"She does."

  "Is she who you contact when you say you need to talk to people?"

  "She's one of two people I've been talking to. The other is still an active agent." He cleared his throat. "Did you order dinner?"

  "I did. I think I'm going to take a shower before it gets here. I'm hoping there's one of those fluffy robes in the bathroom."

  "There is. Want some company?"

  "That might make the shower a little too long, and dinner should be here shortly. Can I have a rain check?"

  "Any time," he said with a sexy smile.

  When she walked into the bathroom and saw more luxury, she let out a little sigh of pleasure. She turned on the shower, stripped off her clothes, and stood under the hot stream of water, lathering herself with expensive bath products that smelled incredible. It felt good to wash off the dirt of the day, to feel warm and safe. It might not last long, but she was going to hang on to the feeling as long as she could.

  After getting out of the shower and drying her hair, she put on her new undies and then wrapped herself in the deliciously warm robe and went back into the living room.

  The dining room table was now covered in covered dishes, and Max was opening the wine. "How was it?" he asked. "You look a lot better than you did before."

  "It was great. The splurge idea was one of your best ones ever."

  He laughed at that. "Good. I'm glad you're enjoying it."

  She pulled the lid off a plate and saw a nicely grilled salmon, and her mouth watered. "The good just keeps getting better," she said as she sat down.

  He handed her a glass of wine. "I thought this meal deserved wine instead of beer. You made a good choice."

  "I don't know much about wine, but it was expensive, so fingers crossed." She took a sip. "Nice."

  He sat down across from her and opened the plate with his steak. "I have to admit I'm hungry, too," he said. "When did we eat last?"

  "I can't even remember." She swallowed a bite of salmon, then said, "I can split all this with you, Max. It may be a different name on the credit card, but I'm assuming you're still paying the bill."

  "Don't worry about it."

  "I like to pay my way."

  "We'll settle up later. Just eat."

  She was too hungry to argue, and for the next thirty minutes she tasted everything on the table, including Max's steak. She was happy to see he was a man who was willing to share his food, something she loved to do. If two people were eating, it only made sense to order two things and share. But her ex had not been big into sharing. He just couldn't understand why she couldn't just order her own meal and stick to it.

  "What are you thinking about?" Max asked. "You suddenly got a frown on your face."

  "Nothing really," she said, not wanting to talk about her ex. "I think I'm finally full."

  "Me, too."

  "Should we take our wine glasses and sit on the couch?" he asked.

  She followed him over to the couch, which was facing the windows. He turned the lights in the room down so they had a better view of the city.

  "I'm starting to feel like I can relax," she murmured a few minutes later. "How's your shoulder feeling?"

  "It's fine."

  "You're pretty low maintenance when it comes to injuries."

  "Your brother did a nice job stitching me up. Have you talked to him again?"

  "I sent him a text saying you were good, and I was fine. He didn't ask questions."

  "He has faith in you. Smart guy."

  "Thanks." She gave him a smile. "Can you believe how many near-death experiences we have had together? When is our luck going to run out?"

  "That's not a question you should put out into the universe."

  She was a little surprised by his answer. "Does that mean you believe in the power the universe, or in fate? You seem too cynical and pragmatic for that."

  He didn't answer right away, then said, "I've been around a lot of different people in my life: cultures, religions, spiritual beliefs. Sometimes it makes me crazy how many people will kill in the name of whatever they believe in, which is usually against what they believe in. And it's not like there's just one group to blame."

  "No, there's not, and there's always a personal element, isn't there? The people who want to terrorize the world, who want to destroy anyone who doesn't believe like they believe or act like they want them to act, are usually all about themselves. It's not the greater power they are touting; it's their own power. It's their vision of personal greatness. Of course, I'm speaking in general terms."

  "Well, Qadir certainly fits that bill," he said heavily.

