one of the world’s leading purveyors of black-market intelligence. He had also once been Harvath’s nemesis. Time and circumstance had a way of changing things, as well as people.
It was an odd, crooked path—filled with treachery, deceit, retribution, and penance—that led to where they were now. They had gone from beingdirectly opposed to each other; combatants to comrades in arms. As their mutual respect and appreciation had grown, they had formed an unbreakable bond. They had become like brothers. Family.
After greeting Argos and Draco, and doling out plenty of head patting and behind-the-ears scratching, Harvath let Nicholas know he was ready for that drink.
Their party decamped for the cabin next doorwhere Nicholas and his dogs had been installed.
Per their training, Argos and Draco stayed close to their master as they traversed the short distance through the trees. The little man had made powerful enemies over his career. The fact that he had joined The Carlton Group and had changed many of his ways made no difference to them. There were certain grudges, certain wrongs that could never beforgiven. Lives had been destroyed by the information he had trafficked in. The dogs were in place to protect him should anyone show up on his doorstep looking to settle an old score. As Harvath was currently being hunted down himself, he completely understood.
They made small talk as they walked—Harvath dreading the inevitable question he knew was coming. How are you doing?
It was why Key West—andLittle Palm Island until he had been kicked off—had been good. No one knew him. No one asked him difficult, painful questions. In a way, it had felt as if he had outrun his old life. Then, just like that, it had caught up to him again. And now here he was.
Nicholas, who had been born in Soviet Georgia, abandoned by his parents, and raised in a brothel, was no stranger to pain either. He had nodesire to inflict any, unnecessarily, on Harvath.
The Carlton Group had become the little man’s home. The losses of Reed Carlton and Lydia Ryan had been devastating for him too. He had also cared very deeply for Lara and his heart broke for his friend at losing his new wife. With that said, they had a serious problem to deal with—and Harvath needed to face it head-on.
Entering the Holly cabin,Nicholas led his friend out onto the screened-in porch. There, he had an ice bucket, bottles of water, a bottle of Blanton’s Gold bourbon, and a box of Cohiba cigars.
“You got the best berth at Camp David,” Harvath remarked as they sat down.
“I wanted Aspen,” Nicholas joked, “but President Porter said no.”
A brief smiled flashed across Harvath’s face. He wouldn’t have put itpast Nicholas tohave asked for the President’s personal cabin. He was a man of incredibly fine taste and boundless appetites—particularly when it came to food, wine, and, until recently, extremely expensive women. He had been tamed—or so it had appeared—and Harvath felt terrible for not having asked about his girlfriend, Nina.
They had been on again, off again so many times, it was hard to know what the exactstatus of their relationship was. Before everything had gone upside down at The Carlton Group, Lydia had told Harvath that, in her opinion, the volatility in the relationship was what drew Nicholas and Nina so passionately to each other.
“How’s Nina?” Harvath asked.
Nicholas paused for a moment before responding, searching for the right words. Finally, he replied, “She’s good.”
There was somethingabout the little man’s expression, something that caught Harvath’s attention. “Just good ?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“What does that mean?”
Nicholas picked up the box of Cohibas and offered him one. “It looks like I’m going to be a father.”
Harvath was dumbstruck and, for a moment, didn’t know how to respond. All Harvath had ever wanted was a family of his own. He had almost, finally, had one withLara and
It was an odd, crooked path—filled with treachery, deceit, retribution, and penance—that led to where they were now. They had gone from beingdirectly opposed to each other; combatants to comrades in arms. As their mutual respect and appreciation had grown, they had formed an unbreakable bond. They had become like brothers. Family.
After greeting Argos and Draco, and doling out plenty of head patting and behind-the-ears scratching, Harvath let Nicholas know he was ready for that drink.
Their party decamped for the cabin next doorwhere Nicholas and his dogs had been installed.
Per their training, Argos and Draco stayed close to their master as they traversed the short distance through the trees. The little man had made powerful enemies over his career. The fact that he had joined The Carlton Group and had changed many of his ways made no difference to them. There were certain grudges, certain wrongs that could never beforgiven. Lives had been destroyed by the information he had trafficked in. The dogs were in place to protect him should anyone show up on his doorstep looking to settle an old score. As Harvath was currently being hunted down himself, he completely understood.
They made small talk as they walked—Harvath dreading the inevitable question he knew was coming. How are you doing?
It was why Key West—andLittle Palm Island until he had been kicked off—had been good. No one knew him. No one asked him difficult, painful questions. In a way, it had felt as if he had outrun his old life. Then, just like that, it had caught up to him again. And now here he was.
Nicholas, who had been born in Soviet Georgia, abandoned by his parents, and raised in a brothel, was no stranger to pain either. He had nodesire to inflict any, unnecessarily, on Harvath.
The Carlton Group had become the little man’s home. The losses of Reed Carlton and Lydia Ryan had been devastating for him too. He had also cared very deeply for Lara and his heart broke for his friend at losing his new wife. With that said, they had a serious problem to deal with—and Harvath needed to face it head-on.
Entering the Holly cabin,Nicholas led his friend out onto the screened-in porch. There, he had an ice bucket, bottles of water, a bottle of Blanton’s Gold bourbon, and a box of Cohiba cigars.
“You got the best berth at Camp David,” Harvath remarked as they sat down.
“I wanted Aspen,” Nicholas joked, “but President Porter said no.”
A brief smiled flashed across Harvath’s face. He wouldn’t have put itpast Nicholas tohave asked for the President’s personal cabin. He was a man of incredibly fine taste and boundless appetites—particularly when it came to food, wine, and, until recently, extremely expensive women. He had been tamed—or so it had appeared—and Harvath felt terrible for not having asked about his girlfriend, Nina.
They had been on again, off again so many times, it was hard to know what the exactstatus of their relationship was. Before everything had gone upside down at The Carlton Group, Lydia had told Harvath that, in her opinion, the volatility in the relationship was what drew Nicholas and Nina so passionately to each other.
“How’s Nina?” Harvath asked.
Nicholas paused for a moment before responding, searching for the right words. Finally, he replied, “She’s good.”
There was somethingabout the little man’s expression, something that caught Harvath’s attention. “Just good ?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“What does that mean?”
Nicholas picked up the box of Cohibas and offered him one. “It looks like I’m going to be a father.”
Harvath was dumbstruck and, for a moment, didn’t know how to respond. All Harvath had ever wanted was a family of his own. He had almost, finally, had one withLara and
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