Page 25 of Wife for a Week

‘Ready,’ she said with far more confidence than the situation warranted. ‘My negotiating skills are honed and ready to go.’

They ought to be. He, Kai, John and Jasmine had spent the last two hours firing every conceivable question or objection the bad guys might come up with at her and coaching her on her reply. ‘Stick to the plan,’ he said gruffly. ‘Stay with Kai.’

‘Of course.’ Hallie smiled at him reassuringly.

‘And don’t do anything stupid.’

Her eyes narrowed. Her chin came up. He loved that look. ‘Was there anything else?’ she said, heavy on the sarcasm.

‘Yeah.’ He strode over to where she was standing, took her face in his hands and kissed her with enough heat to light up half the city. ‘Be careful.’ He put his hands in his pockets and took a step back before he grabbed her again. Because if he did he knew he’d never let her go.

‘It’ll take twenty minutes to get there,’ said Kai. ‘Another twenty, perhaps, to complete the negotiation. I’ll call when we’re done.’

Nick nodded and watched in tight-lipped silence as they headed for the door. Watched while his stomach roiled for fear she’d be hurt, and his brain informed him that letting her attempt to cancel the hit out of some crazy desire to prove her worth was undoubtedly the worst decision he’d ever made.

It was going to be the longest forty minutes of his life.

It was New Year’s Day and most of the shops were closed. Lucky Plaza was closed as well, but Kai drove directly to loading bay entrance number five, parked the Mercedes beside the huge, corrugated Roll-A-Door and cut the engine.

‘They’re meeting us here,’ he said, nodding towards a wall-mounted security camera. ‘They’ll have seen us arrive. Are you ready?’

Hallie nodded. Her heart was beating a furious tattoo, her hands were clammy, and her lipstick had doubtless been chewed away completely, but she was ready. ‘Wait!’ Her lipstick. She flipped the sunshield of the car down to reveal the small mirror on the other side, fished her lipstick from her Hermès handbag and carefully applied a fresh coat to her lips. Now she was ready.

Kai gave her one of his rare, slow smiles and then the loading bay door opened and two suited sentries stood waiting for them. Hallie took a deep breath and then another before reaching for the door handle. She could do this. Would do this, dammit, because this little catastrophe was of her making and she was going to fix it. What was more, Nick trusted her to fix it.

It was time to go do business.

The plaza was deserted and eerily quiet, but the door to the little corner shop was open, the lights inside were on, and the young salesman she’d bought the vase from stood waiting by the counter. He wasn’t alone. An older man with greying hair and hard black eyes stood beside him. Whoever he was, and she really wasn’t inclined to ask, he wore authority like a cloak and power as if he was born to it. Maybe he was.

‘Thank you for agreeing to see me at such short notice,’ she said politely.

‘We have no quarrel with the Tey organization,’ the older man said in heavily clipped English. ‘We prefer to keep it that way.’ His cold black gaze shifted to Kai and then returned to her. ‘You have business with us?’

‘Business that should have been concluded by now,’ said Hallie smoothly, knowing instinctively that this man would not tolerate weakness. ‘I now find myself in the rather unfortunate position of having to change my plans.’ She smiled, a careful, charming smile. ‘I’m afraid your services are no longer required.’

‘I’m afraid, Mrs Cooper, that we do not renegotiate contracts. Not even with those who place them,’ said the older man with a charming smile of his own. ‘It’s bad for business.’

Nick kept himself occupied by pacing from one end of the Teys’ long living room to the other. Jasmine had made tea, two lots of tea, and thirty minutes had come and gone. The first twenty had been bearable. The first twenty minutes had involved Hallie and Kai getting to where they were going. Now it was different. Now, thought Nick grimly, Hallie was meeting with contract killers, firing them, to be precise, and Nick’s nerves were stretched to breaking-point. Any time now, they’d call.

‘Your wife is a very resourceful woman,’ said John. John, who had been a quiet, reassuring presence throughout the entire debacle. ‘I’m confident she’ll succeed. And Kai is with her. They will not dismiss him lightly. Not the man, nor the organization he represents.’

