THE DALLAS CONTRACT

Chapter 14

Zack took an abstract sip of the watered down drink he'd nursed half the night, his gaze roaming the lavish, elegant room. Bruce had a good life and had built a solid business, yet he'd obviously sought more.

Was it greed? Or something more...insatiable?

The man had a wife. Several children. Yet the presence of family wasn't enough to keep him from evil.

"I'm ready if you are."

Marina's breathy voice floated up to his ear, interrupting the wending trail of his thoughts. Like a man dying of thirst, he drank her in. Was it love? Did that make the difference between a good life and a bad one?

Even as a very large part of him knew it wasn't that simple, another part—that small, hopeful voice inside—whispered that it was absolutely enough.

That being in love was always enough.

Yet was it?

Before they even had a chance to explore what was between them, she'd vanished. No matter how he wanted to believe otherwise, the proof was incontrovertible. The only reason she was even here now was because he'd arranged it with Kensington.

"Zack?"

Shaking off the melancholy, he nodded. "I'm ready, too."

Her puzzled frown vanished almost soon as it appeared. "Then let's go."

They'd mapped out their plan of attack earlier, Bruce's office their ultimate goal. Although he'd have preferred to slip away during the height of party when Bruce was more distracted, they'd agreed on the bigger goal of minimizing the risk to others. So Marina had set the trap upon arrival and they'd snap it shut on their way out.

Now all they needed was the data and they could be on their way.

Zack waited until Bruce was caught up in a conversation with some of his guests. "Now."

They slipped away to Kenilworth's elegant home office. Sleek furniture dominated one wall, but it was the slim laptop that lay on the desk that was their destination.

Marina pulled the small domino-shaped device from her purse and settled it on the desk. She tapped the screen of her phone, already in hand, and Zack watched as a tiny green light flashed. "We're in." She turned her phone screen for his perusal. "The download started. Once we have the data off the drive, I'll wipe the system."

Although he'd have preferred to hide the device and secure the data remotely, they couldn't risk the technology falling into Bruce's hands. They'd gone back and forth on the wiping but Zack knew there wasn't any other choice. The data was dangerous and even if they couldn't fully implicate Bruce with what they ultimately retrieved, they could put a significant crimp into his activities.

The penthouse was a sleek masterpiece, crafted with the utmost care. The carpets were plush and the walls constructed to keep loud sounds out.

So it was with no small measure of surprise that Zack recognized the sound of footsteps moments before the door slid open.

With no other option open, he dragged Marina into his arms.