The International Assassin A Sexy Times Crime Thriller by Adele Asher Page A
Authors: Adele Asher
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mission?”
“Everything else.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It wasn’t supposed to.” Nick took my hand. “All you need to know is you are important to me and I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you as long as you are with me.”
“Why do I get the feeling you know more than you are telling me.”
“Because I do.”
“But you can’t tell me?”
“It’s not in your interest to know. At least not right now. I’m sorry that’s how it has to be, for your own sake.” Nick squeezed my hand gently. “I would say I wish I could tell you but it would be a lie. The honest truth is it doesn’t help you to know.”
I nodded. Honesty wasn’t always the best policy. But I was hugely curious in any case.
“You don’t trust me?” I asked him.
“It’s not a question of trust,” he replied. I decided to let it drop accepting I wasn’t going to get any further elaboration on the truth, at least for now. Nick’s tone softened. “I wish I didn’t have to keep secrets from you. But if you can trust me to know I’m acting in your best interest then that’s a start.”
“Okay,” I said. We got up and hugged. “If we get through this. Will you do something for me?”
“Anything,” he replied.
“Quit.” I looked him in the eye. “Would be nice to have a man that didn’t keep secrets for a living for a change.”
“I’ll be out of a job.”
“I guess that will mean you will have to be a kept man.” I smiled.
“We better get your money back then,” he said before kissing me.
Chapter 9
I DIDN’T speak much to Nick as we drove down to catch the ferry over to France. Despite my acceptance that the nature of his work meant he probably couldn’t tell me everything I still felt he should, which was strange since during my relationship with Johnny I had never really cared about his secrecy. This made me realise I probably didn’t really care about Johnny that much either. Quite what had changed with Nick I didn’t know but he was perceptive enough to pick up on my silence.
“It bothers you doesn’t it?” he asked me.
“No,” I replied lying before sighing. “Yes,” I admitted reluctantly.
He nodded sympathetically.
“I get that.”
“I understand why but I would just be happier if we didn’t have secrets between us. I just want to feel that you trust me with anything.”
“And it didn’t bother you with Johnny?”
“No. Not really. But that was different. He was different. This feels different. With you.”
Nick looked considerate for a while before he spoke.
“While you were packing I spoke with my people. We know who Johnny is now. I wasn’t going to tell you because…well I’m not sure if it helps or not. I don’t want you to be upset about it.”
“Why would I be upset about it?”
“You were with him a long time. After what he’s done…”
“I’d like to know for my peace of mind. That’s all.”
“Johnny Van Sant’s real name is Roy Jones.”
“Roy? Get out of here!” I laughed. “What kind of name is Roy!”
“The sort of name an electrician from Luton has.”
“Are you taking the piss Nicky?” I said incredulous.
“Unfortunately not. Roy Jones. Electrician from Luton.”
“You are telling me Mister super-suave spy himself wasn’t an Etonian gent but an electrician from Luton? You’re taking the piss Nick.”
“I’m afraid not. He did some contracting in Iraq for a company called Private Security Group. One of their guys Jonathan Van Sant, ex 22 Regiment SAS was found dead. Roy stole his identity and returned to the UK. He used Van Sant’s connections to hook up with a private interest group called the Harlington Club. Ex-military and finance sorts with lots of arm dealings and geo-political aspirations. At a guess your trust fund was Roy’s entry ticket to the club.”
I just shook my head in disbelief. The notion that a manual labourer from Luton called Roy had duped me was as shocking as it was
“Everything else.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It wasn’t supposed to.” Nick took my hand. “All you need to know is you are important to me and I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you as long as you are with me.”
“Why do I get the feeling you know more than you are telling me.”
“Because I do.”
“But you can’t tell me?”
“It’s not in your interest to know. At least not right now. I’m sorry that’s how it has to be, for your own sake.” Nick squeezed my hand gently. “I would say I wish I could tell you but it would be a lie. The honest truth is it doesn’t help you to know.”
I nodded. Honesty wasn’t always the best policy. But I was hugely curious in any case.
“You don’t trust me?” I asked him.
“It’s not a question of trust,” he replied. I decided to let it drop accepting I wasn’t going to get any further elaboration on the truth, at least for now. Nick’s tone softened. “I wish I didn’t have to keep secrets from you. But if you can trust me to know I’m acting in your best interest then that’s a start.”
“Okay,” I said. We got up and hugged. “If we get through this. Will you do something for me?”
“Anything,” he replied.
“Quit.” I looked him in the eye. “Would be nice to have a man that didn’t keep secrets for a living for a change.”
“I’ll be out of a job.”
“I guess that will mean you will have to be a kept man.” I smiled.
“We better get your money back then,” he said before kissing me.
Chapter 9
I DIDN’T speak much to Nick as we drove down to catch the ferry over to France. Despite my acceptance that the nature of his work meant he probably couldn’t tell me everything I still felt he should, which was strange since during my relationship with Johnny I had never really cared about his secrecy. This made me realise I probably didn’t really care about Johnny that much either. Quite what had changed with Nick I didn’t know but he was perceptive enough to pick up on my silence.
“It bothers you doesn’t it?” he asked me.
“No,” I replied lying before sighing. “Yes,” I admitted reluctantly.
He nodded sympathetically.
“I get that.”
“I understand why but I would just be happier if we didn’t have secrets between us. I just want to feel that you trust me with anything.”
“And it didn’t bother you with Johnny?”
“No. Not really. But that was different. He was different. This feels different. With you.”
Nick looked considerate for a while before he spoke.
“While you were packing I spoke with my people. We know who Johnny is now. I wasn’t going to tell you because…well I’m not sure if it helps or not. I don’t want you to be upset about it.”
“Why would I be upset about it?”
“You were with him a long time. After what he’s done…”
“I’d like to know for my peace of mind. That’s all.”
“Johnny Van Sant’s real name is Roy Jones.”
“Roy? Get out of here!” I laughed. “What kind of name is Roy!”
“The sort of name an electrician from Luton has.”
“Are you taking the piss Nicky?” I said incredulous.
“Unfortunately not. Roy Jones. Electrician from Luton.”
“You are telling me Mister super-suave spy himself wasn’t an Etonian gent but an electrician from Luton? You’re taking the piss Nick.”
“I’m afraid not. He did some contracting in Iraq for a company called Private Security Group. One of their guys Jonathan Van Sant, ex 22 Regiment SAS was found dead. Roy stole his identity and returned to the UK. He used Van Sant’s connections to hook up with a private interest group called the Harlington Club. Ex-military and finance sorts with lots of arm dealings and geo-political aspirations. At a guess your trust fund was Roy’s entry ticket to the club.”
I just shook my head in disbelief. The notion that a manual labourer from Luton called Roy had duped me was as shocking as it was
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