“You better hope your COO learns some fucking manners before he comes,” Antonovich growled. “Get them outofhere.”
Sean wisely didn’t say a word as he struggled to his feet. Since the first moment of their introduction, Sean had come to the conclusion that he and the Wolcotts would live or die on Antonovich’s word. His read on the other man was of someone looking to move up in the world, and he’d been proven right by the short conversation with Alexei. That flimsy need was the only reason why they were stillbreathing.
The assassin—Pavel, according to Antonovich’s yelling earlier—stepped forward to hustle the three of them out of the conference room and away from Antonovich’s temper. Sean’s head throbbed as he walked, and nausea was an unwelcome companion he tried to swallow back. The lights in the villa made his headache worse, the pain skirting close to migraine levels. Paired with his double vision that had yet to settle, Sean knew he was suffering from aconcussion.
He could hear Chloe sniffling behind him and Adrian’s quiet voice as he tried to comfort his wife. She’d held up admirably well so far, considering the situation. Shock probably helped with that, something he could do nothing about, the same way he could do nothing about his concussion. Antonovich hadn’t offered up any medical help to them and Sean wasn’t goingtoask.
They were led back to the den that was their semi-comfortable prison for the time being. Adrian guided Chloe to the couch, sitting down beside her and pulling her into his arms. Sean stumbled to the armchair he’d claimed earlier, making sure the garbage bin one of the guards had retrieved for him after Sean threatened to get sick on the carpet was closeathand.
“Hand,”Pavelsaid.
Strong fingers grabbed Sean’s left wrist and yanked his arm up, twisting it around until the underside of his wrist was turned upward. The slim metal device Pavel carried made Sean stiffen in place. Pavel smirked down at him as he pressed the flat end of the autoinjector against hiswrist.
“Boss’orders.”
The sharp sting of the thin metal spike piercing his skin and driving deep into his wrist made Sean’s arm jerk, but Pavel’s grip held firm. When Pavel pressed the button on the other end, the sudden electrical surge and burn through his left wrist and hand, matched by the hot sensation behind both ears where his comms resided, had Sean leaning forward to get sick into the garbage bin betweenhisfeet.
The forced electrical burnout of his RealIdent chip and comms left him shaking, muscles cramping. It was nothing at all like when he used his powers, the electronics going dead instantly with no pain involved at all. This hurt, which was probably thepoint.
Pavel let go of his wrist and Sean yanked his hand back, pressing the fingers of his right hand over the hole in his wrist to stop the bleeding. He spat into the garbage can, wincing at the new buzz of pain in his body rather than the rancid state of hismouth.
He gingerly leaned back in his seat, watching tiredly as Pavel subjected Adrian and Chloe to the same device. Considering the villa was surrounded by electronic jammers, this was a precaution Seandidn’tlike.
Adrian took the burnout stoically while Chloe let out a sharp cry when it was her turn. His task finished, Pavel left the den with an order to the guards keeping watch over theirprisoners.
“Shoot them if they try toescape.”
Sean snorted softly. He didn’t consider it much of a threat. He could walk out of here without a scratch, even with a concussion, but the MDF would lose too much if he tried to save himself now. Waiting for a rescue was the better option in order to keep their ownsecrets.
“Are you all right?” Adrian asked in a low voice. “Riley?”
“Been better,” hemuttered.
Chloe was quietly crying into Adrian’s chest, her shoulders shaking within the circle of his arms. Adrian still looked angry, but the worry on his face told Sean the other man was finally beginning to believe that maybe they wouldn’t get out of this mess alive. Arrogance was just as good of a buffer as shock, but it seemed to be finally fading inAdrian.
“Do you really know this StanislavPavluhkinguy?”
Sean shifted carefully in his seat, trying not to jar his head. “We do businesswithhim.”
He knew the degree of separation between Adrian and their mutual acquaintance was probably tiny, considering Declan’s meeting with Jansen, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. Especially not with an audience. Adrian’s false ignorance could be dealt with at a later time if they got out of this mess alive. Sean closed his eyes, effectively ending the conversation, telling himself he’d rest them for a couple ofminutes.
Just a couple ofminutes.
* * *
Alexei peeredout the window of the private jet they were flying in, squinting at the blue water of the New Miami Bay below. Annabelle was flying them low over the water with steady hands on the control stick, heading for New Miami International Airport. The private jet was smaller than the one they’d taken to London in January, but it still belonged to Jamie’sfamily.
When Jamie had been updated on the team’s new mission, unable to return despite all of them knowing he wanted to, he’d authorized use of one of his family’s many private jets. The fact that his family owned more than one proved that the amount of money Jamie had at his disposal was unreal. Alexei didn’t know how he was supposed to embody the kind of attitude Jamie had given off in London. Rich didn’t come easily to Alexeiatall.
Angry as all fuck? That hecoulddo.
MDF agents had filed the flight plan that morning, listed under Alexei’s name within the Root Source, Inc.’s business account. As the COO of the cybersecurity company, he had access to all the perks that came with being a card-carrying C-suite member. He’d refused the suit and tie though, opting instead for dark wash jeans, a plain white T-shirt, and a pair of sturdy boots with gripping soles he could run in when the shit hitthefan.
The other three weren’t solucky.
“I’m going to die,” Madison moaned from the other side of the jet where she was stretched out on the couch, staring out of her window. “Fuck, I hatetheheat.”
“You join Marines,” Alexei reminded her. “Recon Marines. You go first, staylonger.”
