Free Once in Paris by Diana Palmer Page B

He sipped his whiskey sour. “I wonder if letting them prevent the development wouldn’t be the best thing,” he said after a minute. “Brauer will set up the fields without safeguards or any regard for the ecology if he has his way.”
    â€œIf they attack and get beaten back, the first thing they’ll probably do is set fire to the oil,” Tate pointed out.
    Pierce whistled softly. “What a disaster that would be. That wouldn’t make them any friends in Washington.”
    â€œSpeaking of Washington,” Tate said quietly, “there’s a rumor that Brauer is about to try to pull some strings and get the U.S. involved in this.”
    â€œYou’re kidding!”
    â€œI used to work for the CIA—I don’t have a sense of humor.”
    â€œSorry.”
    â€œBrauer went to school with one of the senators on the foreign affairs committee,” he continued. “He’s been in touch. I understand he’s due in Washington soon to lobby for U.S. aid.”
    â€œHe wants Uncle Sam to help him build an oil field?” Pierce drawled.
    â€œNot at all. He wants Uncle Sam to protect it while it’s being built.”
    â€œSabon is a millionaire and he owns half the country, not to mention its king and most of its ministers. Why can’t he protect it himself?”
    â€œHe’s wealthy. His country isn’t. Odd duck, Sabon,” he added. “He has a reputation for perverse sexual habits, but the funny thing about it is that no charges have ever been brought against him, and nobody’s ever found any of his discarded lovers.”
    â€œCurious.”
    â€œBrauer labels him as a money-grubbing assassin, but that isn’t the reputation he has among the people in his own country.” There was a pause. “Why would a man deliberately picture himself to the world as a debaucher?”
    â€œBeats the hell out of me. I’ve been wondering why he wanted Brauer as a business partner.”
    â€œNobody else has any clout with the United States,” Tate mused. “Think that might have any bearing on it?”
    â€œVery possibly, but he couldn’t have picked a more dangerous ally. Brauer’s done so many immoral things in his lifetime that he makes Sabon look good.”
    â€œI’ll drink to that.”
    The other man sounded offhand, distant. “You sound preoccupied,” Pierce said suddenly, because he knew the man’s mind wasn’t on the subject they were discussing.
    â€œA…personal problem, nothing I can’t handle,” Tate said quietly. “Look, I’ll talk to a few people about Brauer and see who he knows in Washington. If you hear anything new, get back to me.”
    â€œI’ll do that. Sabon was in town yesterday, but he’s gone now.”
    â€œThat was a quick trip. Why was he there?”
    Pierce’s dark face hardened. “Brauer has a twenty-year-old stepdaughter. Sabon wants her, apparently.”
    â€œGood God!”
    â€œYou know what he’ll do with her if he gets her,” Pierce said coldly. “She’s spirited and smart, but she’s no match for a man like Sabon.”
    â€œWant me to come over?”
    â€œI can take care of her,” he replied. “I’m not over the hill yet.”
    There was a rare, deep chuckle on the other end of the line. “Nobody who watched youknock Colby Lane to his knees on that drilling platform would ever say you were.”
    â€œSpeaking of the devil, how is he?”
    â€œColby linked up with another group of mercenaries and went to Africa, but I hear he’s come home and he’s working for Uncle Sam now. He’s changed so much lately that I don’t know him. That damned woman!”
    â€œIt’s not her fault that he can’t give her up and let her settle with her new husband,” Pierce reminded him. “If he will get drunk twice a month and start fights, he