  "I understand why you want to take him down; I do, too." She turned sideways on the couch, snuggling up next to him. "But I'm worried about what it's doing to your heart." She put a hand on his chest.

  He covered her hand with his as he met her gaze. "I haven't thought about my heart in a long time."

  "Because it's painful to love people and lose them. But…"

  He gave her a wary look. "I have a feeling you're going somewhere with this that I don't want to go."

  "Well, let's find out," she said, unwilling to let him shut her down. "Look what revenge has brought… David Hartford loses his wife and child and goes from a family man, a businessman, to a murderer. All because he can't let his family's pain go unpunished. And now he's dead. And his plan has taken on a life of its own."

  "That was a terrible revenge plan," he said.

  "I don't know who said this, but I heard it once, and it stuck with me: Revenge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. That's what happened to David." She paused, seeing the stubborn glint in his eyes. "Revenge is driving Qadir, too. He wants to inflict pain on Americans because of what happened to his family."

  "And hopefully, he will die because of that," Max said harshly.

  His words sent a chill down her spine. "I don't want revenge to kill you, too, Max. Killing Qadir isn't going to bring anyone back."

  "I'm not trying to bring anyone back; I'm trying to stop him from killing anyone else. I know you're going to tell me he should be in jail, that revenge isn't justice, and that's what I believed. Until my agency sent a killer back out in the world to gather intelligence that he was never going to give to us."

  "That was a terrible calculation on their part. But it wouldn't happen again. We can bring him in and put him in jail."

  "Why do you care if he's dead or alive?"

  "I don't actually care about that," she admitted, bringing surprise to his gaze. "I care about you, about what revenge might do to you."

  His fingers tightened around hers as he gazed deep into her eyes. "I care about you, too, Kara."

  "It's strange isn't it, how we came to know each other, how we got here... I struggle with the whole idea of fate and things happening for a reason, because I lost my dad when I was young, when he was young. And I see so many other deaths that really don't seem to have a reason. But maybe that's what faith is about. I don't know."

  "Neither do I, and that's too heavy of a question to ponder right now. You're a deep thinker, aren't you, Kara?"

  "I am. I have a feeling you are, too."

  "Sometimes," he admitted. "My brain can get me into trouble. My ideas aren't always the best. In fact, I have an idea right now that I can't seem to shake."

  As the heat between their fingers ran through the rest of her body, she knew exactly what he was thinking, and here in this quiet apartment, so high above the city, she felt like they were in a special safe place that was just about the two of them and not at all about reality. And she needed that escape.

  "We've had a lot of close calls in the past couple of days," she murmured.

  He nodded in agreement. "Those close calls are a reminder of how fragile life can be. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, Kara."

  "Maybe nothing. Maybe we find Qadir, shut down his plan, save the world, and everything is great."

  "There's my positive thinker. I like the sound of that," he said.

  "Me, too. But just in case it isn't exactly like that…" she began. "Let's go into the bedroom and see what making love in a five-star luxury hotel room bed is all about. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

  "Are you talking about the bed or me?" he asked with a laugh.

  She grinned back at him. "I don't know. Maybe you should take that as a challenge. I know you like to win."

  "You're going to win, too," he promised as he pulled her in for a hot kiss. And then they scrambled to their feet and ran into the bedroom.

  The teasing turned to passion as she shed her robe and he stripped off his clothes, and they tumbled onto the soft, enveloping mattress with a desperate, passionate need to be together. But Max was determined to beat the bed, tasting and touching her in a way that rocked her world more than any explosion. She didn't know what the future would bring, but tonight she was with a man who challenged her and protected her and also knew how to love her in a way she'd never thought was possible.

  Afterward, they lay tangled together in the hotel room darkness, the city lights painting patterns on the surrounding walls. She rested her head on Max's chest, soothed by the sound of his heartbeat, by the safe bubble of happiness that surrounded them, if only for a few more hours…

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Monday morning arrived far too fast for Kara, but the sun streaming through the open curtains woke her up, and when she glanced at the clock and saw it was almost eight, she immediately sat up, disturbing the very handsome, very naked man sleeping next to her.

