Free Deliverance by Dakota Banks

Crete was not as well developed for travelers. That might have had something to do with the hotel’s expansive welcome of her. Maliha used the hotel’s priciest accommodations and its restaurants, shops, spa, personal trainer, and concierge service often, and tipped well.
    “Welcome, Ms. Winters! We are delighted to see you again,” the manager said. He’d met her at the front desk. Mr. Eliades was about fifty, angular, had a moustache that looked as though it had been dipped in olive oil, and darkly tanned skin. He always wore a black suit, a white shirt with an open collar, and monogrammed cufflinks. His eyes came up to Maliha’s chin, and he had either an affectation or a nervous tremor that made him look like a bobblehead.
    Never did like this suck-up. He strikes me as the kind of guy who’d rifle through the guests’ underwear drawers while they were at the pool.
    “You haven’t mentioned how long you’ll be staying with us,” he said.
    “Let’s start with a week and see how things go from there.”
    “Certainly, certainly. If you don’t mind my saying, it doesn’t seem like you’ve brought enough luggage for a week. Are you expecting more to arrive?”
    Maliha had only a garment bag and her metal case full of sharps. “I plan on picking up some new items at the hotel’s boutiques.”
    “Excellent. Will you be coming down for dinner or do you want room service?”
    “I’ll call later. Right now, I’d like to wash off the dust of the journey.”
    If only sorrow could be swept away so easily.
    He tilted his head sideways, like a robin eying a worm, but she kept her face unreadable. He drove her in a golf cart around the paths that cut through the hotel’s dramatic landscaping to spare her the walk to her villa, which was perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the pebbled beach. He left the cart for her convenience, and walked back to the hotel lobby. If he’d known that she planned a cross-country marathon run that night, he would have taken the cart for himself.
    Fresh flowers greeted her on a table just inside her door and a bottle of wine with a cheese and fruit basket stood on the counter. It was impressive that the staff had gotten them there before Maliha’s arrival, and it didn’t seem that Mr. Eliades had tried to delay her. Maliha took a shower, wrapped in a luxurious robe, and relaxed with the wine, fruit, and cheese. She had a beautiful view of the sea as the sky darkened and the round moon gradually became visible. The hotel was known for its spectacular sunrises, but Maliha always found the descent into night intriguing.
    Lucius was here at this hotel, maybe in this very room.
    She was hungry and could have devoured the entire contents of the basket, but she needed to eat dinner later, so she set aside the food. Dressing casually, she drove the cart to the hotel’s shopping area. Two hours later, she’d made several clothing, shoe, and jewelry salespeople very happy, and followed that with getting her hair, nails, and makeup done. She hadn’t felt so decadent since she was on the arm of royalty at a state dinner.
    I could live like this. It’s fun getting pampered here, and there are places I’d love to revisit. Dissolve the team, no matter what Hound says, take a new identity, and travel the world. They might find me, but I just wouldn’t let them back into my life. After all, I was saving lives before I had a team, and I could do it again.
    Maliha changed in the dressing room of a shop where she’d made a large purchase, while the attendants fussed over her as though she was Cinderella going to meet her Prince Charming. The dress was red and low cut, front and back, to show off her assets. Resting just above her breasts was a diamond pendant that would give a cat burglar a heart attack, and an inch-and-a-half wide diamond cuff circled her wrist. She had the rest of her purchases boxed and sent to her villa. When she went to pay for her purchases, she found that her