needs us to know, she’ll make it happen when the time is right.”
Ajax leaned back again, face forward. He was still skeptical. There was no doubt of that. But he did get the sense this woman wasn’t quite as soft and fragile as he’d first suspected. And his gut did not tell him her intention was to have him murdered.
Chapter 5
Ryker was grumbling when they got off the plane. Considering the man at least had more leg room than Ajax and hadn’t had to share an armrest with Serena for thirteen hours, Ajax didn’t think Ryker should be the one in the worst mood. But he was.
He glared at Serena after they made it through customs. “What next, Your Royal Highness? Are we only privy to the agenda one step at a time? Please tell me your boss arranged a driver and a decent hotel. I need a shower before we move to the next phase of your secret plan.”
Interestingly, Serena was in a rather good mood. She laughed at his snarky attitude and turned toward the exit. “Follow me, boys.”
Ryker growled, which made Ajax chuckle.
“This princess is going to get us killed before sundown.”
Ajax glanced at him. “My gut tells me otherwise.”
Ryker lifted a brow. “Oh yeah, Birdman? Her clothing alone is liable to get us killed.”
“She’s covered. Knees. Elbows. Let’s see what she’s got up her sleeve.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “I can hear you, you know?”
“Don’t care,” Ryker retorted.
When they stepped out into the stifling heat, Serena glanced around for a few seconds and then nodded toward a non-descript black vehicle before heading toward it.
Ajax followed with Ryker at his side, noticing that the man next to the car held up a sign in Amharic. He had yet to fully grasp what that said about Serena until they reached the driver and Serena began to speak to the man in fluent Amharic.
Ryker gasped.
Ajax smirked and shook his head. Of course. Why wasn’t he the least bit shocked?
The driver nodded to Ajax and Ryker, helped them load their luggage, and then spoke once again to Serena, who responded as she slid into the passenger seat.
Ajax and Ryker climbed into the back.
“Figures,” Ryker muttered.
“So this is why Charley sent you with us,” Ajax stated as the car pulled away from the curb.
“I have to assume,” she responded. The woman knew very little more than Ajax. That was becoming clearer by the hour.
He remained silent on the short drive to the center of Addis Ababa, staring out the window at the city skyline. He’d been here several times. Never as a tourist of course. Nor was he a tourist today, though that’s what it said on his visa.
The driver deposited them at one of the nicer downtown hotels, and then Ajax was once again at the mercy of Serena who spoke to the front desk staff. Granted, the staff would all speak English. But it was always more beneficial to speak in the native language whenever possible.
Fifteen minutes later, they were standing in adjoining rooms on the tenth floor. Serena immediately opened the doors between them and then shockingly announced she was going to take a shower.
Ajax stared at the open doorway as the door to her bathroom shut and he heard the sound of water. He decided it would be in his best interest to use the time showering himself. There was no telling when the slave driver might suddenly announce they had an appointment. He grabbed several things out of his duffle as he glanced at Ryker.
Ryker had dropped dramatically onto his back on one of the queen-sized beds. His hands were tucked under his neck, and his eyes were closed. “You go first.” That was all that needed to be said between them. They were on the same page.
Ajax was quick in the shower, returning to the main room with damp hair, cargo pants, and a khaki shirt. He was afraid to sit down, thinking he might fall asleep, and it was best to plow through this first day. He’d learned that lesson many years ago. Resist sleep until nighttime or end up with a seriously fucked circadian rhythm.
Ryker had pushed to sitting, more than likely thinking the same thing as Ajax about not wanting to risk sleeping. “Do you suppose that woman is going to wear tight skirts and fuck-me heels the entire time we’re here?”
Ajax shrugged. He couldn’t hear the water running any longer in her room, but he assumed Ryker would know if she’d