  "Is it morning?" he mumbled as he opened his eyes.

  She smiled, wishing she could slide back under the covers and make love to him again. "It's eight o'clock. We have to get up, get to work."

  He gave her a sleepy grin as he rolled over onto his side, hooked one hand around her neck, and brought her back down for a kiss that immediately sent a wave of desire through her. But she somehow found the strength to pull away. "We have to get up, Max. I need to get to the office and go over everything with my team, see if we can figure out where Caleb and Qadir and everyone else are hiding."

  His expression grew more serious with each passing word, and he sat up now, fully awake. "You're right. We have a lot to do. I need to touch base with Reza⁠—"

  "Reza?" she interrupted. "Is that the person who shall not be named?"

  "Since I just named him, yes," he said with annoyance, which was directed more at himself than at her.

  "I won't tell anyone. You can trust me."

  "I know that, Kara," he said, the look they exchanged going far deeper than the words. "Anyway, Reza and I are working on something that may come in handy later."

  "That sounds interesting. You're not going to tell me what that is, are you?"

  "Not right now."

  "Okay, fine. I'll wait. We should turn our phones back on." She got out of bed, grabbed the beautiful robe from the floor, and pulled it around her before walking back out to the living room to get her phone from her bag. She had a couple of messages from her team, the most important one being a joint task force meeting with Damon's team at 26 Fed scheduled for ten. She texted back that she'd be there.

  As she did that, Max came into the room, wearing briefs, his phone in his hand, a puzzled look in his gaze. "Caroline Rowe wants me to meet her this morning. She doesn't say why. Just says it's important."

  "Where does she want to meet?"

  "Garden Court at the Fritz Collection."

  "A museum? That's strange. Maybe you should just call her back."

  "I tried. She didn't answer."

  "I don't think you should go, Max. Look what happened the last time a woman sent you an urgent text message needing to talk to you."

  He frowned at the reminder of Samantha's text. "Fair point. But it's a big public venue, with security, certainly a different scene than the café."

  "It's also a well-known museum in the city that someone might want to blow up."

  "I need to hear what she has to say. I'm going to have to take that risk."

  "What time?"

  "Ten."

  "See if you can change it to eleven thirty or twelve. There's a joint task force meeting at ten that I need to be at. But I want to go with you to meet her."

  He sent a text and then waited. "She's writing back." A moment later, he looked up and shook his head. "She said it has to be ten."

  "That's even more concerning."

  "If she can't change the time, change the location. Meet her in the park." At his frown, she added, "I'm just worried, Max."

  "It's a good idea. I'll have her meet me at Bryant Park."

  "I hate us splitting up."

  "Me too, but I doubt I'll be allowed into a joint task force meeting, and maybe Caroline has important information."

  "Do you think it's about Dominic?"

  "Probably. I suspect she wants me to talk him into bailing on the summit tomorrow."

  "I hope it's more than that."

  "I'll find out." He walked forward and took her hand in his. "Next time we spend the night together, we're going to spend the morning in bed."

  "I like the sound of that." She let go of his hand. "I need to take a shower."

  "Hang on."

  She turned in surprise. "What?"

  "Did I win? Me versus the bed?" he asked with a sexy smile on his lips.

  "Definitely you," she returned.

  "Good. Then let's see how I do in the shower."

  "Max, we don't have time," she protested, but it was a weak protest at best.

  "Then we'll have to be fast." As he stripped off his briefs and headed back to the bedroom, she had absolutely no willpower to say no.

  It would be fast, she told herself, but as they got into the steamy shower together, she thought they might need just a little longer…

  Max arrived at Bryant Park twenty minutes early. Kara had dropped him off on her way to work, and it had felt strange to say goodbye to her. But they planned to meet up after their meetings and compare notes, so it wouldn't really be that long. And he needed to get his mind back on work. He walked the perimeter of the park, checking for any potential issues. But everything looked normal for a Monday morning.

