“That’s the good news.”
“Okay, what’s the bad?” He wiped his hands on a towel and stood with his belt buckle pressed against the counter, looking out at his leather sectional—the one that would give Kira’s couch a run for its money. He wanted to hear the noise she made when she settled onto it.
He looked at the lamp he’d found at an estate sale and the print over the fireplace that depicted a long highway in Alaska with the peak of Denali in the background and the color of fire in the sky.
“The money I donated to this foundation of yours made its way through offshore accounts and into the hands of companies associated with the same cartel you mentioned.”
Kira wandered down the hall in leggings and a long sweater, her feet bare and her hair down.
For a second, he forgot to breathe. He just stared at her, walking toward him in his house like she belonged here. Like she did this every day. Making him want to ask her if she might never leave.
Stay.
He was getting ahead of himself, considering this was technically their first date.
“Saxon?”
Kira smiled, easing next to him and sliding her arm around his waist. “He’s here.”
Jamie said, “Oh.”
“I’m Kira.”
Jamie cleared her throat. “Dr. Yassan. Of course. I mean, Kira. It’s nice to…you know, meet you.”
She smiled, and Luca quickly touched his lips together. Then to Jamie, he said, “So the money you donated to the foundation went to the cartel?”
Kira gasped.
Jamie said, “Most of it landed in legit accounts, ones connected to their organization or vendors they work with. Part of it was paid to the cartel. Or they needed to break up the amount and split it out so the government didn’t see huge sums of money moving around.”
Luca rubbed his thumb over Kira’s shoulder, his arm around her back. “Whichever it is, the money connects the nonprofit to the cartel.”
“But is it a payment, or are they just putting money in their ‘other’ account?” Jamie asked.
“There’s no way Destiny is tangled up with a cartel!” Kira shook her head. “That’s crazy. That would mean…”
“She paid to have her husband killed.”
Kira pulled out of his arms and turned to face him. “Are you serious? That’s not normal life, where the normal people live. That’s part of your crazy superhero world where people are trying to destabilize countries and upset the balance of power in governments.”
Luca lifted his brows. “My superhero world? The one where you copied information and handed it to MI6 or the CIA? That world?”
“Copying files is hardly the same as saving the world.” She folded her arms across her front, giving him a look at the nasty blue bruise on her wrist.
“So what’s the answer?” Luca shrugged. “Destiny was duped and she has no idea?”
Kira frowned. “Maybe someone who works in the foundation is the one connected to the cartel and she knows nothing at all. And that person had Ralph killed.”
“Okay, that’s a decent theory. Now we need proof.”
Jamie cut in on their conversation. “I’m going to leave you two to…whatever is going on with this conversation.”
Luca lifted the phone. “I appreciate all your help.”
“There was more, if you’re interested.”
“I am.” Luca would rather explore the pink tint to Kira’s cheeks and the fiery look in her eyes that had him very interested in what kissing her when she was riled up like this would feel like.