He snorted. “I can’t take yours and end up with a rash. I’ll be okay. I’m going to hop in the shower real quick. How much time do we have?”
Jasper strode out of the bedroom, wearing fresh jeans and a black T-shirt. “We’ve got half an hour until the guns arrive, and then we’ll go.”
Leah brushed her hair away from her face. “He won’t be expecting me for a couple of hours, thinking it’ll take me time to evade Jasper.”
Dax looked at his brother. “How many women have they kidnapped this time?”
“At least seven,” Jasper muttered.
Dax’s jaw clenched, his green eyes darker than normal. The wound on his face started to stitch together.
“Did you leave any alive?” Jasper asked.
“Unfortunately,” Dax said. “Vester got away.”
Jasper cracked his knuckles. “That’s okay. Let’s finish them one at a time. Go take a shower.”
Dax walked toward the main hallway before stopping. “Word of warning. Benny discovered that the Kurjans blew up his penthouse because of us.”
Jasper winced. “I figured. We’re going to owe him a whole building.”
Dax sighed, his shoulders lowering. “According to Benny, we owe him a block.” He walked into another of the guest bedrooms.
Jasper exhaled. “Unfortunately, Benny’s not kidding. We probably do owe him a block of properties in Paris.” He shook his head. “We know better than to borrow a place from him, but it’s just so convenient.”
Leah rocked back on her feet, making sure she could run in the boots if necessary. “I don’t know the area by the small airport.”
“We’ll need intel.” Jasper pressed a number on speed dial and lifted the phone to his ear.
“Hey, Chalton,” he said as someone apparently answered. “I need a favor. Can you get me a satellite image of the Châteaufield Airpark? My best guess is that it’s about twenty clicks west of Paris in a small, rural area.” Jasper listened for a couple of moments. “Yes. I’m aware that my enemies blew up your uncle’s penthouse the other night because of my current mission. How have you already heard about the explosions?” He grimaced. “He sent out a family newsletter?”
Leah winced. That did not sound good.
Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yes. We will buy him a block of property somewhere. I promise. Now, will you help me? Thank you. Just send the surveillance photos to this phone number. I picked it up earlier today.” He sighed. “Yes, Chalton. Irealized there were a lot of toys in that penthouse, and I promise they’ll all be replaced. Thank you.”
He clicked off, shaking his head.
Leah snatched another piece of bacon. “Benny sounds like a character.”
“Oh, he’s something,” Jasper said. “For now, one thing at a time. I’m allowing you to use yourself as bait, but that means I know your location at all times, and if I tell you to run, you do it.”
“Of course, Jasper,” she said placatingly.
His eyes narrowed.
Yes. This was her op, and she would make sure it succeeded, no matter the cost.
Chapter Twelve
Jasper couldn’t dispel the itch between his shoulder blades. He never thought he’d take his mate into a dangerous situation, but he understood her need to finish her mission.
The clouds finally decided to open up and pelt the world with angry rain. Thick, black cloud cover darkened the sky with occasional zaps of furious lightning. He made sure to park more than a mile away from the small airport nestled in a rural area, surrounded by rolling farmland and a dense forest.
“Keep to the trees,” he told his brother, unease wandering through him. While he admired Leah’s grit and always had, he wanted her safe at all times.
The airport was discreetly tucked away with a crappy dirt road winding to it. With its natural barriers shielding it from observers, he doubted many people knew the place existed.
They kept to the tree line, and a single modest roadway made of packed gravel soon came into view. One building rose from the flat ground, resembling a large barn. As he looked closer, even the runway appeared to be a long driveway.
