Aeromancist (Seven Forbidden Arts 3)

Not able to contain himself, Lann moved forward to meet her halfway down the garden path. He didn’t want to wait at the end of it for her to walk alone. Placing her hand on his arm, he led her to the gazebo where the priest waited.

He imprinted every detail in his mind. She was his first, and she’d be his last. He’d never love again, not after her. He knew himself too well. Seven months weren’t nearly enough, but he forced the somber thought from his mind, not wanting to spoil the moment.

To his joy, Katherine didn’t refuse his ring. He slipped his ruby ring onto her right hand—he still wanted her to wear it—while the new ring took its rightful place on her left hand. She gave him a platinum band with a yellow gold inner lining, and whispered that the gold reminded her of his eyes when he made love to her.

After saying their vows, they had a simple ceremonial dinner. Katherine was tired and he was apprehensive. They retired early. He still wanted her in so many ways, and their time together was short. He undressed first her, and then himself, before settling down next to her in bed to hold her. At last, Katherine was his like he had wanted her to be from the first minute he’d laid eyes on her in Santiago.

The call from Richardson came one day later. He was at the Hotel Jules in Paris. On Joss’s instruction, Kat asked him to meet her the following day, on Monday, at a brasserie near the Notre Dame. Bono arrived later the same day to fly her, Lann, and Joss to Paris. They went to the safe house where Lann had first taken her, and spent a quiet evening in while Joss briefed her on what kind of questions to ask Richardson.

On Monday morning, Lann and Joss set up the satellite and communication equipment while Kat went through her suitcase and chose a wool dress and loose-fitting coat that wouldn’t give her pregnancy away. She was only eight weeks along, but her body was changing rapidly. She also had to remove her wedding ring and leave it in Lann’s care. Both of them were reluctant for her to remove it, but finally agreed with Joss that it was better that Richardson didn’t know how their relationship had evolved.

They went downstairs to the square for lunch, and twenty minutes before the meeting, Kat made her way to the brasserie. Even if Lann and Joss were close, making sure neither she nor Richardson was followed, she was nervous. They’d decided she wouldn’t wear a wire in case Richardson decided to search her. It was safer tracking her via satellite.

She walked into the brasserie ten minutes before the agreed time, and chose a table in the back. Since it was after lunch, the brasserie wasn’t busy.

Richardson walked in five minutes later. She didn’t signal him, but used the time to assess him. He wore an expensive looking dark suit with a light blue shirt and navy tie. Quite a change to the flannel and jeans he’d worn when they’d met at her parents’ house. This was more the Richardson she’d imagined.

He scanned the room, and when he spotted her, he made his way over. His size dominated the small table, intimidating her when he took a seat.

Brushing off the feeling, she said, “Thank you for coming.”

His green eyes measured her. It felt as if he could see through her bluff, but she held his gaze.

“You don’t need to be frightened of me,” he said.

“I’m not,” she replied quickly.

“Is that so?” He lifted a brow. “You don’t have to act brave. Vulnerability is a quality I find desirable.”

Right. She just bet. “You want women to be scared of you?”

“If we’re going to work together, we need to trust each other.”

“Exactly, and as I don’t know you, I don’t trust you.”

“Fair enough.” He leaned back, drumming his fingers on the table. “How would you like to proceed in correcting that?”

She ignored the nuance in the question. “You said you’d protect me if I work with you.”

“I did.”

“What exactly does work with you entail?”

A waitress stopped next to their table.

“Coffee?” Richardson asked.

“Tea, please.”

Richardson placed their order, and when the waitress was gone, he said, “I need evidence of your fiancé’s involvement in illegal operations.”

“You want me to get it.”

His smile was smug. “More or less.”

“How?”

“He trusts you. Just get him to talk, to tell you whatever you can get out of him. Focus on getting information on where he’s going and when. We’ll do the rest.”

Kat eyed him skeptically. “We?”

“My team and I.”

“You mean you’ll have him followed?”

The waitress arrived with their coffee and tea. Richardson waited until she was gone before he said, “I’m not going to ask you to put your life in danger. That’s my job. Lann is difficult to track. Just tell me where I can expect to find him, and I’ll get the evidence I need to put him away.”