Auguste Kaprisky was an eighty-something-year-old eccentric billionaire who lived in a fairytale chateau on a very large private estate near Le Mans surrounded by high walls and armed guards. He was also a former client of Ben’s, and a devoted ally who would do anything without question to help, in thankfulness for the rescue of his beloved grandniece Valentina from Russian gangsters a couple of years earlier. Kaprisky’s luxurious home would be the safest place on earth for Grace to lie low until this was over. Not least, because Saunders’ people would have no idea where to find her. Even if they did somehow find out, they’d have Kaprisky’s small private army to deal with. They were all ex-military and received their advanced close protection training at Le Val.

‘Good thinking,’ Jeff replied. ‘The old fart’s got more security than the Pentagon. He can send his chopper up to collect us from the airstrip. Better still, his Gulfstream.’

Ben said, ‘Call him right away. Now let me speak with Grace.’

‘Yeah, before she rips this phone off me with my hand still attached.’

‘And, Jeff? You know I can’t ever repay what you’ve done, don’t you? I don’t even know where to begin to say thanks, my friend.’

‘No thanks needed, mate.’

Seconds later, Ben heard the voice that he’d thought he was never going to hear again. His knees felt trembly and his eyes were moist and stinging, but he had to keep it together in front of Wolf.

On the other end of the line, Grace was having an equally hard time containing her own emotions. She was a strong-willed and fiercely independent-minded woman but he could tell from the tremor in her voice that the fear and worry and confusion were overwhelming. She kept asking, ‘Are you okay?’

‘I am, now,’ Ben replied, and he meant it. He couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot. Wolf was smiling, too, and making fist-pumps in the air.

But even through his joy, Ben still felt a deep sense of shame for having brought this trauma on Grace. It tripled and quadrupled his rage against these soulless, corrupt men who’d exploited his feelings for her, and now had caused her whole life to capsize. Because of him she was now going to have to leave her home, jeopardise her career, place her trust and welfare in the hands of people she’d never met, and face a period of anxious uncertainty before he could be with her again.