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And he opted not to seek her out in whatever corner of the grand suite she’d claimed as her own, because he kneould happen if he did More of that distracting, opulent firestorm—need and passion and all that rich darkness beneath—that he was half-afraid ht kill them both More proof that all she had to do was touch him and he wasn’t in control at all

Later, he thought as he left the suite He would deal with the e, of all his plans—later

He was finally finished with the last of his tedious series of sadly necessaryand overly ht—when Nasser pulled him aside in the hotel lobby, his expression uncharacteristically dark, and told hi that should have been impossible

Cleo was gone Missing No one had seen her all day

“Has there been a ranso hi to take Talaat’s multitude of threats more seriously He kept his voice loare that he was standing where anyone could hear him in a hotel lobby mere steps from Vienna’s famous Opera House, and there was no need to involve the over-eager press

“None”

“Signs of a struggle?”

He didn’t want to i visuals in his head He didn’t knohat he’d do if—

But Nasser shook his head “Nothing like that, as far as we can tell Her ”

It took a moment for that intense jolt of fear to dissipate For Khaled to concentrate on what Nasser had said And it was the laptop that gave Khaled pause He blinked and considered

The laptop, which was covered in old stickers for bands he’d never heard of and which she kept in a bright orange sleeve that was most assuredly not appropriate for the sorts of events Cleo appeared at these days The laptop, which Cleo would have had absolutely no reason to take with her outside the hotel roo the rest of her luggage as well Which meant that any would-be kidnappers would have had to take Cleo and break into the hotel roo else of value in that room behind—

Unlikely

Khaled considered the scenario for ato admit the possibility that she could have played him Tricked him Impossible

“Perhaps my wife has taken a day off”