“Yes, please.” I fidgeted with the tactical vest weighing me down, anxious to get it off me.
“I’d jump straight into the fight myself. I mean, I did go undercover with a psychotic drug smuggler to seek revenge for my family, so I’m not the best at taking the advice I give.” She looped her arm through mine as Ryder talked to Reed and the four mystery men set to whisk away my brother’s bride-to-be.
Ryder must’ve really trusted these guys.
Also, how lucky were we that they’d just left Vegas for New York? And, thanks to Secretary Chandler, were able to make an emergency stop in Denver?
Not luck. Fate. Everything has to be okay. We’re going to get out of this, and Chase will go back to having a normal and wonderful childhood free of bad guys and danger.
The only thing keeping my legs from giving out and my stomach from doing full-on somersaults right now was the fact he was safe now with Trevor, in some type of fortress-cabin off the grid.
Alex turned to the side, casting a quick look my way. We’d yet to speak since we departed the lodge.
“Who are they?” I asked her.
“Ryder’s friends with the only guy over there who doesn’t haveCostaas a last name.” Seraphina discreetly pointed toward the non-Costa. “That’s Hudson Ashford. Maybe he even knows Trevor. He was a Navy SEAL, too. He’s now married to Isabella Costa. Well, suppose she’s an Ashford now.”
Before I had a chance to ask a follow-up question, Ryder called us over.
The sooner we got this show on the road, the better, I thought. We still had to swap vehicles and get to Boulder.
Natasha, our goddess of a cyber helper today, was currently covering our tracks with the CCTV footage while here to ensure no possible hacker on Team Mitch (or Team Counterfeit Mitch) could track us.
If they figured out we came here after the lodge, they’d begin chasing their tails trying to find where we would go next. Those were Natasha’s words, at least.
“Guess we better go over to him before Ryder comes and tosses the both of us over each shoulder. Knowing him, I bet the man would actually do that, too.” Seraphina kept her voice light and teasing, probably hoping to calm my nerves.
Ryder began making introductions to Seraphina and me. It felt nice to hear “This is my sister,” come from his mouth with such pride, too.
A chorus ofnice to meet you’s followed as each of the men shook my hand.
“You just happened to be in Vegas heading home, huh?” I should’ve ditched the curious tone there, but it’d come out anyway.
The four men exchanged a look before one of them broke forward from the pack, his thumb grazing his jaw. “We had business there.” There was a notable accent. Italian?
“The kind of business my brother’s acquainted with?” My lips teased into a smile.
“Maybe.” The guy smirked before turning toward Ryder. “Ready?”
Ryder reached for Seraphina and pulled her to the side. “Give me a moment and we will be.” Holding her hand, he walked her out of view to the other side of the jet, where I had a feeling he’d be spending that moment kissing her.
“Congrats, man,” Reed said to Hudson, not elaborating on why; then he turned toward one of the other men while picking up Seraphina’s bag. “I heard your wife’s pregnant with a girl and that, uh, you have a teenage son?”
“She is, and I do.” A man of few words.
“Glad everything worked out in Italy. I heard things got a little intense and that you died?”
And then there was Reed. Apparently a man ofdirectwords.
“Just for a couple of minutes.” The mystery Costa nodded at Alex for some reason. “Heard you had a close call, too?”
Your ex-wife shot you.I still couldn’t get over that. How much baggage did we have in common?
Alex brushed the spot I’d patched up like he could still feel the memory under the skin. “I’m fine.”
“Well, you’re in good hands, Audrey,” Hudson commented as Reed handed him the bag.
I sighed. “I know. Thank you. And thank you for keeping Seraphina safe while we, um, figure out whether ...”
