The International Assassin A Sexy Times Crime Thriller by Adele Asher Page B

absurd. The fact I had even slept with such a character made me feel quite nauseous.
    “Are you sure? I mean your source is credible?”
    “The guy says it’s legit. He served with Van Sant in 22 regiment. He says your man Johnny is not Van Sant.”
    I just shook my head in disgust.
    “You shouldn’t feel bad. You weren’t the first, and by all accounts Charlotte is under his spell now.”
    “What a bullshit merchant. How the hell did he get away with it?”
    “He told you want you wanted to hear. Your imagination filled in the blanks for him.”
    “How could I be that stupid? Now you know who he is, that’s a good thing right?”
    “Yes and no. This Harlington Club is the problem. They’re connected both in my world and politically, which means that whoever is behind your assassinations had good reason to have those people terminated.”
    “You kind of already knew that though.”
    “It doesn’t make life much easier. If I start poking around in their business there will be consequences.”
    “So what are you trying to say? You’re going to cut and run?”
    “No. I’m just saying that what we’re doing…this will get very messy very quickly - for both of us.”
    “I understand the position you are in. I don’t want to cause you any trouble. I can deal with Roy by myself if I need to.”
    “I didn’t say that.”
    “But it’s what you meant?”
    “No it’s not what I meant.”
    “So what do you mean?”
    “What I’m telling you is if we start this there is probably no going back whatever happens…for either of us.”
    “I don’t have a lot of options right now Nick.”
    “I’m trying to say that you can walk away from this. I’ll take care of you no matter what. Maybe not quite as well as you are used to but still it’s a life. If we go after these people then we have to really go after them.”
    I thought about it for a moment. Trying to put aside the emotional desire for revenge against Johnny-Roy and the need to try and get back what I lost Nick had a clear point. We could turn around and go back to his place, live a happy Mister and Mrs existence on his modest state salary or we could pursue my vendetta and be embroiled in some international shadow groups evil plotting and never know if we were safe from one day to the next. 
    I felt conflicted, as much as I wanted to get my life back and see Roy suffer a lengthy and humiliating death for his actions I didn’t actually want to put Nick in harms way. Despite our short time together I was already falling in love with him and the thought of him not being around made me sad.
    “I want my life back Nick. But I want you in that life.”
    Nick took my hand.
    “We go after them then.”
    It was that simple for Nick. He knew and had clearly counted the risks but he wasn’t about to shy away from a fight to stand up for me.
    “Together,” I added.
    “No more secrets,” he told me. 
    I smiled and kissed him.
    We arrived at the Eurotunnel port just before eleven p.m for the late night crossing. Nick showed some official ID to the border security officer and he waved us past the customs check. Lucky since we had a boot full of small arms that would take a little bit more explaining than crates of lager and cheap cigarettes. Nick parked the car in the loading line for the train, got out of the car and leaned on the bonnet and lit a Marlboro. I got out to go and join him huddling against the cold night sea breeze. He smiled at me as he put an arm around me.
    “It feels like we are leaving for war,” I told him.
    “In truth we probably are,” he replied with a sigh dragging on the cigarette. “The one thing that doesn’t stack up for me was Sean Black. Obviously he set you up but why him?”
    “Well that was Charlotte. I’m guessing he needed him out the way so he could move on to her. But why is anyone’s guess. Charlotte doesn’t have money.”
    “Do you think they were having an affair?”
    “Before that night? No. Johnny