Page 71 of Peyton's Price

Peyton felt terrible about her argument with Matthias, but more than that, she was worried—for him and everyone who had been involved in the Belarus tragedy.

Could someone on the Ormen Lange have betrayed Matthias and the others? The idea of it made her physically ill. To make matters worse, he was avoiding her.

After pulling her clothes back on, Peyton hurried out of Matthias’ office, intent on finding him. Unfortunately, theOrmen Langewas an exceptionally large boat. She wandered around until she bumped into Priya near the bridge. The woman immediately asked what was wrong.

“I’m not supposed to talk to you about it.” Peyton sighed despondently. “About Belarus.”

Priya put down her clipboard. “Oh.”

“You and Matthias never mentioned where it happened. He doesn’t want me asking about it. He said it would upset you and the rest of the staff.”

Priya sighed. “Then you must respect his wishes,” she said, but her tone was one of disapproval.

Peyton pushed the toe of her shoe into the carpet. “If my questions upset you—”

Priya held up a hand. “I did not mind. I found it beneficial. I still have some questions about it myself. I believe the operation was compromised.”

Peyton reached out to take her arm. “I can’t believe this. You think there was an informant, too?”

“Absolutely,” Priya said.

Peyton shook her head, marveling at the woman’s calm demeanor. “And you’re not worried about having someone like that on board?”

The other woman’s sooty lashes fluttered. “Are you suggesting the mole was a part ofourteam?”

Straightening, Peyton realized that wasn’t what Priya had meant at all.

Lover number one will just have to stay pissed at me. She needed to clear this up. “That’s what Matthias thinks. He didn’t say so, but by the way he shut me down a little while ago, I think it was pretty damn clear.”

Priya leaned against the railing. “I hadn’t realized he believed that. I can assure you none of our people had a hand in it.”

“So if there’s a mole, it’s someone in Interpol?”

That made a lot more sense. It was a much bigger organization. She didn’t even know who oversaw them. Did Interpol operate like the police, with their own internal affairs unit?

Well, as horrible as the idea of a mole there was, Peyton found it comforting. At least there wasn’t a traitor running around on board with them.

“Do you have any idea who it might have been?”

“No, Matthias kept the reports on Belarus. I suspect he destroyed them after. But I don’t believe Mr. Wheeler, the agent who oversaw the operation, was involved. His career ended soon after. Belarus completely derailed it.”

Peyton rubbed her temple, which was tight, the incipient sign of a headache. “It must have been someone else.”

Peyton mulled what she had learned for the rest of the night. The next day, Matthias had sought her out on the deck, inviting her to dinner and taking her to bed as if nothing were wrong. He studiously avoided the subject, talking about anything and everything else—including the possibility of having children.

That was when she realized just how damaged and desperate he truly was.

After a painfully awkward meal, Peyton decided she couldn’t live with this between them. She resolved to find out what had happened in Belarus, even if she had to do it behind his back.

Unfortunately, there was only one person she could think of who could help her with that. And he might not want to talk to her.

* * *

Peyton swamten extra laps in the pool, trying to dismiss the niggling guilt she felt after talking to Ethan Thomas on the satellite phone.

He hadn’t been upset when she told him where she was. Jason had filled him in, telling him all about Matthias Raske. Ethan had opened the conversation by teasing her about making rebound history.

“I have to hand it to you—a mysterious billionaire is a damn good take. Tyler must be eating his heart out. Did you hear he broke up with Caroline?”

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