Free Anything He Wants: Castaway #2 (Anything He Wants 7) by Sara Fawkes Page A

going to end this part here. Then I thought...
    Nah. ;-)

CHAPTER 9
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    N either Jeremiah or Lucas said anything for several long seconds, and then I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
    “ Another one?”
    Both men turned to look at me, and I squared my shoulders, staring back. Two Hamilton men in this world were enough for my taste.
    Jeremiah looked between Rashid and the photograph for a moment, then shared a glance with Lucas. “There have been several people over the years who claimed Rufus was their father,” he said carefully, handing the photo back to Lucas. “How do we know he’s who he says, and how do we know you’re correct?”
    Rashid shrugged. “Whether he is or is not related is of no concern to me. He believes he is, and that is enough.”
    “How did you find out about this?” Jeremiah persisted.
    “Don’t ask him that,” Lucas interrupted before Rashid could answer. The arms dealer was peering intently at the photograph, appearing to ignore everyone else. “He gets all cryptic and shit, saying he has his ways or something.”
    Rashid flicked an annoyed glance at Lucas. “My cryptic bullshit may have uncovered the man out to murder you,” he snapped.
    Lucas grinned widely. “Hey, I didn’t say you don’t produce good results.”
    The exchanges made me wonder just how “friendly” the two men were. I remembered that, when we’d exited the helicopter at the hotel, neither man had shaken hands. Rashid might have owed Lucas a favor, but despite the assertions of friendship, neither man seemed to like the other much.
    “I do not like to be mocked.” Only slightly mollified, Rashid turned back to Jeremiah. “I have an extensive network of informants, but I must tell you this information was difficult to attain. Whoever Mr. Rush may be, he is exceedingly difficult to track or learn about.”
    “It’s a start, and more information than we had previously. I’ll get my people working on it as soon as we get back to the hotel.”
    “You’re in contact with them?” I asked, surprised.
    Jeremiah nodded, and pulled something from his pocket. “I picked it up from a retailer in the hotel the morning we left. Haven’t been able to call out yet as there isn’t much reception in the middle of the desert.”
    I stared at the small phone in his hand, a sick churning starting in my gut. Something told me that my time in this life was coming to a close, and there was nothing I could do about it. The best thing would be to reveal everything and get it over with but... I looked up in Jeremiah’s beautiful face and felt the cracks in my heart grow wider.
    “Lucy?”
    I turned at my name to see Amyrah walking up behind her brother. She glanced around the throng of men, then back at me. “I was wondering if you’d like to ride back with me?”
    Her offer was a godsend that I didn’t deserve. Swallowing back my rising anxiety, I gave her a genuine smile. “I’d love to, thanks.” Without looking at any of the men, I slid past them and followed the Arab girl out into the sun.
    “What was that about?” she asked once we were out of earshot.
    I shrugged. “Information exchange, testosterone fest, whatever you’d like to call it.”
    “Ah.” She peered at me as we moved toward her vehicle. “Men being men, then?”
    I laughed, cut short by a shaky breath. “I’m ready to go home.”
    Amyrah nodded. “We’ll be back at the hotel in a couple hours.”
    The hotel wasn’t the home I’d meant. I wanted, more than anything, to go back to who I was before, back to the life I’d lived before I even heard of Jeremiah Hamilton. My existence may not have been easy then, but the simplicity and straightforwardness of my situation had been easier to bear.
    Now, I felt as trapped as I had when Jeremiah had offered me that contract.
    “Is everything okay?”
    Shaking my head, I gave Amyrah a small smile. “I’m just tired.” I followed her into the vehicle, wondering what adventures