Hard Line - Pamela Clare Page 0,60

date?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Patty was supposed to be his cover—proof that he’s not gay.”

Thor wasn’t sure he could buy any of this. “Why did they come to you?”

“I guess they thought they could trust me. Kazem is terrified to the point of tears. You have to find a way to keep what he tells you out of the official record. I don’t want to be the reason he ends up swinging from a rope.”

Thor’s gaze moved over the skin on her face. “You shouldn’t be out here without a hat and mask. Let’s get you back inside.”

She stopped him with a hand to his chest. “Please, Thor. I believe them.”

“Trust me, okay?” Thor opened the door, held it for her, and followed her inside.

Kazem sat in one of the office chairs, dread on his face, Bai behind him, his hand on Kazem’s shoulder.

“Dr. Hamidi. Dr. Wei.” Thor took off his mask, unzipped his parka, and met each man’s gaze. “Samantha has just shared what you told her. I understand your situation.”

Kazem shook his head. “I don’t think you can understand, Mr. Thor. You are from Denmark. Bai and I have been to Denmark. We visited last summer. It is a paradise for gay men. Men can get married and walk together on the streets, like other couples. But in Iran, I would be arrested, tortured, and hanged. If the wrong person finds out...”

What he’d said about Denmark was true. It was one of the world’s most progressive countries when it came to gay rights and had been for nearly a century.

“Then you know that I wouldn’t do anything to put you in danger.” Thor bent down and gathered the broken pieces of Samantha’s radio. “I need the truth from you both, but there’s no reason the details need to be a part of the official record. Cobra can protect you, but you need to tell us the truth.”

They all walked back to the station together. While Samantha went to the galley for dinner, Thor met with Jones and Segal in the conference room to question Kazem and Bai separately. Segal handled most of it, going at them hard while Jones taped it to send back to Shields.

Afterward, Thor sat with Jones and Segal in the conference room, going over what each man had said. There were no holes in their stories, no red flags.

“They could have worked this out ahead of time,” Jones said.

Segal nodded. “They could have, but there was nothing rehearsed about their answers. We’ll have to see what Shields says, but I think they’re telling the truth.”

“There’s one way to find out for certain.” Thor glanced at his notes. “They said they visited Denmark last summer. I’m going to give Shields their passport and credit card information and see if their story checks out. If they really did spend a week together in Copenhagen last summer, there’s no reason not to believe the rest of their story.”

“Fuck.” Jones leaned back in his chair, bent his arms behind his head, laced his fingers together. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

Thor nodded. “We’re back where we started.”

17

Still breathing hard, Thor lay on Samantha’s bed, his gorgeous body glistening with sweat. He reached for her, drew her down against him. “Where did you learn to do that? That was … incredible.”

“You sound surprised.” She moved up his body, snuggled against him, rested her head on his chest. “I used science.”

“Science? I fucking love science—especially now.”

She did her best to explain. “Penises enjoy the stimulation of vaginas, right?”

Thor couldn’t disagree. “Right.”

“I theorized that oral sex would feel best for men if their partners made their mouths and hands work together to feel more like a vagina, while focusing on the most sensitive parts of the penis.”

Thor grinned. “So, you just logicked your way through sexual physics and dick anatomy and came up with … whatever you just did? A world-class astronomer reasoning her way to giving incredible head. Do you have any idea how cute that is?”

“Cute?” She raised her head, looked up at him. “Why are you laughing?”

“You amaze me, Samantha.” His brow furrowed. “By the way, why does everyone call you Sam? Patty called you Samantha—at least in her journal. I call you Samantha. It’s a pretty name. Should I call you Sam instead?”

“I prefer Samantha, but it seems to be too much for most people to say.” She’d tried correcting people her first winter here, but it hadn’t worked.

“You should tell them, let them know not to