Lifting her heavy lids, she catches my concerned gaze, then shakes her head back and forth. “None of the above. I need sleep, bounty boy, and lots of it.”
My pilot trudges up the marble stairs, and I traipse along, right behind her. “Sorry luv, you need to eat and wash.”
“Fine.” Inside the bedroom, she yawns, flops back on the mattress, and closes her eyes. Seeing a smoothie on the bedstand, I lift her head, and place a straw between her chapped lips.
One small sip and she pushes the glass away. “According to the coast guard, I swallowed half the ocean. Do you know they made me drink three whole bottles of water? My stomach is so full, now I slosh when I walk.”
Laughing, I shake my head, warm the shower for a couple minutes, and when I return, she’s snoring. “Alrighty, let’s get you cleaned up. Landy? Bollocks.”
I remove her coast guard t-shirt, her red lace undies, and kiss her nose until she wakes.
“C’mon luv. Upsy-daisy.” Shrugging off my clothes, I pull her boneless legs to standing, and as I hold her under the soft spray, she sighs.
Eyes closed, she rests against my chest, while I wash her hair. Gently, I slide a bar of soap over her body and ignore my purple parsnip, raring to have a go at it. Right now, she needs my loving care, not a soddin’ Neanderthal.
After she’s dried off, I lead her to the bed. My poor baby falls asleep the moment her head hits the pillow. Although I wish I could join her, my mates are waiting in the war room. Releasing a long, heavy sigh, I leave the door ajar, and walk down the hall.
“How is she?” At the entrance, my dad surprises me with a public hug, and it takes me a second to respond.
“She’s fine.” Sharing a manly slap on the back, I part from him and nod at the group assembled around the conference table.
“Thank you all, for everything. We’re all knackered but we need to crack on, mates. Egonov cocked-up but he won’t stop. I’m bloody sorry I brought this to your doorstep, but we won’t be safe until he’s dead.”
Suds, Slate and my dad nod. However, Oliver and Caleb raise their brows and share a worried look. Based on their reaction, I gather the FBI and MI6 would rather handle the threat under the radar, but tough titties. The bounty be damned, I’m eliminating a threat to democracy.
On my computer, Despairado’s meme lights up on my chat window, and his voice sounds in the overhead speaker. “Our target landed in Rome a few hours ago but the locals won’t allow him to leave.”
“Do we know where the blighter is staying?” As I picture his arrogant face, my fists clench.
“Egonov owns this villa north of the city.” The hacker inserts an image in our chat window. In it, a six-foot stone wall surrounds a medieval fortress containing a three-story tower.
My back teeth clench. “The man is a maniacal terrorist and needs to be stopped, and by that, I mean permanently.”
Despairado clears his throat, “The reward plainly states-”
“Fuck the money. He put everyone I love in danger and will continue to do so until he’s dead and buried.” At my outburst, everyone remains quiet until the G-man clears his throat.
“Yes, but think, the Russian has valuable intel about Cyber Vonya, as well as the New York bombings. I can’t allow you to kill him, Montclair, I really can’t.”
“Bloody hell.” I scratch my chin’s itchy stubble, and my skin crawls unnervingly. “Fine, if possible, we’ll take him alive. Time to go, lads.”
Slate nods. “On it.”
Everyone stands, and Suds blurts out, “What about Lanita?”
“She’s coming with us, but no briefing her, she’s off the team.” At my tone, my friend raises his brows, but he doesn’t say squat, which is a good thing. My fiancé is not Sam, and I’m in no mood to explain my decisions.
Slate makes a few calls and an hour later, an airport van stops in front of the villa. After an uneventful flight, a limo drives us to an Airbnb north of Rome. Once we’ve settled in, Oliver contacts a bloke from Interpol and the rest of us examine Egonov’s property.
Face red, the MI6 agent hangs up. “Bloody fucking paper pushers. Forget proper channels. Should we involve the Italians, permissions will take at least a month.”
Caleb frowns. “The Bureau will disavow any knowledge of this operation, but here’s what I think we ought to do.”
Heads down and focused on the drawings, we outline our plan. Three hours until sunset, the others find empty beds while I make my way down the hall. Knowing what I must do, I stick to the plan, and pray our love can survive the test.
Bloody hell, she may never forgive me.
Chapter 24
