“Because this isn’t the first time Korgan has gotten in my way. A few years ago, he sent a team of special forces after me when I was invading Noura. I was forced to cut the operation short and move on to the next country on the list. I had a silent partner at the time who wasn’t pleased with the decision. I need to know if the CIA and Korgan were working together at the time.”

“If they were, it didn’t involve Alisa. You don’t need to sharpen your knives and go after her. Look, Alisa never talks about her job to me, but I’m sure she had no deep plot brewing against you. I wish there had been. The only interest she had in you was that you’d kidnapped me. It was entirely your own fault that you caught her attention.” She frowned as a sudden thought occurred to her. “Silent partner? Everyone knows you work alone.”

“Do they? Perhaps because I’m the important one in any partnership?”

“That would be your opinion,” she said absently. “But you’re cautious and you don’t seem to want to appear stupid or careless to this partner. So he’s more important than you want anyone to know.” She was thinking back over their conversations in these last weeks. “You’ve spoken about some of the people who work for you, and there was Baldwin, but you had no respect for him.” She suddenly snapped her fingers. “Reardon. Two or three times you’ve mentioned a Reardon. The last time was when he offered to buy this castle. You’d definitely have respect for a man who could afford to do that.”

“And am I supposed to admire the fact that you’ve figured that out?” he asked coldly. “I never made any real attempt to hide my association with Reardon from you. You weren’t that important. I always knew you were meant to fulfill only one function in my life. That function may be connected to Reardon, but it really has to do with the horses in that stable we passed on the way to the castle. As long as I get what I want from you, you’ll stay alive. When I don’t, that will be the end.” He paused. “And I never intended that you get in the way of my business arrangements with Reardon or anyone else. So I’d advise you not mention it to Reardon during the next week. He might make a demand with which I wouldn’t be willing to comply if he gets nervous about your curiosity.”

“You mean he’d want you to kill me? I wouldn’t think that would bother you.” She smiled recklessly. “If it does, just strike another deal with him. You’re obviously two of a kind.”