Perfect Match: The Pinocchio Project

Travel Plans

"Well, whoop-de-freaking-doo," Damien growled grumpily.

"Damien!" Nadia exclaimed reproachfully. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, according to you," Damien said. "Don't expect me to be cheerful because there's something else that we've got to go around the freaking world for."

"Now, wait a minute, Damien," Sloane said. "That's not fair. Khaan might just have the research at his house—"

But this was the wrong thing to say to Damien.

"—or he might have sent it to Timbuktu!" Damien shouted before he could stop himself.

"Damien, please!" Hayden looked scandalized. "Calm yourself!"

"Don't you tell me to calm down, Hayden! Don't you DARE—"

Kai grabbed Sloane's cookbook and dropped it on the floor hard, gathering looks of shock from everyone, including Damien.

"Damien," Kai said, trying to keep a level head. "Shut up. I know you're not usually like this; it's the damn back pain that's getting to you. Now, I propose, before any other travel plans are made, we get Damien to the chiropractor, ASAP."

The others agreed.

* * *

Damien felt like a new man after coming out of the chiropractor's office.

"Thank God for you, Kai!" Nadia said glowingly. "I don't know what I'd do if I had to listen to Damien keep bitching about this."

"So where to next?" Hayden wanted to know.

"Next stop, Khaan!" Sloane exclaimed cheerfully.

* * *

"The Pinocchio Project?!" Khaan's skin seemed to crawl a little and turn pale. "Now that's something I haven't heard in a long time."

Sloane was downcast. "You mean, you don't remember."

"I wanted so badly to forget about it," Khaan growled bitterly. "Ever since I heard of the absolute atrocities Eros was going with under Rowan West, I decided I couldn't be a part of it anymore—and, well, you know what happened after that." He sighed. "So they naturally put a price on my head, threatened to kill me if I didn't tell them where I stashed the research."

Sloane could feel her heart plummeting faster and faster, as if into either a bottomless pit or a black hole. Kai, sensing her about to cry, hugged her gently, although he too could feel hopelessness begin to set in: Did the Pinocchio Project no longer exist, then?

"I sent the bastards on a wild goose chase to Timbuktu," Khaan went on matter-of-factly.

"You're JOKING!" Damien exclaimed so loudly that Kai and Sloane jerked themselves apart in a hurry. Nadia sniggered, and Damien scowled.

"No," Khaan replied as if nothing happened. "The research is in Switzerland."