“You realize the two of them could be behind this entire shadow syndicate?”
She wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of that idea. But the somber occasion and something else stopped her.
In the end, she said nothing. The note of disquiet inside her made her worry that there was something to his suggestion. They genuinely could be behind the Shadow Syndicate. For all she knew, that might be exactly what was going on.
But the idea that Destiny might be the one who’d arranged her own husband’s death or that someone else had taken him out because they were all involved in the syndicate just opened up a whole new can of worms.
“I don’t think she’s part of it.”
Luca said, “Of course you don’t want to think she’s involved in something like this.”
“Okay, but she could be a target of whoever is involved now. If they took out Ralph and tried to take out Jenkins, then maybe they’re going to come after Destiny next?” How were they even supposed to figure out if that was the case? “Did Roger say anything to you before I came in?”
“You mean before you barged in to accuse me of smacking him around?”
And why did he look like he thought that was amusing?
Kira blew out a breath. “You think I should have been completely convinced you’d never do something like that?”
“No, because I have done something like that. Many times.”
She lifted her hands. “Well then, what’s the problem with me asking?”
“Maybe you should tell Destiny you have to go, and we can find somewhere quiet to talk.”
Why did she get the feeling he was going to end things between them when they had barely started? “I probably do need to leave. I’m not in the right frame of mind for this, or for a conversation about ‘us.’”
Maybe it was because Jordan had put all that other stuff in her head. Added to the exhaustion and having her focus split between the foundation, the emergency department, and Francisco’s medical treatment, she got the feeling she wasn’t dealing very well with this.
She said, “I had a quiet life before you came along. Everything was fine, and I wasn’t this mixed around trying to figure it all out.”
He touched her shoulders, a soft smile on his face. “It’s okay to need time to process it. I didn’t tell you I was coming here, and talking to Roger was a surprise to me. I just jumped on the opportunity when I spotted him.”
“I think I need about two months. Does that work for you?”
He squeezed her shoulders gently. “As long as those two months involve coffee dates, movies, and dinner out.”
That didn’t sound like breaking up at all. That sounded like dating the way normal people did, rather than two people thrown together by circumstances and tackling some dangerous situations.
“Before we leave, you should come with me and talk to Destiny.” She lifted her chin. “That way you can get a read on whether or not you think she’s a criminal mastermind.”
“I never said I thought she was. Right now, there are a lot of possibilities,” Luca said.
“Then let’s rule one out.” She shifted and his hands dropped.
Kira grabbed one, not only because she needed to lead him out to the patio where Destiny was, but also because she liked holding his hand. Working this as a team would be a lot more effective than operating separately.
Surprising each other with a sudden appearance.
Getting the wrong impression.
Jordan’s words rolled through her mind again. Her friend had been the person who stood by her in all kinds of tough times. Who convinced her to finally cut ties with the world of covert operations. But Jordan seemed to think that Kira was only in this with Luca to scratch an itch, like she needed to relive the glory days.
She’d even said that Luca wasn’t Kira’s type.
Maybe Jordan just needed to see for herself how well Kira and Luca fit together. But the comment had taken root in Kira’s mind anyway, and when she had seen Luca with Roger, she’d assumed the worst. That he might be everything she’d walked away from.
The kind of person who did whatever it took to get the results, even hurting other people.