Page 126 of Hit Man

“That’s not true.”

He ignores my denial. “You put others before you, do good things for other people. Hell, you invested ten grand of your own money for a project to help total strangers.”

“A lot of people do a lot more generous things with a lot more money involved.”

“My mother would have loved you.”

I gasp and tighten my hold on my wineglass, my hands shaking at his confession. His fingers touch my lips, gently. Tracing the moist tint of wine left behind from my sip.

“You’re a beautiful woman on the inside and out.”

“Diego,” I softly say, “You can trust me.”

He pauses. “My work is complicated. Dangerous. Not for the faint of heart. My boss is ruthless, demanding, not easily pleased. The way I do good in the world is by putting an end to bad people like Señora and her son.”

“CIA work.”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?” I frown.

“I lied.”

My mouth drops. More so because I sense he’s about to tell me the truth than the lie I’ve been fed.

“I’m a private security contractor. I do work like the CIA, only I’m not linked to any particular government. I spy on people, hurt them, kill them when directed. I keep the world safe from fanatical groups who mean to disrupt the status quo. Harm innocent people. Overrun governments and ruin peace and prosperity.”

“But you work for the United States government?”

“Several governments. None of them will acknowledge it, though. It’s best we work in the shadows. What the average citizen doesn’t know won’t kill them, but it will protect them.”

I sip my wine, processing what he’s saying. Can I see Diego spying on people? Ah . . . yes. That’s what happened at Casa Bella, right. It all makes sense now. Us running from Juan Carlos’s men. His sudden appearance at that cartel warehouse. Him turning up unexpectedly, seeming to come out of nowhere.

As for him killing people, the idea doesn’t settle well. But if he is a hired soldier, isn’t that part of the job?

“What was Señora del Leon doing?”

“Distributing the components to make nuclear weapons. What you stumbled upon that rainy day at Casa Bella were Juan Carlos’s men unloading crates of enriched uranium. To be stored in a cave beneath his home until a shipment could be arranged. He and his mother didn’t want his father aware of the transaction. Double-crossing a double-crosser.”

“That was the rock I saw in your bag? Enriched uranium?”

“Yep.”

“Oh my God. You stopped them from building a nuclear weapon?”

“My work has put us one step closer to finding out exactly who is hoping to build one. Also, we can now shut down the source who is illegally selling it on the black market. Nothing is ever as simple as it appears.”

“You could have told me what you were doing,” I murmur.

“No, I couldn’t have. What I’ve revealed to you, even taking you to this apartment, puts you in danger. My boss isn’t fond of outsiders or outside complications.”

“Is that what I am to you? An outsider?”

He takes a long sip of wine before answering. “Your life and mine run parallel. Your lightness would be overshadowed by my darkness. My crossing the line would only benefit me.” He looks up from his wineglass and our eyes meet. “Aubrey, I can’t do that to you.”

“In a short time, I’ve learned a lot about survival. I’m willing to learn more if you’re willing to teach me. Because whether you like it or not, I’ll be venturing back to Neza Chalco. I made a promise and I plan on keeping it.”

“Aubrey—”