” he noted in his most soothing voice. “Come and sit with me on the bed for a minute.”

“I hope you’re kidding,” she muttered.

“I didn’t mean it like that. Although I’ve gotta admit—” he paused to flash a hopeful smile “—I haven’t been able to get you out of my mind. I think I’m falling in love with you.”

“Think again. And do it someplace else. If they find you in my room—” She paused to wince. “How did you get into Kestonia anyway?”

“I’m translating for a Polish mob boss.
Long story.”

“So? You
were
there today?
In the shadows?”

“While you taught Racketeering 101?”
He grinned. “Yeah, you put on quite a show.”

When she shrugged, he stepped closer again. “I came here to rescue you. Then I saw that performance, and I realized you didn’t need me.
Which wouldn’t have been so bad if you and Zelasko hadn’t been so chummy.
I was jealous. Not because I thought you were doing anything wrong, but because I thought you didn’t need me.
That you
never
needed me.
That you’d been playing me the way you played that roomful of thugs—like a pro.”

She bit her lip. “You said earlier that you put your whole career on the line for me. Does that mean you came here without permission?”

“Against orders.
I went crazy thinking of you here alone. I didn’t think you could handle it. Not without me. But I was wrong. You’ve done a great job.”

“But I
did
need you,” she insisted. “When I saw you here tonight, I knew for the first time that Teal was really going to make it out of this nightmare alive. I’ll make sure your superiors realize that. Plus, you’ll be the one who brings in the Butcher. That alone should redeem you in their eyes.”

“And in your eyes?” he murmured, adding quickly, “Never mind. We’ll hash that out once the superkid is safe. For now, get some rest. Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?”

“No, thanks.
I’ll be out like a light the minute my head hits the pillow.”

He doubted that, given the terrible thoughts he knew would be swirling around in her brain. Still, he nodded encouragingly. “Try not to think about the tape, okay?
Or my
many,
many screwups.
We need you in perfect shape tomorrow if we’re gonna pull this off.
Right?”

“Right.”

“So…” He stepped forward and brushed his lips across hers. “Good night, beautiful.”

“Good night,” she replied quietly, as though the kiss hadn’t taken place. “Get some rest. I’ll meet you and Teal at the rendezvous point tomorrow night at ten, just like we planned.
And, Jeff?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Thanks for coming.”

“Mypleasure.”
He gave her a wistful smile,
then
crossed to the door, reminding her over his shoulder, “Lock up behind me and get some rest. You’re gonna need it.”

As soon as the door was closed, Sasha walked back to the bed and picked up the tape recorder, which had finally shut itself off. She placed it in her overnight bag as though it were simply a toiletry, then she dug through her belongings until she found the capsules of knockout powder that Allison had given her.

She felt as though she was teetering on the edge of insanity, forcing herself
not
to think about her mother,
not
to think about her father,
not
to think about Jeff….

Instead she thought about Teal.
And about Allison’s careful, detailed instructions, specifically her instructions regarding the knockout powder.

It will work almost instantaneously. The victim will go completely limp, so make sure he’s someplace out of the way when he conks out. There are no long-term effects, but for four to six hours he’ll be dead to the world.

Dead to the world.

It sounded pretty good to Sasha. So good that she carefully broke open one of the capsules and poured the contents into the empty glass on her bedside table. Then she opened a new bottle of water, added it to the drug and climbed into bed with it.

And just as Allison Gracelyn had promised, she was blessedly unconscious within seconds.

“Your mother was the prettiest woman I ever laid eyes on. And the bravest, too,” Vincenzo Martino declared solemnly the next morning as he and Sasha visited in the parlor of his Kestonian cottage. “We all worshipped Julia. Like a goddess! And now here you sit, just as pretty, and according to General Zelasko, every bit as spirited. I’m proud of you, and when Big Frankie hears about your performance at the conference table, he’ll be proud, too.”

Sasha looked down at her hands, desperate to hide her revulsion at the sight and sound of the monster who had butchered her mother. She wanted to throttle him. To riddle him with bullets the way he’d done to the beloved body of a brave, innocent, selfless woman. But instead she was sitting and sipping cappuccino with him as though they were the dearest of friends.

She had awakened that morning with her body eerily refreshed thanks to the knockout potion. Her mind, however, had been instantly wary, as if it knew a sea of pain awaited it. She hadn’t dared think—not about anything. Not her father, her mother, the Butcher, not even Jeff.

Smile,
she reminded herself now.
You may not be a very good daughter. Or even a good operative. But you’re one helluva talented mole.
Worth your weight in secrets and lies.
So do what you do best. Charm this creep, get the keys from him somehow,
then
get out of here. Once Teal is safe, you’ll have your revenge. I promise you that.

“I love hearing you talk about Mom,” she lied sweetly. “You so obviously adored her. You don’t really believe she cheated on my father, do you?”

Dante pursed his lips,
then
used a blunt tone to declare, “Yes. I sincerely believe it. And I believe her death was necessary for the sake of everyone involved.
For the sake of your family’s honor.
But still—” he paused for a hearty sigh “—her death was a tragedy.
For me as well as for your father.”

