Read Online Hot Ice by Cherry Adair - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cherry Adair
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, South America, romantic suspense, Romantic Suspense Fiction, Terrorists, Jewel Thieves, Women Jewel Thieves, Female Offenders
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before him had been with him to the secret location. All they knew was that within the next two months all members of Mano del Dios must be ready for their largest display of God's powers. Faith. They knew and lived it.
His hard gaze paused on each face. "I want this man found, my codes retrieved, and him killed. Slowly , and publicly . As a warning to any other would-be thieves."
"The theft took place while you slept, or during the party?" Harold Sark asked, his eyes black and intent on Morales's face.
"During the party. And before you ask," José said flatly, "it was not one of our guests. It was a small, intimate affair, and we had only our closest friends and family in attendance. People I have done extensive background checks on."
"The same friends and family who attended your wife's birthday event on the yacht two years ago?" Sark asked in a calm, flat tone.
He'd had a similar robbery on board his yacht then. "A member of the catering staff was caught red-handed. A simple theft." He'd claimed. To save face. But it had been no member of the wait staff who had robbed him. Someone had broken into the safe. But it had been a relatively simple safe. One any common thief could crack. The thief had gotten away with the czar's Imperial Fabergé egg José had given his wife for her birthday. The same egg had mysteriously reappeared a month later, back on its stand in a private collection in England. The original theft had not been reported, and its return had gone unremarked upon.
Nobody but himself and Maria knew it was on board and how it had come to be there.
"Yet immediately thereafter," Jacques Montrose said quietly, tenacious as a dog with a bone, "you ordered the elimination of the entire staff of two security firms, fifty-four members of various catering companies, and replaced your ship's captain. Twice, I believe."
"One can never be too cautious." José had lost track of the number of household staff eliminated, in all of their homes around the world, over the years. Perhaps Maria might know, but he doubted she cared either.
"Open channels and find this thief," he told them flatly. "Do deeper background checks on every single member of my family, every staff member, every friend and associate, everyone who has attended any event I might have been present at over the past year. I want every available resource utilized until we find this man."
"Do you think that it was directed at you specifically, or was this a regular run-of-the-mill thief who could just as easily have robbed any one of us in this room?" Sark asked after a moment.
"There was nothing simple about it." Again he looked at each man in turn. "The San Cristóbal safe was invincible . And the only people who knew the portions of the combination are sitting here with me in this room," Morales told him coldly. "The thieves, or thief, were clever and resourceful. Or…" His pause was enough to make the men shift uncomfortably in the seats."… or the thief sits here among us."
The men glanced at one another, then back to Morales. If in fact it was true, he didn't know which of them it was, and he couldn't afford to kill them all. Not now.
"Do you think this is personal, José?" Andreas Constantine, his oldest and most trusted lieutenant, asked.
José raised a brow. Of course it was personal. Wasn't everything?
"I mean," the Greek said quickly, "do you believe the thief was specifically targeting the codes? It is possible that the theft was random. Wealthy families suffer such things frequently."
It felt personal. But then, everything did. Personal or random act.
The codes were gone. That was all that mattered. "Find out," he instructed.
"I will," Constantine assured him. "It's possible that he was not aware of exactly what it was he stole. It's likely that he was after Maria's well-publicized jewelry collection, nothing more."
José steepled his fingers. "It is possible." The thought had occurred to him. Afterward . He'd forgotten that Maria's
His hard gaze paused on each face. "I want this man found, my codes retrieved, and him killed. Slowly , and publicly . As a warning to any other would-be thieves."
"The theft took place while you slept, or during the party?" Harold Sark asked, his eyes black and intent on Morales's face.
"During the party. And before you ask," José said flatly, "it was not one of our guests. It was a small, intimate affair, and we had only our closest friends and family in attendance. People I have done extensive background checks on."
"The same friends and family who attended your wife's birthday event on the yacht two years ago?" Sark asked in a calm, flat tone.
He'd had a similar robbery on board his yacht then. "A member of the catering staff was caught red-handed. A simple theft." He'd claimed. To save face. But it had been no member of the wait staff who had robbed him. Someone had broken into the safe. But it had been a relatively simple safe. One any common thief could crack. The thief had gotten away with the czar's Imperial Fabergé egg José had given his wife for her birthday. The same egg had mysteriously reappeared a month later, back on its stand in a private collection in England. The original theft had not been reported, and its return had gone unremarked upon.
Nobody but himself and Maria knew it was on board and how it had come to be there.
"Yet immediately thereafter," Jacques Montrose said quietly, tenacious as a dog with a bone, "you ordered the elimination of the entire staff of two security firms, fifty-four members of various catering companies, and replaced your ship's captain. Twice, I believe."
"One can never be too cautious." José had lost track of the number of household staff eliminated, in all of their homes around the world, over the years. Perhaps Maria might know, but he doubted she cared either.
"Open channels and find this thief," he told them flatly. "Do deeper background checks on every single member of my family, every staff member, every friend and associate, everyone who has attended any event I might have been present at over the past year. I want every available resource utilized until we find this man."
"Do you think that it was directed at you specifically, or was this a regular run-of-the-mill thief who could just as easily have robbed any one of us in this room?" Sark asked after a moment.
"There was nothing simple about it." Again he looked at each man in turn. "The San Cristóbal safe was invincible . And the only people who knew the portions of the combination are sitting here with me in this room," Morales told him coldly. "The thieves, or thief, were clever and resourceful. Or…" His pause was enough to make the men shift uncomfortably in the seats."… or the thief sits here among us."
The men glanced at one another, then back to Morales. If in fact it was true, he didn't know which of them it was, and he couldn't afford to kill them all. Not now.
"Do you think this is personal, José?" Andreas Constantine, his oldest and most trusted lieutenant, asked.
José raised a brow. Of course it was personal. Wasn't everything?
"I mean," the Greek said quickly, "do you believe the thief was specifically targeting the codes? It is possible that the theft was random. Wealthy families suffer such things frequently."
It felt personal. But then, everything did. Personal or random act.
The codes were gone. That was all that mattered. "Find out," he instructed.
"I will," Constantine assured him. "It's possible that he was not aware of exactly what it was he stole. It's likely that he was after Maria's well-publicized jewelry collection, nothing more."
José steepled his fingers. "It is possible." The thought had occurred to him. Afterward . He'd forgotten that Maria's
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