Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81946 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Or are worried that the cops won’t help them,” West added.
Max looked at Ed, both of his eyebrows raised in an incredulous expression. “What? You guys are a bunch of assassins?”
“Technically, just me.” Alexei lifted one hand and flashed a cheeky grin at Max.
Soren wrapped an arm around Alexei’s waist and pulled the smaller man into his lap from where he’d been standing next to his chair. “Reformed,” Soren corrected as he nuzzled Alexei’s long, pale neck.
“Part-time! Part-time!” Alexei giggled as he cuddled more in Soren’s arms.
“The rest of us are former military,” Ed said, then paused and gazed at Will. “Except for the doc. He’s sort of a traveling surgeon.”
Will sighed and dropped his face into his hand. “You make me sound like a snake-oil salesman.”
“Oh! And me!” Izzie chirped, thrusting his hand into the air. “I’m Kairo’s boyfriend. He’s letting me tag along and help.”
“Not true,” Kairo snapped and pressed a kiss to the top of Izzie’s head. “You’re also amazing at logistics and strategy.”
“Plus, you keep Kairo from shouting at his computer and throwing things at the rest of us,” Ed chimed in, earning a glare from Kairo. Naturally, his friend flipped him off behind Izzie’s head so his darling boyfriend couldn’t see it.
“You’re helping me because I ran to you at the airport? And you just happen to be here in Cairo?”
Ed wanted to say yes. He really did. But he cringed and gazed over at Kairo again.
“No. We want to help you, but we’re also here because you involved my mother in this mess. And the sooner we can get this all cleaned up, the sooner I can be sure that she’s safe.”
Max shoved to his feet with a small wince. “Your mom? How did I involve your mom?”
“Kairo Jones,” Kairo introduced himself a second time, putting emphasis on his last name.
Max’s face paled, and he dropped back into his seat. “Shit. She mentioned she had a son. Fuck.” He huffed a small laugh and rested his forehead against his palm. “Small world.”
“Absolutely tiny,” Kairo grumbled.
A soft sigh slipped from Max, and Ed placed a hand on his slumped shoulders. “It’s okay. I’m sure you didn’t intend to put her in danger.”
Max shook his head. “No. I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Jones. She is a stout defender of the preservation of artifacts and protector of a country’s culture. She was the first person I thought of who would safeguard the scarab and make sure it ultimately found its way safely into the hands of the Egyptian government without it getting lost to crooked politicians or criminals.”
“She told us you’ve been corresponding about your work,” Charlie prodded.
“We have been. She’s provided her thoughts and insights to my findings, helping to verify my work. Her word carries a lot of weight with the Egyptian government. I thought that when I submitted my proposal for a new dig next year, I’d be able to use Dr. Jones as a reference to help speed along the approval process.”
“Is it too much to hope that the computer you used to send messages to my mother is encrypted?” Kairo asked with a weary tone.
“Of course it’s fucking encrypted! What do you take me for? A complete moron?” Max snapped.
Ed pressed his lips together hard to hold in his laugh. Isidore also covered his mouth, but a soft choking sound escaped him while his shoulders shook.
“No, but you’ve been corresponding with one,” Kairo muttered.
“What?” Max’s gaze shot from Kairo to Ed to Kairo again.
Kairo scrubbed a hand across his face. “When this is over, could you please explain to my mother the importance of encryption and proper passwords? She won’t listen to me about this.”
“Well, they won’t get shit off my computer. It’s protected and encrypted to the hilt. A professional hacker might get into it, but it’s going to take a few years at least.”
The sigh of relief from their resident computer geek was heavy and loud. “That’s good news.”
Isidore reached up and covered the hand on his shoulder with his own and turned his head so he could stare up at his boyfriend. “You don’t have to worry about your mom. It’s unlikely they even know about her, and even if they discover her, Charlie already has his bodyguard friends watching out for her. She’s safe.”
“Dr. Sutton, can you tell us what’s going on? How can we help you?” Charlie asked.
Max’s eyes immediately shot over to Ed, seeming as if they were full of questions. Ed smiled at him and placed a hand on his arm.
“Seriously, you can trust us. I know it’s a lot to take in.”
The Egyptologist’s answering grin was a little shaky, but he nodded. “I’ll be honest. When I first woke up here, my only thought was to get as far from Cairo as possible.” That expression turned sassy as he directed it at Kairo. “The city, not you, naturally.”