Page 39 of Pervade Montego Bay

I gave a shrug. “You can either stay here or…”

“I suppose you had your chance in Macau to end me.”

I smirked. “Never was good at following orders. Like you.”

“I know what this is. I know why you’re here.” His bloodshot eyes held mine. “James Argyle Ballad. Retired Navy Commander. MI6 bad boy. And widower.”

Yeah, it was no surprise that someone with Xavier’s insight could see right through me.Shewas my only weakness. Most people wouldn’t know Victoria’s face still haunted my every waking second. Then again, Xavier wasn’t most people.

“You miss her. Even after all this time?”

The words I tried to say in reply were weak and useless. There came a constriction in my throat when her name reached my lips.

He looked away as though mulling the situation over. “If I find out who killed your wife for you what do I get?”

“Freedom.”

An offer he couldn’t refuse.

He tried to smile but his lips were too cracked and dry. “So, in reality you blew up your career for revenge.”

“Semantics.”

He gave a knowing smile. “You think they tried to kill you, too.”

“Farmer wasn’t expecting me back.”

“Seems like you’ve been pissing people off.”

“You have no idea.”

He sat up slowly. “You found your wife’s restricted files?”

“That’s quite the gift you have there.”

“Reading people is not all it’s cracked up to be.” He watched my reaction. “Everything important was redacted in the docs you found on her?” he added.

I nodded. It was remarkable to see this bright young man unravel unspoken clues.

“She worked for MI6,” I said, wondering if he knew this.

He gave a nod to confirm he did. “A field agent.”

“Did you know her?”

“Met her once,” he said. “That was it. She was really nice.”

“You seem to know a lot about me.” I was tempted to reach out and soothe his mouth with a caress. The shock of that thought had me rising to my feet.

“Sorry about your wife,” he said. “And…the way she died.”

“She lived for a few days afterwards,” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “She was admitted to a burns unit in London.”

“You have a lot to be angry about.”

“I’m here for you too, Xavier. Just so we’re clear.”

“Playing hero?”