Risk is quantified as the likelihoodof the outcome multiplied by the severity of the outcome. Even though it was unlikely that Pierre had a spy inside theWelfenlegion,the fact that the spy might murder both Wulf and Rae meant that the risk was still too high to take a chance.
Friedhelm Vonlanthen’s dark eyes missed nothing as he scanned Raphael and the rest of the Rogues, and he remained alert even after he recognized Dieter,like he should.
Julien Bodilsen, a holdover and old friend from their days in the Swiss army’s ARD-10 commando unit, snapped the safety back on his gun and holstered it, looking relieved. Julien had always been hesitant on the trigger, assessing the situation with serious eyes, which now made him an excellent bodyguard when most situations were due to inept civilians, not terrorist attacks.
Luca Wyss laughed when he realized who was racing down the corridor at them and strode forward, holding out his hand.
Good.Raphael would have hated for the turncoat to be one of his old ARD-10 buddies like Luca Wyss, Friedhelm Vonlanthen, or Julien Bodilsen.
Matthias Williams flicked his boxy jacket over his weapon and leaned against the wall, watching for other attacks and abnormalities.
Williams hadn’t been in ARD-10, but Raphael had known him for years.
Sometimes, it just seemed impossible that Pierre Grimaldi had bribed or threatened anyone in theWelfenlegioninto supplying information on Wulf von Hannover and his family, and the thought that Pierre could order one of them to harm Wulf or the others seemed patently insane.
Maybe Pierre had been lying.
But Raphael couldn’ttake that risk.
Eian Summerhays, the northern Irishman with hair the color of pale ale and eyes like bright Irish skies, stood at the front of theWelfenlegioncontingent. “Mr. Schwarz, good to see you again.”
Eian was undercover, pretending to be just another new hire for theWelfenlegion.They had to maintain the pretense because they hadn’t ferreted out Pierre’s mole yet.
Raphael shook Luca’shand and nodded to Eian. “Summerhays, right? I need to see von Hannover immediately.”
Eian nodded. “They’re receiving few guests, but I’m sure you qualify.”
Raphael felt like he was wearing Dieter Schwarz’s face sometimes.
He shook his head and opened the door to stick his head in, inhaling to say something kind and calming, though he couldn’t figure out what that would be.
Inside, a groupof people surrounded Wulfram von Hannover and his wife, Rae Stone-von Hannover. He recognized most of them because he’d performed background checks on Rae’s friends and their significant others when she and Wulf had begun dating, or whatever they called those first few weeks of their whirlwind relationship.
Lizzy and Theo Valencia stood beside Rae’s bed, laughing with glee. Theo looked smug,which was odd, but not the kind of odd that made Raphael suspicious.
Georgie Johnson also stood beside Rae’s hospital bed. She was also Flicka’s friend from years before, he’d found out, but she wasn’t connected to the Grimaldi at all. Georgie’s giggling grin and watery eyes almost made Raphael laugh. Georgie wasn’t the gooey type, more like the dark-humor-and-sarcasm type.
A bundle of blanketslay in Rae’s arms, and Rae’s wan smile and damp, curling hair made her look exhausted and absolutely beautiful. Raphael pulled in a breath, just a little nostalgic for the night Alina was born.
Beside the bed, Wulfram von Hannover stood ramrod straight, practically at attention, except that he was leaning slightly over his wife like a huge, blond alpha wolf defending his mate and cub. From thatposture, Raphael was surprised that Wulfram wasn’t actually snarling and growling at the others to back off. The other people in the room didn’t seem to realize how perilously close they were to Wulfram tearing out their throats with his bare hands.
Just as Raphael was about to speak, he recognized the last person in the little crowd around Rae’s bed.
A tall man with long, blond hair bound backin a ponytail had the dark eyes and glamorous good looks of the Grimaldi family. A large ruby swung on a fine chain from his earring.
Raphael almost dropped his jaw,shocked,thatAlexandre Grimaldi,a known murderer and Pierre Grimaldi’s first cousin, was standingright there,looming over von Hannover’s wife and newborn baby. Raphael’s hand hovered near his holster under his left arm, angledfor a cross-draw.
Pierre Grimaldi didn’t need a spy in Wulf’s organization, not withhis cousinstanding in the room with them, a cousin who was perhaps dependent on Pierre Grimaldi for his fortune and probably loyal to the Grimaldi family.
Wulfram looked up from where he was splayed over Rae and the child, and he glared at Raphael. “Why didn’t you call? It’s been months.”
Raphael said, “Ineed to talk to you.”
Wulf glanced down at his wife, who told him, “Go.Go!”
Wulfram walked toward Raphael, leaving his wife and child alone with Alexandre Grimaldi. “Did you find her?”
Raphael glanced back to Rae. “I need to talk to him first. Then I’ll brief you.” He ducked his head out and told Eian Summerhays, “Get in that room, and under no circumstances is Alexandre Grimaldi to be alonewith von Hannover or his wife and kid. He’s a threat, an immediate, high-level threat. Get between him and the principal targets and don’t take your hand off your weapon.”
