breaking them. Another then?” He pauses in his unpacking to leer at me. Something a close servant might do. “Someone less tame?”
“You would like that.”
Benefield is no idiot, and after our conversation, he knows I reward Knox, sharing my women as I please.
“I would.”
“As would I.”
“The forbidden might be unobtainable, however. Perhaps take another look at what’s offered.”
“Everything has its price.” If that doesn’t cement my interest in Eve, very little will. “I had high hopes this trip would net something worthwhile.”
I glance at one of the cameras mounted in the corner of the room and cock my head as if I only just realized what it is. My eyes pinch together and my lips twist. It’s all an act, but the outcome is the same. Knox and I can’t have eyes and ears listening in on our private conversations.
“Take care of that and any others you may find.” I give instructions to Knox, then turn my attention to our listeners. “I don’t mind being watched in the common areas, but I won’t tolerate intrusions on my privacy in my quarters.”
Knox makes quick work of the cameras in my bedroom, the sitting room, and the master bath. We find nothing obvious in his little room. Not much larger than a closet, it holds a twin bed, small bureau, and the micro bathroom.
This sweep is for show. No doubt there are other listening devices we haven’t found, but Knox will go through the motions of a manual sweep while I use some Mitzy Magic to find all the bugs.
To my surprise, nobody comes to check on us. I would’ve thought security would be pounding on our door, but we’re left to ourselves.
After unpacking, I take a deep breath and glance at the door.
“You ready, sir?” Knox comes to stand beside me.
He knows what’s going through my mind and shares my sentiments. I take a deep breath and put on my game face.
“I am.” I focus on the mission. Our first step is to map out as much of the estate as possible. I step out of the suite and turn left.
“Sir, the Oasis is this way.” Knox gestures to the right.
Forced air blows cooled air through most of the building, but it does little to abate the heat, turning sweltering to merely warm and muggy.
We each wear a pair of specially designed contacts with Mitzy Magic embedded in them. They record everything we see, transmitting it back to base. All Knox and I need to do is walk as much of the grounds as possible.
“I want to stretch my legs.”
“Of course.” Knox steps to my side as I take off.
We wander for the better half of an hour, nodding to the many guards we pass along the way. Moving through one magnificent room to the next, we methodically map out what we can of The Retreat. In addition, facial recognition software tags each of the guards for future use. Mitzy says she never knows what information will wind up being useful.
I blink a couple of times, surprised the unique contacts are as comfortable as they are.
“Let’s take a look outside.” The sun dips toward the horizon, making the oppressiveness of outside bearable.
We wander into one of the many courtyards and glance up at the open sky. The contacts transmit to our watches. Those link up with Forest’s impressive satellite network. We have ten minutes to kill while all of that happens.
Once outside, I wander around the fountains and gardens, pretending I’m admiring the intricate designs while Knox uses his watch to communicate with our team. Cellphones and laptops are not the only things that can record and communicate with the outside world.
Benefield’s guards left our watches alone. Mine is a Rolex, flashy and expected, while Knox’s is military grade. It’s bulky, ugly, and fitted with the best spyware on the planet.
I move past the center of the courtyard to a row of cages holding colorful birds. The parrots and macaws give me the eye, ruffle their feathers, and squawk with excitement.
But I have nothing to offer them.
The click of approaching heels stiffens my spine and draws my gaze over my left shoulder.
Eve approaches, wearing a scarlet dress which molds to all her feminine curves. It’s both modest and completely indecent at the same time.
Each time she steps with her left foot, the nearly thigh-high slit of the dress parts to reveal creamy skin and well-toned legs. It also draws my eye, hopeful for a glimpse of what she may, or may