Free 0.5 One Wilde Night by Jenn Stark Page A

made his way toward me, all smiles. It really was too bad that he was so hung up on needing the amulet to give him some mojo. He was handsome enough on his own. Probably in his late sixties, true, but virile and sharp eyed, his smile enough to turn heads of women generations younger than him. He aimed that engaging smile at me as he took the seat opposite mine.
    “You had quite the adventure, it would seem.”
    “It was a busy night.”
    He accepted a delicate demitasse of espresso and sipped it, clearly savoring the warmth. I clasped my hands around my own giant-tasse of blessed java. This morning, there was no indulgence in the world I was going to deny myself.
    “I had a chance to review your report on my drive over.” He nodded, still not going for the box. “You didn’t learn from the British hunter how he came to be part of the search.”
    “Yeah, sorry about that. He got a bit tuckered out.”
    Carl shrugged amiably. “I can tell you, if you’d like.”
    I steadied my hand on my coffee, as if I hadn’t just consumed my body weight in caffeine. “You know?”
    “When you get to be my age, there is more at stake than the thrill of acquisition, even for a prize as special as this. There are four such Icamiaban amulets that belong to Amazon death cults. You were lucky to escape alive with this one. You and Mr. Friedman.”
    “There was also Miss Russia.”
    “Ah, yes. Her name is actually Camilla Asker. She came quite highly recommended, I assure you. Not as well recommended as you did, of course.”
    I slid him a glance. “You hired her too?”
    It had happened before. Clients often wanted a fail-safe to ensure that the MacGuffin they were paying so much to acquire was actually acquired, one way or another. The practice generally served to piss me off, so to my relief, Carl shook his head.
    “I did not, nor the other one, Nigel.” He chuckled with that air of self-deprecation that the rich learned to affect in the cradle. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid my actions are watched somewhat closely by my compatriots, and when they determined my interest in the amulet, they decided to get into the game as well.”
    “So your buddies hired Nigel and what’s her name, Camilla, to follow me.”
    “It appears so. It also appears you’ve quite elevated yourself on the radar with this job.”
    He intended it as a compliment, but I couldn’t stop the chill that ran up my spine. “Bully for me.” I took another drag on my coffee. “You know, that amulet might have a bad reaction to your um, skin. Watch out for that.”
    “But of course. You must have read the same articles I have.” He waved off my words. “Fear not. I’d never put it against the skin. The old books say a silk bag is the best container for it, and that seems like a good place to start.” He smiled at me warmly. “I’m glad you are so thorough with your research.”
    “I try.” I slanted a glance at the box. “You think it’ll meet your needs?” Not a question I usually asked, but I felt off-center, unwilling to let the amulet vanish without knowing more about how it would be used. Because Carl didn’t look like he needed it, it had to be said.
    “Oh yes.” He lifted the lid of the box to see the jadestone frog inside, nestled on its coiled leather cord. “It will go in my private collection, or perhaps more accurately stated, into my wife’s.”
    His wife’s? The frog’s scar burned my chest just at the thought of another woman.
    “She’s, ah, going to love it, I’m sure.”
    “I know she is.” His expression, for once, seemed slightly worn. “I met her about five years ago—here in Rio, as it happened. She too was a Carnival Princesa. She too was a member of an underground society, until she was usurped by a younger, more beautiful leader.”
    Whoa. Hadn’t seen that one coming. “Fernanda?”
    He didn’t answer directly, instead continuing on with his reminiscences. “She did not go willingly, but could not stay in