When Sasha looked down at her hands again, he scolded her. “You’ve been feuding with Big Frankie about it, but the truth is, he had no choice. There’s a code that guides our actions, Sasha, and that code demanded her death. Your father took no pleasure in it. But if she hadn’t died, someone else would have. Perhaps even a war would have begun. That’s why our families have put stringent rules into place.
So that order can be quickly restored when mistakes occur.”

“Mistakes?”
She stood and walked around the living room, pretending to be restless while actually scanning each tabletop and ledge for the Hummer keys. She had already checked the vehicle itself on her way up to the cottage and had confirmed that the keys weren’t in the ignition. Now it seemed that the driver might be carrying them around with him, frustrating Sasha’s plan. “That’s an odd word, isn’t it? I mean, if she cheated on Dad, that wasn’t just a mistake. It was a betrayal of his trust.”

“Exactly.
It was a betrayal that needed to be swiftly avenged,” Dante agreed, and Sasha knew he was really referring to Vittoria ’s accidental death in the pipe bomb explosion. “With Julia’s death, balance was restored.
She
understood that better than anyone. So while you can grieve her, you must also understand that your father grieves, too. He loved her as much as you did. And
she
loved
him,
even at the end. She loved him, and she understood why he did what he did.”

“Because she believed in the code, too?”
Sasha murmured.

“Exactly!
For most of her life, she prospered because of it. As Franco Bracciali’s wife, she had wealth and privilege. The code protected her.
Protected her husband.
Protected
you,
her beloved child.
It has served you well, Sasha. And it always will. Isn’t that what you told the conference members yesterday?”

Sasha grimaced,
then
nodded. “I told them how safe I felt when I was a little girl.
Because of Dad’s status and power.
That’s what you mean, right?”

“Yes. His enemies—and even his closest friends—know that if they make a mistake, they will pay dearly. So they try not to make mistakes.”

“I’m finally beginning to understand,” she admitted. “I just wish the code was protecting
you
better. Every time I think about the traitor who gave the police information about your new face—” She arched a stern eyebrow. “Did you talk to Carmine about those thugs that were guarding the door to zio Antonio’s study?”

“Not yet. It’s sweet of you to be so concerned.” He gave her a fond smile. “Come back here and sit with me in front of the fire. This godforsaken place is like an iceberg.”

“It’s freezing,” she agreed. “Let me get you a blanket.” Before he could protest, she dashed into the
cottage’s
only bedroom and quickly checked the bureau and nightstand, but again there was no sign of the keys. Grabbing an afghan, she hurried back to Dante and spread it over his lap. “There, that’s better.”

“You’re too good to me.”

She backed away from him and smiled. “I wish I could stay, but I need to get ready for the ball. I want to make a good impression on Vlad—I mean, General Zelasko.”

“He’s bewitched by you,” Dante assured her. “If anything, his interest is a little too intense. I’m not sure your father would approve.”

“Vlad’s scary,” she agreed. “But that’s all part of his sexy dictator appeal. You didn’t say anything to discourage him, did you?”

Dante laughed. “I didn’t need to. He’s heard enough about me to know what I’d do if he hurt someone I loved.”

Sasha forced herself to smile again. “I feel so much safer knowing you’re in Kestonia,
zio.
If Vlad gets too rough I’ll remind him that I’ve got powerful friends.”

“If he gets too rough, report it to me and
I’ll
remind him.”

Sasha nodded, intrigued by the idea of pitting the monster Zelasko against the butcher Dante. That would be almost as much fun as taking this creep down herself—a reward she had promised herself if she managed to stay on task for the next twelve hours. She had even fantasized about commandeering a machine gun from one of the border guards and blasting her way into the cottage. Not that Jeff would allow that sort of tactic. But maybe she’d ditch him at the border and come back alone.

“Have fun at the ball tonight, Sasha,” Dante was insisting from his seat in front of the fire. “You’ll be the most beautiful woman there, I’m sure. Come back soon and tell me all about it.”

“Don’t worry, uncle,” she said, waving cheerfully from the doorway. “I’m already looking forward to our next visit.”

She knew she should return to her room immediately and prepare for the ball. So much of her plan rested on her ability to charm and manipulate Vlad, and for that, she truly did have to be the most beautiful woman in the room, at least in his eyes. He wanted a Kestonian princess, and the gold brocade dress was a good start. Add to that the traditional hairstyle she had seen in the portraits along the walls, where the women’s hair was elaborately braided with jewels and then wrapped around their heads like crowns. It would take hours—and her beloved string of lapis beads—for Sasha to achieve that effect on her own. But it would be worth it.

Still, she wasn’t quite ready to go back. Not just yet. The icy wind that was stinging her cheeks made her feel alive for the first time since she’d learned the truth about her mother’s death. It was dangerous to dwell on that truth for too long—there would be time enough for that later. But her soul needed to acknowledge the amazing sacrifice Julia Bracciali had made for her, and almost without thinking, Sasha turned her steps away from the fortress and along the path that led to the dilapidated church on the mountainside.