Chapter 29
LOCKE
The whole time I was showering and dressing, I couldn’t manage to wrap my head around what was happening with Jett.
For the first time last night, I’d reached out to someone and tried to make an actual connection when the world felt too heavy. And he’d repaid me with lies and manipulation.
Hell, he’d been lying to me from the very beginning about who he was—he had to have been. There were too many inconsistencies in his story. Too many facts that didn’t add up. And now that I saw them, I couldn’t unsee them.
I fucking hated liars and double-dealers. Half the reason I didn’t get close to people was so I wouldn’t have to lie about what I did. So I should want nothing more than to toss Jett out of the villa on his ear.
And still—still—when Jett begged me to believe that he was on my side, part of me genuinely wanted to.
And when he’d thought I might have had something to do with the explosion at the plant near the Kiel Canal, I’d been panicked with the need to convince him I hadn’t.
So much for keeping things simple with a man who wouldn’t require explanations or excuses from me. So much for not being distracted.
I refused to waste another minute thinking about any of that. Not when there was an operation being carried out. Not when there was a potential double-dealer on the Paxis Council. I knew what my priorities needed to be.
“I need your help today,” I said abruptly, stalking out of the bathroom fully dressed.
Jett was still sitting on my bed, still looking shell-shocked and uncertain. I ached to hold him, to murmur reassurances… but they would have been lies.
Head in the game, Locke.
Jett looked at me with suspicion but nodded once.
“Keep checking my phone and email while I’m in the game room. If any news comes in on a ship called the MV Helvig Star or anything involving Nyborg, I need to know about it.”
I could tell he wanted to ask why, but he didn’t. He simply nodded and moved off to his room to shower and dress.
After notifying the group of an earlier start to the morning’s game session, I quickly dressed and found Concetta to request coffee and pastries in the game room.
When I got in there, the only person who’d arrived before me was al-Qadiri. His warm smile welcomed me as I took my seat. “Locke! I am glad you called an early start.”
I blew out a breath, shrugging off my concerns about the situation with Jett, and felt the familiar ease of Saleem’s company.
Saleem al-Qadiri was one of the players here I could trust. Like Selene, al-Qadiri’s family had always made a point to extend their friendship to my grandfather beyond the game and the council.
“It’s strange not having Mehmet here,” I said, making small talk while we waited for the others.
He made a dismissive flicking gesture with his hand. “My father-in-law is better off at home. His physical health is not good.” His smile faded. “I worry he is declining cognitively as well.”
It was a strange comment. While Liyana’s father had required hip replacements that had hindered his travel, his cognition had never been in question. “Has he been ill?”
“No, no. Simply old and stubborn. When he’s not ruling his empire, he likes puttering around his home and his gardens where he can pretend the world hasn’t changed in twenty years.”
“Ah.”
Saleem smiled. “Liyana is a kind and patient daughter who reminds me that sometimes it’s difficult for us men as we age. We become set in our ways and only see the world from one perspective. Especially when we don’t have a partner to open our eyes.”
I nodded politely, my thoughts turning to Jett. Again.
He was right that Jett had opened my eyes. Had made me realize that I really wished I had someone I could trust. But now everything felt up in the air and out of control.
“What about the young man you’re with,” Saleem asked as if reading my thoughts. He watched me closely, gauging my reaction.
I frowned and hoped he couldn’t see how the innocent comment made my pulse race. “Are you referring to my assistant? I’m not with him in the way you’re implying.” I imbued the words with as much power and persuasion as I ever had before.
He held up both hands. “Easy. It is okay if you are. Do not make assumptions about Qadara, habibi. We accept people’s differences more than you may expect.”
While that was reassuring, I was no longer concerned with Saleem or any of the council members learning that I was sleeping with a man.
I was more concerned that letting anyone know Jett was important to me might risk his safety, especially if it was true that someone had betrayed the council.
Before I could formulate a reply, Liyana al-Qadiri appeared and placed a hand gently on her husband’s shoulder.
“You forgot your glasses,” she said softly, glancing at the board before smiling benignly at me. “Good morning, Locke. How did you sleep?”
Saleem was right. She was patient and kind. Soothing, even. “Fine, thank you. I hope you’re enjoying your time here.”
