The Fall of East: Book 3 in the Hear No Evil Trilogy, Malone, Nana [inspiring books for teens txt] 📗

"Well, at least he's doing something right. Fine. So now we both know who Henry Warlow is. What is Interpol's intent?"

"Well, our intention is to arrest him, but we need more proof. And I caution you to not do anything just yet.”

His grin flashed then. "Yes, ever cautious. Thank you for the update, Agent Kincade."

"That's it, you're telling me you're not going to do anything?"

He placed a hand over his heart. "Cross my heart, hope to die. I will let you get your evidence all in place. But once you have it, Henry Warlow is mine."

I clamped my jaw together tight, recognizing that we probably had highly different outcomes planned for this. But soon enough, he would be mine. And he wouldn't have to worry about what happened to Henry Warlow. "As long as you're promising not to jump the gun and go after him before we have confirmation."

His smile was almost genuine. "Of course, Agent Kincade. I promise."

Even as I left him, my inner voice just kept muttering to me There is no honor amongst thieves.

* * *

Nyla

Was there anything more awkward than being on your boyfriend's private jet with your disapproving father?

This was it.

East had business calls to take. They were across the aisle from each other. Both had their heads buried in work. I watched East. Every bit as commanding as he always was. But there was something about him in a suit. He was all business. Not fucking around. So goddamn sexy. And then he spoke French. I mean, I spoke French too, but somehow hearing him speak French was just out of this world.

Something alerted him of me watching him, and his gaze flickered to mine, his green eyes going nearly olive as he watched me. He licked his bottom lip, and I choked back a cough. Then he gave me a wink and went back to his call. Jackass. He did it on purpose. He knew it would work me up with my dad sitting right there.

East was the worst.

Or the best. You love him for a reason. 

I did love him. He was everything I hadn't known I needed, really.

My gaze shifted to my father, and he never once looked up. He just kept his head buried in work, tapping on the computer, going through files, texting someone, and back again.

"Are you going to keep staring at both of them like that?"

I sighed. “I can't help it. Did I just wind up with a different version of my father?"

Amelia laughed. "No, you didn't. East is not your dad. He has always backed you. Always. Even when you didn't want his backing."

I smiled at him then. He caught me looking and glanced around as if wondering what the hell I was smiling at, and then blew me a quick kiss before going back to work.

Amelia chuckled. "Oh my God, you two need a room. Although I have to warn you, I don't suggest that you go into that room with your father sitting here. He might not exactly be daddy dear, because I feel like he would object."

I snorted. "Oh my God, I would never. I don't know. There's a part of me that wishes they'd get along, but I also know that it's better for me that they don't because that means that East is different. He's not Denning. He would never sell me up the river to impress my father."

"And that, my love, is something that you absolutely need."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

Amelia sat back and said, "I’ve got to say, the private plane ain't bad either."

I snorted. "Oh my God."

"What? I'm just saying. I mean, honestly, you found a billionaire and can't save one for me?"

I shook my head. "Something tells me that you'd be very irritated with a billionaire. And do you really want to be told what to do all day?"

She shuddered. "Ugh, perish the thought."

"See? You'd hate him."

"I believe it. But you managed it, so you know, maybe I could find my strength."

The rest of the flight was quiet as we all tucked into our work, knowing full well the range of what we needed to accomplish.

My thoughts wandered back to my meeting with Theroux the previous day, and I had a sinking suspicion that I had fallen into his trap because he'd been dangling this idea that he was going to let me bring him in. But something told me that was never going to happen.

Amelia leaned forward again as if reading my mind. "Do you think it's going to work? You think Theroux is going to let you bring him in?"

"I was just thinking about it. I don't know what his game is, but I know he's not going to let himself be caught by my father."

She nodded and bit her lip. "Where are we on that informant?"

There was a piercing thudding behind my eyes. "Theroux told me I was close, that I’d almost figured out what he wanted me to discover, but he wouldn’t fill in any details. Sometimes I feel like I'm spinning, you know? Just going in circles. I know she existed. I have that photo of her. But I wonder who she really is." My stomach did a weird flip-flop. My brain was trying to latch onto the similarities in the photo to my mother, but the woman in the photo couldn’t be my mother. I knew it.

Are you sure?

Just because they had similar profiles, didn’t mean she was my mother. Besides I would know. I’d heard how my parents met dozens of times. My mother was a perfectly average, albeit beautiful, housewife who loved being room mum at my primary school. She hadn’t been an international thief.

Amelia ran her teeth over her bottom lip. "Okay, look, you know this happens. What if your father had an affair with her? Fell in love, even though they shouldn't have. It happens all the time."

The thread of truth hung between us. "God, Amelia, my father is so straight and narrow. He's even horrified that