Power and Possession(82)
“I’m going to need your help after this extraction too. The man who ordered the hit on my father is next on my list.”
Rafe had wanted to kill his father so many times, he considered Ganz fortunate to have had a father he loved. Dragging in a steadying breath as Ganz’s filial devotion brought up the old brew of repressed memories he’d locked away, Rafe forcibly brushed aside all the tiny barbs of recall and replied, “No problem. Who’s the target? Hang on, Davey, or wait, I’ll call you back.”
“He runs the unit I worked for. Name’s Zou Yao.”
Rafe shook his head. “Don’t know him, not that I should. Do you have a plan? If not, Carlos can help you. Even if you do, Carlos can help. He can get people in or out, dead or alive, your pick.”
“Zou has a wife and family in Shanghai he sees occasionally. He has a young mistress and child in Hong Kong he adores. They’re my bait.”
“Just bait, I hope.” Rafe lifted one brow. “Unless the mistress is some operative herself.”
“Uh-uh. They’re catch and release.”
“Good enough. Whatever you need, it’s yours. Money, manpower, me at your side if you like. You saved the company. Your war is my war. I’m all in.”
“Until my friends are out, Zou’s on hold.”
Rafe punched his phone again. “Hey, Davey, file a flight plan for Macao. Leave tomorrow. More details on their way, okay?” Hanging up, Rafe said, “I’ll give you Davey’s number and you can fill him in on your end. I’ll see that he has all the men he needs to see this through—Mandarin-speaking just to be safe. It’s a long flight, there’s plenty of time to massage the plan.” He flipped his hand toward the monitors. “This is winding down, right? How much longer?”
“Four, five hours to make sure everything’s clean. I don’t need you though. Take your sweetheart home.”
“I can stay if you want. I told her it might be a while.”
“Nah. Go. Although you can come and celebrate with me once the Macao venture is complete. I told Madeline I’d meet her in Paris as soon as I can get away. A couple nights at the Chandelier Club, and I’ll be primed to go after Zou.”
Rafe frowned. “I don’t know. Nicole isn’t really hard core. She might freak out at a sex club.”
“Ask her.”
“If she says no, I’m out.”
“A grand says she won’t.”
Rafe shrugged. “I’m not betting. Either way, it’s her call.”
“As soon as I’m done here, I’ll let Davey know what I need from your team in Macao. You’re using the phone I gave you?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Everything’s encrypted. Call me.”
A few minutes later, Rafe stood in the doorway of his office bedroom, a smile on his face. “So how’s Fanny Hill getting along?”
“She’s being rogered by a lovely young officer. I don’t suppose you want to get a uniform from somewhere.”
He smiled. “I know something even better to amuse you.” He held out his hand. “Let’s go home.”
“Seriously? Home?”
“Yup. Simon’s waiting downstairs.”
She was already scrambling off the bed. “Wonderful, great, lovely, and every other word that signifies gratitude. I missed you.”
“I missed you like crazy, but we’re finally out of danger. Leave the books. Someone will bring them back later. Come on, it’s our anniversary. I need to feel your body next to mine.”
But Rafe was visibly wired when they got back to his house. While Nicole undressed, he restlessly paced, his gaze focused somewhere off in space; twice he started to speak, then changed his mind. Finally coming to a stop by the window, he stared out blankly at the lights of the city, plagued by long-suppressed memories of his father.
Normally, those nocuous memories were buried deep, but perhaps exhaustion was a factor, or too many hours of stress, maybe having to fend off the enemy Maso had initially provoked with his usual arrogant stupidity was reason enough. But all the disturbing ambiguities Rafe kept locked away were pouring out.
It wasn’t just the heavy-handed and erratic discipline for offenses Rafe hadn’t actually committed that flooded him. The memories of being pushed into sex too young, too hard, too fast, always made him cringe, as did the image of his leering father overtly or covertly in the background. He could feel it all washing over him again: the embarrassment, the discomfort, the awkwardness and baffling feelings.
He’d planned his retaliation for months.
A school assignment in Tokyo he’d told his father; Basil and Henny had the same class project. His father never asked what it was; education wasn’t a significant concern for him. He saw boarding school as an opportunity to meet the right people—meaning other rich people—and make the necessary contacts that would be helpful later in life.