“you’re getting clumsy in your old age.”
“I was not expecting your brute,” he said with a nod toward Jack.
Jack looked back and forth between them. “Would someone mind telling me what the heck is going on?”
Diana smiled. “Nico Tortetti, Jack Wells.”
Nico stuck out his thin hand, but Jack had no intention of shaking it. The man let it hang in the air before slipping it into his pocket.
“Who is he?” Jack asked her.
“Nico is a common thief.”
“Ohhh,” Nico protested at the characterization. “I am an excellent thief.”
Diana’s lips curved into an amused smile. “Debatable.”
Nico held up Jack’s pocket watch, formerly Mason’s, with a grin. Jack felt his neck burn with embarrassment. He should have caught that. Dear God, he had to be more careful with that thing. He snatched the watch from Nico’s hand and quickly patted the man down in search of anything else he might have pickpocketed.
“That is all,” Nico said with a grin. “Today.”
Jack frowned and stepped away. “Why was he following us?”
“Because he’s lazy,” Diana said and Nico acted wounded. “Now, run along, Nico. You might as well go back to Rome.”
Nico smiled and took a few steps away. “I think I shall stay. You have not found it yet. Perhaps I will find the prize first this time.”
With that he tipped his hat to Diana, sneered as best he could at Jack and left.
“What the hell was all that?” Jack asked.
Diana sighed, resigned to something. “We are both looking for the same…valuable.”
Jack stuffed Mason’s watch deep into the inner pocket of his jacket. For a brief moment, he wondered if she were after the missing watch too, but neither of them had batted an eyelash when Nico had held up Mason’s.
“What sort of valuable?”
Diana smiled. “The sort you can retire to the Riveria on.”
Jack didn’t know what to make of that, or make of her. The entire thing had left him with more questions than answers. But he would have to pursue them later. He stepped into the shop to find Christina and convince her they needed to go back to the Hotel.
Christina, however, wasn’t where he left her.
“Damn.”
He felt his adrenaline begin to pump again and looked hurriedly around the shop. Diana appeared at his side.
“She’s gone,” he said, his mind racing. He really was off his game. If this girl suffered for it…
“Don’t worry,” Diana assured him. “I know where she is.”
Of course, he thought. What the hell had he gotten himself into?
His heart still pounding, he followed Diana out of the side door and down a block until they saw a store with silk scarves. Standing at the entrance, admiring one with hieroglyphics printed on it, was Christina. Unharmed.
Jack let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
He started toward her, but Diana’s hand on his arm stopped him. He turned and then followed her gaze. A young man appeared next to Christina and said something to her. She turned and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her briefly before pulling away and looking around nervously.
Christina tossed the scarf back onto the pile and the young couple secreted away to a semi-secluded doorway.
“Her boyfriend,” Diana said. “They’ve been meeting here for over a year.”
“You knew?”
“Poor girl doesn’t have many confidants,” Diana said with a sad smile and then added, “And…young love.”
“Who is he?” Jack asked as he quickly took stock of the young man. He looked to be in his early twenties, handsome and well-dressed. Although he appeared to be Egyptian, his clothes were western.
“Ahmed Kassem,” Diana said. “He’s an attaché with the Cairo museum. And despite being handsome, wealthy and well-educated, her father would not approve.”
Jack nodded. From the little he’d seen of Whiteside, that wasn’t a surprise. Even though it wasn’t any of his business, Jack still felt responsible for the girl and kept a close eye on the couple as
“I was not expecting your brute,” he said with a nod toward Jack.
Jack looked back and forth between them. “Would someone mind telling me what the heck is going on?”
Diana smiled. “Nico Tortetti, Jack Wells.”
Nico stuck out his thin hand, but Jack had no intention of shaking it. The man let it hang in the air before slipping it into his pocket.
“Who is he?” Jack asked her.
“Nico is a common thief.”
“Ohhh,” Nico protested at the characterization. “I am an excellent thief.”
Diana’s lips curved into an amused smile. “Debatable.”
Nico held up Jack’s pocket watch, formerly Mason’s, with a grin. Jack felt his neck burn with embarrassment. He should have caught that. Dear God, he had to be more careful with that thing. He snatched the watch from Nico’s hand and quickly patted the man down in search of anything else he might have pickpocketed.
“That is all,” Nico said with a grin. “Today.”
Jack frowned and stepped away. “Why was he following us?”
“Because he’s lazy,” Diana said and Nico acted wounded. “Now, run along, Nico. You might as well go back to Rome.”
Nico smiled and took a few steps away. “I think I shall stay. You have not found it yet. Perhaps I will find the prize first this time.”
With that he tipped his hat to Diana, sneered as best he could at Jack and left.
“What the hell was all that?” Jack asked.
Diana sighed, resigned to something. “We are both looking for the same…valuable.”
Jack stuffed Mason’s watch deep into the inner pocket of his jacket. For a brief moment, he wondered if she were after the missing watch too, but neither of them had batted an eyelash when Nico had held up Mason’s.
“What sort of valuable?”
Diana smiled. “The sort you can retire to the Riveria on.”
Jack didn’t know what to make of that, or make of her. The entire thing had left him with more questions than answers. But he would have to pursue them later. He stepped into the shop to find Christina and convince her they needed to go back to the Hotel.
Christina, however, wasn’t where he left her.
“Damn.”
He felt his adrenaline begin to pump again and looked hurriedly around the shop. Diana appeared at his side.
“She’s gone,” he said, his mind racing. He really was off his game. If this girl suffered for it…
“Don’t worry,” Diana assured him. “I know where she is.”
Of course, he thought. What the hell had he gotten himself into?
His heart still pounding, he followed Diana out of the side door and down a block until they saw a store with silk scarves. Standing at the entrance, admiring one with hieroglyphics printed on it, was Christina. Unharmed.
Jack let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God.”
He started toward her, but Diana’s hand on his arm stopped him. He turned and then followed her gaze. A young man appeared next to Christina and said something to her. She turned and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her briefly before pulling away and looking around nervously.
Christina tossed the scarf back onto the pile and the young couple secreted away to a semi-secluded doorway.
“Her boyfriend,” Diana said. “They’ve been meeting here for over a year.”
“You knew?”
“Poor girl doesn’t have many confidants,” Diana said with a sad smile and then added, “And…young love.”
“Who is he?” Jack asked as he quickly took stock of the young man. He looked to be in his early twenties, handsome and well-dressed. Although he appeared to be Egyptian, his clothes were western.
“Ahmed Kassem,” Diana said. “He’s an attaché with the Cairo museum. And despite being handsome, wealthy and well-educated, her father would not approve.”
Jack nodded. From the little he’d seen of Whiteside, that wasn’t a surprise. Even though it wasn’t any of his business, Jack still felt responsible for the girl and kept a close eye on the couple as
Similar Books