She nodded and patted me on the shoulder before handing him his reading glasses and stepping back toward the wall when the remainder of the council appeared. “I will wait until they bring in the food so I can help.”
It was time to begin. I caught Esteban flicking a concerned glance at Selene, but otherwise, everyone seemed to be acting normal.
Vukasin Drakovi? made the opening move, using his inquiring pawn.
Who caused the explosion?
We all looked at each other before Esteban leaned forward and reached for his offering pawn and then his “influential connection” bishop, indicating he already had feelers out.
Falko Brandt was calmer than I expected. For someone whose rail company probably served the petrochemical plant that had exploded, the man seemed perfectly at ease.
He took the board next.
Accident. Coincidence.
Ted Harlan was the next up. The quick movements of his requesting and positive pawns demanded confirmation of Brandt’s information.
Emil Sorensen reached for his own bishop and set it beside Falko’s. Then he met Ted’s eye and moved his knight to the same square.
Confirmed, by influential connections and a government source.
Vraj Nanda reached for his queen and tapped it in two specific spots on the arm of his chair before setting it next to Falco’s resource rook. Relief. Gratitude.
Selene let out a little huff of laughter. Small smiles of relief on other faces.
I reached forward to take another turn, surprising a few players. As I made the elaborate combination of moves to explain the additional plan to credit Helvig with foiling the Russian plot, thereby keeping attention off Paxis Council resources, I couldn’t see any dissent.
Next, it was al-Qadiri’s turn. He quickly played his positive pawn, supporting the suggestion. Everyone else took turns playing their positive pawns, with the exception of Esteban, who played his caution pawn and spelled out NATO inspection agency as an alternative idea.
Ted lifted his eyebrows and sat back, considering the idea. Esteban’s disagreement made sense. We usually didn’t make moves that would deliberately enrich other companies unless there was good reason.
But in my opinion, there was good reason in this case, with or without potential insider trading.
A few played moves to discuss it, and they were well considered by the others. If I hadn’t been trying to trap a traitor, maybe I would have voted a different way.
The game play took longer than any of us wished. The need to make it look like an actual game of Paxis in the meantime was just as critical today as it had always been. As always, there were attendants, assistants, and family members in and out of the room, which made it a critical cover.
My plan was finally approved, and we agreed to a brief break so that Esteban could inform his people of the new plan. Someone on one of his crews would tip off the captain of the MV Helvig Star to search certain specific cargo containers, and we would let them play the heroes.
Before I left the table, Jett came into the room and caught my eye. I gestured him forward.
He placed a hand on my shoulder to lean down and whisper in my ear, and I… I made a critical error.
As soon as I felt his hand on my shoulder, I reached up to cover it with my own hand. I didn’t even notice the automatic gesture until I felt him whip his hand out from under mine as quickly as possible.
Fuck.
My palm fell to my lap, where it lay open and guilty. Empty. No one but al-Qadiri, who was sitting directly next to me, seemed to notice. As it was, he turned to speak to Liyana and hand her a small piece of paper from his notebook.
Fuck.
Jett cleared his throat. “Sorry, sir. Uh, Minnie says Maris involvement in the blockade should be cleared in the next two hours.” He paused. “They are aware it was a software security test gone wrong, and all apologies are going out.”
I turned to meet his eyes. “Thank you.”
He nodded and moved over to the counter to freshen my coffee.
When everyone settled back at the table a short time later, Jett stepped back out of the room, offering his arm to Liyana, who seemed a little unwell.
When we resumed play, Esteban leaned forward and made a move on the board indicating that he’d passed on the message and his crew was acting on it immediately.
Julien made a move informing us that the missing drones had turned up in the possession of an international intelligence agency who’d found them during an inspection and was in the process of returning them to his company.
By the time we’d breathed a sigh of relief about that, Santi Alvarado was already moving back into the room to whisper something in his father’s ear.
Esteban nodded once and waved him off. A moment later, he moved his pieces indicating Helvig’s intended announcement at finding the smuggled goods as part of its commitment to integrity, professionalism, and global peace. Or something like that.
We blew out a collective breath. Done.
Mission success.
We’d won the tournament.