Nick sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. His primary concern was for Hallie’s safety. Once she was safe he would worry about the next problem, namely that Kai’s presence at the meeting and the implied involvement of Tey Enterprises would have unwanted consequences for the older man. ‘How far will this place you in their debt?’

‘Not that far,’ said John with a slight smile. ‘We are neither enemies nor allies, our two organizations, even though both wield a great deal of power. We coexist. We are respectful of each other. I do not believe this small transaction will upset that balance.’

Nick didn’t know whether to believe the other man or not. His explanation sounded too simple and far too easy, given what he knew of Chinese culture. ‘Let’s hope you’re right,’ he said wearily. ‘I know it’s a risk, but I couldn’t let her go alone.’

‘Nor I,’ said John. ‘I am your host. I allowed my daughter to take your wife to Lucky Plaza in the first place. My conscience would not allow it.’

‘Thank you,’ said Nick quietly. He appreciated everything the older man had done for them. He really did.

‘Your wife made a simple mistake,’ said John magnanimously. ‘It could have happened to anyone.’

Nick just stared at him.

‘Okay,’ said John. ‘Maybe not anyone.’

‘Of course you don’t renegotiate contracts,’ said Hallie, deciding it was time to examine a magnificent porcelain vase displayed on a marble pedestal. ‘These really are the most exquisite pieces,’ she said admiringly, and then, on a more businesslike note, ‘I understand your position perfectly, but I’m not here to renegotiate. The delivery was not made in the specified time. Our contract is void. I have no need of another.’ She was politeness itself. Tris would be proud of her. Nick would be amazed. ‘I simply wished to let you know in person that I consider our business complete.’

He wasn’t going to go for it. Hallie held the older man’s gaze steadily, knowing in her bones that he was going to say that he didn’t do this either. That the contract was complete when the delivery was made and not before. That was good business too.

‘This is the first time we have had such a problem,’ said the older man bleakly as he looked to the young salesman. ‘Make it the last.’

The young crime lieutenant nodded respectfully.

The old general studied her thoughtfully before glancing once more at the silent Kai. ‘So be it,’ he said, with a dismissive wave of his hand. ‘The contract is void. Happy New Year, Mrs Cooper. May it be a healthy and prosperous one for you and all your family. My assistant will see to the details.’

‘Thank you,’ said Hallie and bowed her head in acknowledgement because, frankly, it seemed the thing to do. She waited until the older man was gone before straightening and turning towards the salesman who’d sold her the vase in the first place.

‘You’re a very fortunate woman, Mrs Cooper,’ he said dryly. ‘He let you live.’

‘Maybe he’s turning over a New Year’s leaf,’ said Hallie.

Kai winced. The young salesman smiled his crooked smile. ‘I like you,’ he said.

‘Be grateful you’re not married to her,’ said Kai.

‘True.’

Hallie ignored their bonding banter completely. She wasn’t done yet. ‘Can you see to the details today?’ she asked the salesman. ‘Can you see to them now?’ She watched as he whipped out his Palm pilot and pulled up his calendar.

‘No problem,’ he said. ‘I will arrange to meet my contacts within the hour.’

Contacts, assassins, whatever. As long as he called them off. ‘Thank you,’ she said, bestowing a brilliant smile on him, and then as a new thought occurred to her, ‘I wonder…’

‘No!’ said Kai. ‘No wondering.’

‘No refunds either,’ said the salesman.

‘Of course not,’ said Hallie. ‘That would be tacky. I was just wondering about the vase. The vase in the window. After all, it was part of our arrangement…’

‘They haven’t called,’ said Nick. ‘What’s taking them so long?’ He was on his fourth cup of sugar-loaded green tea and the sugar was starting to take effect. Soon. They would call soon. Meanwhile Nick paced. Pacing was good. Pacing and waiting was far better than sitting and waiting and he wished for the hundredth time that he could have gone with her. Dammit, he should have gone with her, regardless. Because if anything happened to her…

The muffled ringing of John’s cell phone interrupted his latest what if. Nick felt the blood drain from his face, felt an icy calm steal over him as John took the call. It was brusque, it was brief, it was in Cantonese. And then it was over.