Broken Together (32 page)

“Maybe.”
He very nearly blushed.

I
peered at Brady. “Are you seeing Heidi?” Both men were fairly tightlipped about
their girlfriends, but they’d been loosening up over the past month.

“Heck
yeah.” Brady patted Rafael on the back. “I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Have
fun.” Rafael locked the door behind them.

I
linked my fingers with Rafael’s and led him into the family room. “I cannot
imagine how they’re maintaining those relationships when they’re watching over
me day and night. The only break they get is when Kadyn comes to visit, and
even then, they take turns leaving. They take their responsibilities here very
seriously.”

Rafael
sank onto the couch. “As well they should.”

I
plopped down next to him. “Can someone else cover for them every once in a
while? This job shouldn’t cost them their personal lives.”

He
pulled me close. “I hate to ask Ethan, since he’s married, but I can ask
Brogan, Aidan, or Chance to spend the night a couple times a week so they can
have more time off. Do you have a preference in whom I ask?”

“I’ve
spent more time with Chance, but Brogan and Aidan would be fine too. I should
get to know them better since they’ll be joining us in Sierra Leone.” I
burrowed beneath his arm.

“I’ll
see what I can do.” A contented smile settled on his face. “We caught another
one.”

My
eyes widened. “You did? How?”

“One
of the staff members at the Casa Pia Orphanage reached out to me. A movie
producer from Spain became enamored with one of the boys after seeing him on
the playground. He wanted to use the child as an extra in a scene he was
filming in Lisbon. He requested medical records to ensure the child was healthy
and asked that he be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. When she
refused, he tried to bribe her. He said he might be willing to adopt the boy if
they spent time together on the set. He came to the orphanage multiple times,
so we fit her with a wire. When she reiterated their children could not be
filmed or used for commercial purposes and could only be released for personal relations,
he revealed his true interest.”

My
jaw dropped. “He admitted his intentions?”

Rafael’s
eyes darkened. “He had heard the orphanage released children for sexual
purposes. He went on and on about how important sexual intimacy is and how he
could help this child reach his full potential.”

I
shook my head, thoroughly disgusted. “Is that recording admissible in court? I
thought both parties had to consent to a recorded conversation in order for it
to be admissible.”

He
shook his head. “Only one party has to consent to the recording in Portugal,
and what she said was carefully worded so it cannot be viewed as entrapment.”

“Good.”
Frankly, I was relieved. “I’m happy to hear you’re making progress on the
case.”

Rafael
smiled. “We should go out and celebrate.”

I
studied his face. “Aren’t you tired from the flight?”

He
shrugged. “Not really. I’d like to take my fiancé out for dinner.”

“Okay,”
I agreed. “Anywhere in particular?”

“Old
Ebbitt Grill?” he suggested.

I
peered at the time on the microwave. “Sure. What time?”

Rafael
dug his cell phone out of his pocket. “Eight o’clock?”

I
didn’t doubt he could pull it off. “I’m going to change, then.”

He
snagged my arm when I rose from the couch. “Hold on. I’d like to help you with
that.” He made the reservation and tossed his phone on the couch.

“We’ve
got two hours,” I giggled. He was already removing my shirt.

*
* * * *

“So
how many people do you think will mistake this time, five-thirty in the
morning, for five-thirty in the evening?” I wondered aloud. Rafael and I were
sprawled on top of the ivory rug in front of the fireplace in my formal living
room addressing invitations for our wedding.

“About
half.” Rafael chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll schedule a wake-up call for the
whole lot of them once they check in at the hotel.” He assembled another
invitation.

“Did
you find a hotel large enough to accommodate all of our guests?” I checked
another name off the list.

“I’ve
reserved forty rooms at the Penha Longa Resort for May 19
^th
through
the 22
^nd
,” Rafael confirmed.

I
looked up from my envelope. “Is forty rooms enough? We have fifty-eight
guests.”

“Most
of those guests are couples, so forty should be enough.” He finished addressing
his envelope.

I
checked another invitation off the list. “I need to call Eva to see if she
knows anyone who’d be willing to do makeup and hair at two o’clock in the
morning.” Since sunrise was at five forty-five, the wedding party had to be at
the palace no later than four-thirty in the morning.

Firelight
danced in his eyes. “I’ve already taken care of that. The Penha Longa Resort
has a world renowned spa. I scheduled massages, manicures, and pedicures for
ten o’clock in the morning on the twentieth and hair and makeup for two o’clock
in the morning on the twenty-first for you, your mother, and our bridesmaids. I
also hired a limousine service to drive everyone to the palace.”

I
shook my head while a smile tugged at my lips. “You’re always one step ahead of
me.”

He
laughed. “Eva has been helping me.”

I
assembled another invitation. “What are we going to do about the rehearsal?” A practice
run at the palace would give the view away before the wedding.

“I
don’t think we need one. The wedding party will be at the palace an hour early.
The chairs, the runner, and the luminaries will already be set up, so it will
be obvious where everyone walks. We can show them where to stand when we
arrive. We can still do a rehearsal dinner if you’d like, either in the
courtyard or by the pool at the Penha Longa Resort. I have a number of pictures
on my cell phone, if you want to see what the resort looks like.” He opened his
photo gallery and handed me the phone.

I
stared at the picture, confused. “What building is this?”

He
glanced at the phone. “That’s the Penha Longa Resort.”

I
gaped at him. “This isn’t a hotel. It’s… It’s…”

“It’s
a nineteenth century palace built on monastery ruins.” Rafael chuckled. “Don’t
worry. This isn’t like Obidos Castle.”

