Page 134 of Marked By Moonlight

Mina rolled her eyes. “I seem to recall a lecture about no place for intimate relations in business.”

“Yes, well…” he hemmed and hawed. “Celeste is a rather special case.”

“So special, you’re willing to put up with her trying to cut you out of your own deals?” Mina asked.

“What?” Gordon’s voice spiked.

We all listened as Mina explained what she’d witnessed in Greenwich.

“She tried to convince Jensen to cut you out of the deal. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

“Are you saying—” Gordon fumed.

Mina cut him off. “I’m saying, I think you ought to have a closer look at your assistant’s comings, goings, and secret connections to the likes of Szabo.”

“Szabo?” he growled.

“Szabo,” Mina affirmed then addressed the rest of us. “Does anyone have something to add?”

Henrik smirked. “I believe that sums it up nicely.”

“Well, I think that’s all we have to report for now,” Mina told Gordon in a voice flatter than one of Madame Picard’s crêpes. “Congratulations on another profitable deal.”

“But—” Gordon started.

“I’ll brief you the moment we return to Paris,” Roux hurried to assure him.

“Right now, I suggest you follow up with Celeste. If she’s not too busy with Jensen,” Mina snipped.

I hid a grimace. If I knew Celeste, she was keeping Jensenverybusy. The question was, how did that fit into her master plan?

Mina hung up, and no one spoke for a long time.

It was Bene who finally broke the ice. “I vote we put Mina in charge of all future calls to Gordon.”

She shook her head vehemently. “No thank you.”

“Well, then I vote we order dinner.” He held up the room service menus. “And a nice bottle of champagne to celebrate with.”

I closed my eyes, not too inspired to celebrate. A lot had gone our way, but things could have just as easily ended in disaster.

Roux echoed the sentiment. “I’d rather go home.”

Everyone fell silent, and one by one, we looked at Mina.

Roux’s throat bobbed. “Home to Château Nocturne. I know it’s a lot to ask, Mina. And I know we already owe you more than we can ever repay, but… Would you reconsider?”

Mina bit her lip, thinking.

“I think you should,” Henrik said next.

I nearly spat fire at him. Was he serious?

But then he went on, and I shut my mouth. Or rather, let it hang open in surprise.

“I mean, I think you should consider accepting the others back. I shall find alternative accommodations.”

Mina’s lips parted in surprise.