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Omar knew nothing about Jules’s pregnancy or their new son. Keeping that information from him had been intentional. Ash didn’t want him to know, and Jules had agreed. It wasn’t that they expected Omar to use the information for evil purposes, but their son was way to important to take any chances with, no matter how small.
“Stop procrastinating, Schrader. Get me that intel.”
Schrader stood. “Fine. I’ll call you when—”
“I’m staying here.” Ash nodded at the phone on Schrader’s desk. “Get busy.”
Shooting him a lethal look, Omar grabbed his phone and clicked some keys. When the call connected, Omar spoke in rapid Russian. The man had no idea that Ash was fluent in Russian.
Through threats and coercion, Schrader received a lead that had him punching in another number, this time speaking in Spanish.
For half an hour, Ash listened to call after call. He had to hand it to Omar. The man knew his way around the world, and he knew how to get intel.
As he was listening to another of Omar’s calls, this one in French, Ash received a text from Hawke. Dread filling him, he read the message.
No change in Livvy’s condition. Thought you’d want to know that IG’s body was stolen, along with all records.
What the hell? What was the point of stealing a corpse?
Omar ended his latest call and looked at Ash with what looked like real regret. “My apologies, Drake. This is taking longer than I anticipated.” Before Ash could issue a new threat, Omar held up his hand. “You can shoot me full of bullets, and it won’t help.”
For the first time since Olivia had collapsed, Ash felt the hopelessness that he knew Hawke was living with daily. Omar had been his last, best hope of finding the antidote.
Standing, Ash nodded. “All right, Omar. I believe you. You’ll keep looking though, correct?”
“Absolutely. I know I can come off as a somewhat selfish man, but I’m not heartless. I know what this woman means to you and my sweet Jules.”
Ash didn’t even have the heart to remind Omar that Jules was not his sweet anything.
“I’ll be at my hotel until tomorrow. When you get something, let me know.”
“I will. I promise.”
Before walking out the door, Ash turned and eyed Omar. “Have you ever heard of Iris Gates?”
“But of course. She and Glen were once two of the most feared spies in the community. Glen’s death allowed many of us to breathe a sigh of relief, but Iris is even more dangerous. Why do you ask?”
Since “the community” didn’t know of Iris’s death, there was no way Ash would reveal that info to Omar. Although, now that the notorious spy’s body had been stolen, it might be only a matter of time before word leaked out. Or perhaps her body had been stolen so no one would know she was dead.
“Why do you ask?” Omar asked again.
This he didn’t mind sharing. “My friend—the woman who is dying—is Gates’s daughter.”
“Olivia? Oh my. I’m sorry to hear that.”
“You know Olivia?”
“I know of her. I think I might have met her when she was just a teenager, still in training. Lovely girl.”
And an even lovelier woman who didn’t deserve what was happening to her.
“I’ll do my very best to find you a cure, Drake. I promise.”
Despite the fact that the man would kill him if ever given the chance, Ash couldn’t help but smile. Evil had degrees, and a few evil people even had hearts.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Helplessness now as much a part of him as bone and muscle, Hawke sat at Livvy’s bedside. If there was anything he could do, anything he could give, including his life, to save her, he would. He cursed the two years that he’d stayed away from her. He cursed the times he’d made her cry. He cursed the angry words he’d said that had caused her so much pain.