I
sifted through the pictures. The rooms, the lobby, the restaurants, and spa
were truly luxurious. They offered a surprisingly contemporary décor and modern
day amenities while drawing on the natural beauty of the palace and the
surrounding forest. “This place is unbelievable. The courtyard is beautiful,
but I think the patio surrounding the pool might be better for the rehearsal
dinner.”

Rafael
leaned closer so he could take a look. “I like the pool. That picture doesn’t
do it justice, but the view is spectacular. The resort is located inside a
national park. That side of the hotel overlooks the mountains and the ocean.
There are a number of restaurants and a catering service on site. Their menus
are on the website.”

I
handed him the phone. “Why don’t we schedule the rehearsal dinner for sunset on
the twentieth since the pool overlooks the ocean?”

He
reached for another envelope. “I’ll find out when the sun sets in May and
schedule the dinner a half hour before that time. You do realize we won’t be
getting any sleep that night?”

“We’ll
nap before the rehearsal dinner.” Hopefully, the jetlag would work in our
favor.

Rafael
propped his head on his hand as he rolled onto his side. “What do you want to
do about Maxim?”

I
rolled onto my side so I could read the expression on his face. “I feel
conflicted about inviting him. He’s hardly predictable, often inappropriate,
and he enjoys pushing buttons. I don’t want him to ruin this day for us.”

A
single eyebrow crept up his forehead. “But…”

“But,”
I conceded with a sigh, “Maxim saved my life. He saved Kadyn’s life, and he
avenged Michael’s death. If anyone deserves to be there, it would be him.”

Rafael
nodded. “I agree that it would be rude not to include him. I think it’s better
to send the invitation and let him decide whether to attend.”

I
added Maxim’s name to the list and made a quick mental note to ask Konstantin
for his address.

Rafael
snatched my pen and tossed it aside. My shoulders sank into the thick, plush
rug when he rolled on top of me. A well-muscled thigh slid between my legs as
he lowered his body onto mine. “If Maxim tries to kiss you…”

My
hands tangled in his hair as I pulled his lips to mine. “The only man who’s
kissing me is you.”

*
* * * *

I
shoved another waffle fry into my mouth. I wasn’t sure I liked waffle fries,
but I was ravenously hungry, and Oni was in love with Chick-fil-A.

Oni
popped a chicken nugget inside her mouth sans sauce. “Have you heard from
USAID?”

“No.
I submitted the grant application two weeks ago, and they have thirty days to
decide.” I dipped my chicken strip in barbeque sauce before sinking my teeth
into the juicy meat.

“How’s
Maxim doing in the polls?” Shae asked around her straw. I was surprised she
stopped guzzling her sweet tea long enough to join the conversation. The three
of us decided to meet for dinner after class. Brady and Jase were eating at a
nearby table, offering what little privacy they could.

“He’s
still tied with Yulia.” Oni frowned. “The election is only a month away. We
need something to happen, something that will help him gain the lead in those
polls.” She eyed me thoughtfully. “Can you fly to Ukraine and pretend to be his
girlfriend again?”

My
jaw bounced off the table.

“Oni!”
Shae bristled. “Have you lost your mind?”

“I’m
sorry.” Oni’s cheeks flushed pink. “I just… I remember all the press he got
when the two of you were together.”

My
heart stalled as a number of disturbing images came to mind. Bare light bulbs,
metal chairs, and cold cement floors. I swallowed. Hard. “I can’t go back there.
Even if it were pretend, I can’t put Rafael through that again.”

“I’m
sorry,” Oni repeated. “It was a stupid idea.”

Shae
and I exchanged glances. I hadn’t shared any of the gruesome details about the
torture we endured while held captive by the SVR. Oni knew that we had been
abducted, but I wasn’t sure how much she knew beyond that. “It’s fine, Oni. You
just want what’s best for your country.”

She
picked through her waffle fries. “Would you go back if he were elected?”

“I
don’t know.” I shifted uncomfortably.

“Speaking
of dating,” Shae segued, “have you met anyone you’re interested in dating?”

“No.
Not really.” Oni snuck a peek at me.

“Really?”
Shae teased. “You haven’t met any intriguing men at work or at school?”

“No.”
She folded three waffle fries inside her mouth.

“We
need to take Oni out for a night on the town,” Shae decided.

“Not
we. You. Oni’s not going to meet any men with me tagging along.” I jerked my
head toward Brady and Jase. “No one would dare approach us with those two
hovering over us.”

Shae
looked thoughtful. “Maybe…”

I
shook my head. “Nope. I’m not ditching them. I’ve grown rather fond of my
security blanket.”

“Security
blanket, huh? Now that paints a yummy visual.” Shae fanned herself with a
napkin.

“Gagh!
Don’t go there!” I slunk down in my seat when Brady and Jase narrowed their
eyes at me.

“Maybe
Kadyn could join us,” Oni suggested.

Shae
stilled. Her eyes slid questioningly toward me.

I
took a deep breath and blew it out. “Are you interested in him?”

Oni
leaned forward excitedly. “Is he dating anyone?”

Shae
gaped at her. She took one look at me and snapped her mouth shut.

I
reached for my sweet tea. “He was seeing Brianna back in January. I don’t know
if they’re still dating.”

Oni
sighed. “Is there any way to find out?”

“I
can ask him,” I offered reluctantly. I wasn’t sure I liked where this was
heading. I tossed my empty containers on the tray. “I need to head home so I
can call Rafael.” I bit my lip when I realized my mistake.

“I
would have thought he’d be home by now,” Shae mused. “Is he working nights
again?”

“That
man works day and night,” I answered irritably. I hoped it was enough to cover
my mistake. I returned my tray and gave Oni a hug.

Shae
eyed me suspiciously.

I
gave her a hug before I could hang myself any further.

Brady
and Jase herded me out the door.

*
* * * *