Page 2 of Icebound
“My old friend…?”
The man glanced around him, at the throngs of tourists, and shrugged. “We need a bit of privacy. Follow me.” He started off through the crowds, heading toward the river, clearly expecting Bastien to be fool enough to come with him. Bastien stayed where he was. This was feeling all wrong. Amateurish, for one thing, when his enemies were some of the most highly trained in the world. And business was not conducted at one of the busiest tourist sites in France, even given Notre Dame’s condition. The last thing he intended to do was follow a harmless-looking stranger away from…
It was a sting on the side of his neck, and he slapped at it, wondering if he was dead. But it was no bullet, something smaller, infinitely tiny, and he felt his knees give way. He was going to be face down on the crowded sidewalk, and whoever had shot at him would have no problem in finishing him off with quick efficiency.
He thought of Chloe, looking adorable in her fury with him, and he wondered if she’d ever hear what happened to him. He’d always known he lived on borrowed time, and the bill had come due. But he wasn’t ready to leave her.
“Chloe,” he whispered, as he fell to the ground, and everything went black.
Chapter
One
“Where the hell is he?” Chloe snarled into the telephone, dumping her empty suitcase on the bed. It was Bastien’s—leather, old and battered, with no convenient wheels and handles, but it would be small enough to cart with her wherever the hell she was going.
“I truly don’t know, Chloe,” Peter Madsen said, and she believed him. “There have been rumors…”
“What rumors?”
“An old enemy of his has resurfaced, one we thought was dead. So far there’s been no connection. There’s been no sign of Bastien since he was last seen that day at Notre Dame, but you know your husband—it would take a hell of a lot to bring him down. I know right now he’s working to get back to us…to you. We’re doing everything we can, but so far we’ve come up with nothing but a name.”
“What name?” Chloe demanded.
“You know I can’t tell you that. And it wouldn’t mean anything to you. You need to stay put and wait till you hear from me. Better yet, come over and join us and the children. That way you’ll be nearby when he surfaces, and our people can look out for you.”
“You think I’m in danger?” She began throwing clothes into the suitcase, putting the phone on speaker.
“If I did, I’d have people watching you already. The one thing you need to remember is that Bastien can take care of himself. If he’s in the wind right now it’s because he means to be. He didn’t say anything to you before he left, did he?”
“He didn’t tell me anything. Just that he was going.” She made sure her voice was steady. His eyes had been cold, expressionless, the way they’d been so long ago when they first met, and her heart ached.
“Then he’ll be back when he can. I’m not ready to call in the reserves, and you just need to calm down.”
“I’m calm,” she said in a dangerous voice. “I’ve been calm for thirty-four fucking days. You think he’s still in Paris?”
“I don’t know!” Peter snapped. “That was just one possibility when we heard a friend had reappeared.”
“A friend, or an enemy?”
“Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.” Peter sighed. “I know you want him back, Chloe. We all do. But you need to have faith. Bastien Toussaint is the best operative I’ve ever worked with and if he’s missing, it’s for a reason. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll resurface when he can. You have to trust him.”
“I trust him. It’s everybody else who’s sketchy.”
“I assume you mean me too,” Peter said, clearly unoffended.
“I trust you with my children, Peter. That’s huge. But I want my husband back.”
“I want him back too. We’re doing everything we can to find him, make sure he doesn’t need backup.”
“Just answer me one question,” Chloe said.
“If I can.”
“Who is Le Fauçon?”
Dead silence on the other end of the line. “Where did you hear that name?” he demanded after a pause.
“I walked in on Bastien talking to someone on the phone,” she said. “Was it you?”
