Page 103 of Deadly Betrayal

“What excuse did she use when visitingyou?”

Azita hung her head. “I cannot divulgemedical information about my patients.”

“Was she really a patient? Seems she was onlythere to set up the ambush.”

“No. She also had a very real medicalreason.”

Kaden’s interest perked right up. If thewoman had had some medical condition, Kaden could track it. “Azita,you don’t owe this woman any loyalty.” He stroked her cheek. Thesefuckers had used Azita’s willingness to help others and turned itagainst her. “I’m sorry she lied to you.”

She brushed a loose strand of hair off hercheek. “That night, when I saw Jake fall and the crate open… Icould not believe my eyes. All those weapons going to a warlord.Worse still, I had been counting on those medicines. My patients atthe shelter…” Stopping herself, she shook her head.

“Believe me, honey. We were as surprised asyou.” Just thinking of what the captain had done to them made himwant to retch.

“You did not know what you wereexchanging?”

“No, my captain had set up the exchange. Likeyou, we were told it was medicine for information.”

“What happened to the money?”

“Disappeared.”

She bit her lip, an adorably sexy gesture.“You have no idea where it went?”

“There was an investigation, but no one couldfind a trace of it.”

She stared at him blankly. “So people werekilled, and you were almost mortally injured for nothing other thanto line a corrupt man’s pocket and to arm an extremist?”

“That’s pretty much it.” Except that he wasstarting to suspect that the man whose pockets were lined thatnight was Khalid. It could explain how he had more money than acivil servant should.

“But that night put an end to theseactivities, right?”

“Not exactly. I found out that a few monthslater, the exchanges resumed.”

Her face crumpled, and she covered it withher hands. He thought she’d cry. It certainly seemed like thelogical thing for a woman to do, especially one who’d beenmanipulated into doing something that went so far against herprinciples. But when she raised her head, her eyes were dry—andvery angry.

She crawled away from him and crouched by thewall, as far away from him as possible in the small space.Confused, he held up his hands. “I know this is a lot to take in atonce—”

“You were there. Your unit brought theweapons.”

He pulled up short at her sharp, accusatorytone. It slid though him like a fine KABAR. Was this, finally, areaction to her brother’s death? She’d been running on pureadrenaline for days now. That stuff could make you prettyirrational. “We were, but—”

“Stop.” She dropped her head against herknees that were pulled up to her chest. “I cannot believe this. Youare not like Agha Khalid, willing to take advantage of anyone oranything to turn a profit. At least in that instance, he was a dupetoo.”

Kaden scoffed. “I doubt that.”

Her head shot up. “That woman used both ofus!” She narrowed her eyes. “Did she work for you? Oh! She musthave. Your captain needed someone to negotiate the trades for youand who better, who less likely to be doubted, than a pretty youngwoman.” She mulled that over for a moment before widening her eyes.“Did she even know what she was negotiating? Did she think it wastruly a medicine-for-information exchange? I bet she was someinnocent woman forced to do your bidding or you would reveal hersecret.”

What the fuck? What secret? Kaden couldn’tmake heads or tails of Azita’s ramblings. He reached for hermedical bag.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I think the pain from your head injury, theshock of losing your brother, and the stress from being heldprisoner are taking a toll on you.”

“Are you a doctor now?”

Her tone was so petulant, he almost laughed.Apparently, his Azita could get a little bitchy when she’d hadenough. And really, could he blame her? Few people, trained or not,could handle all the crap that had rained down on her latelywithout losing their shit.

“You need to stop fighting me, honey.” Hescooted over to her with the pills and some water. Pain radiatedfrom his ribs with each movement. “Just like you, we thought wewere trading meds for information. It wasn’t until after the ambushthat we found out my captain had been arranging these deals foryears to sell weapons that were being decommissioned. He had a fatbank account in Switzerland.”