Page 85

She flushes but holds my gaze. “I can tell a dangerous situation when I see one.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “They’re all dangerous. I haven’t been on an assignment yet that didn’t put my life on the line every single day.”
“You love it.”
“I don’t hate it, or I wouldn’t do it.” Dropping my hands into my lap, I’m thankful my aspirin seems to be dulling my aching brain. “Why are you here?”
“Malik,” she whispers.
My heart kicks against my rib cage, reverberating to my skull. “What about him?”
“He’s missing. We were supposed to meet last night.”
“You tried the protocol? The checks?”
“Yes.” She straightens her maid’s uniform. “He said he had info for me, that the Donaghey brothers were rounding up Zhang’s men.”
“He wasn’t on the list.” My head sinks into my hands. “I checked the list. He wasn’t on it.”
“Would they have given you a complete list?”
The way they switched to Irish the other day when I was in the room, the way Finn says one thing and then does another, the glances the two of them exchange sometimes are loaded with messages I don’t understand tell me I could be in trouble.
“The list came from Finn. It’s possible it wasn’t complete or he added names later.”
“Malik could be in the basement.”
Closing my eyes, I nod. “I can find out.” I run my palms down my face and sigh. “If he is and he’s still alive?” The ache in my chest spreads. Finn was in the basement when Lorcan came to my room. If we were… and Finn was… and Malik is…
Dai Qing frowns and runs her hand along the top of the dresser. “I’d suggest an extraction if he’s still alive. It could blow up in our faces.” She hesitates. “In your face.”
“I can handle myself.”
She worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “We’re here until later this afternoon cleaning. You have to get the information before then.”
“You don’t think he’s hiding out? Waiting for the roundup to clear?”
“No. You know Malik.”
He doesn’t hide. The thought of him in the basement, being tortured or dead is enough to make my stomach roll. He’s like family to me, one of the few people who manages to keep me grounded when the insanity of a job threatens to drag me under.
“He might be fine. If they pulled him in last night, he might be one of the last.”
“Finn was already suspicious of him. He saw him at the bar, then at Zhang’s. I tried to play it off as a coincidence, but he doesn’t believe in those.”
“Get dressed. Find me later. We’ll figure out what to do.”
I ease my hands along my thighs.
Dai Qing passes me on the way to the door. “Oh.” She half turns back to me. “I almost forgot. I looked at your file.”
I straighten to my full height. “You did?”
“When you find me later, I’ll tell you what I can.”
“So therearethings to tell?”
“Your file is weird. I’m still trying to figure out some of it. I can dig around once you and I have chatted, okay? If Malik is in danger, that comes first.”