Page 148 of Pandora's Pleasure

“There’s no way in hell I’d let them put one of those in me.”

I laughed. “I feel the same way.”

“Why would he do that?”

“He’s using it as a security measure. No one else can access the intelligence he’s gathered.”

“How the fuck do you know all this shit?”

“What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Swiss private schooling?”

“I don’t know…tennis.”

“You were thinking short skirts and gossiping girls, weren’t you?”

She looked apologetic.

“Truth is, they’re turning out potential world leaders from my old school. Switzerland is one of the most innovative countries in the world. Our education reflects that. I wasn’t just taught how to bake a nice soufflé.”

“That’s where you learnt about…”

“Bio tech, yes. Amongst other things.” I rummaged around for my phone to check my messages. “You can only imagine my surprise when I returned to the U.S. and was told ‘your job is to look pretty.’”

“And I thought I had it bad.”

“I’m privileged, I get that. But it’s like being bred as a racehorse and not being allowed to run.”

That made her laugh.

I looked down at the slew of texts from Damien.

“Is your phone on?” she asked, panicked.

“Yes, it’s totally fine.” I threw her a smile. “I’m the one that needs to trust you, remember?”

“Jesus,are we doing this? Are you really going to try to get inside his house?”

I pushed to my feet. “What time is your appointment?”

“Seven.”

“Meet me a few houses down at six-thirty. I want to see you before you go in.”

“I can do that.” She picked up her coffee and handbag and pushed to her feet.

“Go home. Pack a suitcase. Once we’re done tonight, you need to go straight to a hotel. Can you do that?”

“Leave my shitty studio apartment?” she asked in mock horror. “I can try.”

“I have a friend we can trust. He’ll set you up somewhere really nice.”

She cast a suspicious glance around the café. “What if after I help you, I’m of no more use to you?”

“I’m interested in stopping Galante,” I reassured her. “Protecting his victims. And you’re one of them.”

And if we were caught, it would be the end of the Godman campaign. I’d be sent abroad never to return. Hell, they’d probably try to send me to Siberia.

My temples began to throb just thinking about it.