  Located in Midtown, the park was always busy with people cutting through on their way to work, tourists clustered around the coffee and hot chocolate kiosk, and the usual collection of chess players, and people-watchers, occupying the movable chairs scattered through the space. kiosks that were already setting up for the holidays, and the usual collection of chess players, readers, and people-watchers occupied the tables and chairs scattered throughout the space.

  He positioned himself near the fountain at the center of the park, where he could see all the main entrances and keep his back to the New York Public Library's imposing presence.

  Caroline appeared at exactly the appointed time, entering from the Sixth Avenue side. She looked completely out of place among the casual parkgoers—her tailored black wool coat and leather gloves were perfectly appropriate for a business meeting in a climate-controlled office but made her stand out like a beacon among the joggers and dog walkers.

  As she approached, she scanned the crowd, her movements tight with nervous energy. She clutched her purse against her body like a shield, and her usually perfect composure showed cracks of genuine anxiety. When she finally spotted him near the fountain, her relief was visible even from a distance.

  "Why the change in location?" she asked.

  "Museums are too contained. Here, we can see trouble coming."

  He tipped his head toward a nearby empty table. "Let's sit."

  Caroline did as he requested, perching on the edge of a chair, but she didn't relax. Her posture remained rigid, alert, like someone who expected to run at any moment.

  "What's going on?" he asked.

  "Dominic is in trouble. I think he's been lying to you, to both of us."

  "About what?" he asked, his pulse speeding up. But he cautioned himself to proceed carefully. Caroline was extremely loyal to Dominic, maybe even in love with him, as Kara had suggested. Whatever she was about to tell him could be a setup.

  "Last night after he got off the phone with you, he told me that David Hartford is dead, that he was plotting revenge against everyone connected to the tower fire several years ago, that David was responsible for Samantha's injuries, the bomb at the café."

  "You're not telling me anything I don't already know."

  "Dominic started drinking heavily. Like I've never seen him drink before. I thought maybe it was the shock of one of his friends wanting his girlfriend dead, wanting him dead. But it was more than that. After a couple of shots, he started talking about mistakes he's made, that maybe he had finally crossed a line he couldn't come back from." She cleared her throat. "I feel like I'm betraying him, but I'm scared. I know you're his friend, not just a security guy, and I hope you'll want to help him. Promise me you'll try."

  "I can't promise anything. What else did he say?"

  She gave him a troubled look. "He said that he never should have made a deal with the devil."

  "Who's the devil? Qadir?"

  Her eyes widened. "You know?"

  "I'm guessing. What deal did he make?"

  "I'm not entirely sure. But he said after Cody and Ray were killed that he knew he was going to have to work with someone or he was going to have to give up on the project in Tajikistan."

  "So, he made a deal with a terrorist for protection? Why wouldn't he tell me that?" His gaze narrowed on her nervous face. "I'm supposed to protect him at the groundbreaking. Why wouldn't I know about this deal?"

  "Because you're part of it," she breathed, her words coming out in a quiet rush. "I didn't know. I swear I didn't. I'm not even sure I'm putting it all correctly now. But⁠—"

  "What did you say?" He interrupted her rambling with a piercing stare. "What exactly are you saying?"

  "I think Dominic hired you because he was told to do that. This Qadir wanted Dominic to bring you to Tajikistan."

  His mind raced, spinning back to the past, to the casual meeting in London, the job offer that was absolutely perfect, the timing of everything that had followed. He'd thought he was using Dominic, but Dominic had been using him. "He was setting me up. That's why he has never really cared about my plans. He doesn't need me to be safe; he needs Qadir." He paused. "But that plan was about getting me into Qadir's territory, and I don't think he's in Tajikistan anymore. I believe he's in New York City."