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Lorcan tenses beside me.
“That’s a lovely thing to say.” I smile and hope it doesn’t look like a grimace. “I’m taken.” Women as a commodity sets my teeth on edge. I widen my smile, hoping the distaste in my mouth can be overcome with false enthusiasm.
Loran squeezes my knee and then returns his hand to his own lap.
Semyon follows the action, and a sly grin emerges. “Information isn’t cheap, you know.”
“What is it you’d like in exchange?” His tone is mild, but his posture is tense.
Another moment passes, and the fire crackles. We stare at it, waiting for Semyon to come out with it. I realize what’s coming. It won’t be the first occasion a man has thought he could buy me. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve found things with Lorcan so easy from the start. For the most part, he’s treated me like an asset, a person, someone with value. To him, I’ve never been a commodity.
“You want to know about your father. I want Kim on loan to us for as long as it pleases us. There’s something about her. No term. No contract. Open-ended.”
Lorcan takes my hand in his, and I rise with him. “She’s already said no.”
“Has she?” His attention returns, lingering. “What do you say, Kim? Want to work for a real organization?”
“I quite enjoy where I’m at.” I square my shoulders. “If that ever changes, I’ll be sure to get in touch.”
Semyon heaves himself out of the deck chair and stands close to the fire, pensive for a moment.
Lorcan tenses and grips my hand. It’s the signal to get out the knife, but I don’t spot any reason to give ourselves away yet. I squeeze back.
The firelight catches Semyon’s features, and the true menace I didn’t see before is startling.
“I’m going to let you go,” he says. “But don’t come back here fishing. We don’t have a relationship where information is free. You don’t want to pay my price, you have no business being here.”
I open my mouth to speak, and Lorcan almost crushes my hand.
“Understood.” His nod is curt. “I appreciate your time.”
“You were foolish to come here with no men.” He takes a poker from beside his chair and prods the flames. With a pointed glance at Lorcan, he says, “Finn doesn’t know you’re here.”
Lorcan straightens. “We’re both seeking the truth in our own ways.”
Semyon chuckles, but it holds no humor. “You’re much more civilized—more your mother’s child. Finn is like your father, like me. Take what you want and damn the consequences.”
“You didn’t stay at the top with that mentality all the time,” I reply.
He grins at me. “Very astute. Some things are worth it, others are not.” He shrugs. “It’s why you’re leaving in one piece. A war isn’t worth it. Not right now. Even if your organization is stretched a bit thin.” He swings the poker in his hand back and forth. “My men will show you out.”
The drive to the house is silent. I’m certain Semyon knows something about Lorcan’s father’s death. The only way to get information is by trading myself. A few months ago, I would have done it in a heartbeat. Now, the thought of having any of them lay a hand on me sets my skin crawling.
“I don’t care what he knows.” Lorcan looks at me when the car is parked in the garage. “You’re worth more than anything he could ever tell me.”
I swallow. “If it’s the only way we can access the information, get you closure.”Get you off the hook with the FBI, give us a chance beyond this.
“Another avenue will turn up.” He gets out of the car and comes around to take my hand, leading me into the house.
“What do you think he knows?”
“Finn did it. Somehow, he convinced them to help him cover it up. Semyon knows something. What else could it be?” Lorcan brushes his lips against my temple. “Other than me, Finn’s been the one who has benefitted from our father’s death. It’s the only thing that makes any sense.”
As we near the front door, Sean comes out and nods at me. “You’ve got a visitor.”
I frown. “Who’s that?”
“Carys Van de Berg.” Sean shrugs. “She showed up about an hour ago, looking for you, Kim.”