My second shot grazes his arm. I’m too close, and he’s too quick for me to hold my ground. I take a jab to the cheek, whirl away, and come back with an uppercut to his jaw as West hits him squarely in his bare—and heavily tattooed back. Popov grasps for the dart, spinning around, and for good measure, I send a second dart into his naked ass.
“And stay down,” I mutter. “India, two targets down. Wrapping this shit up and heading to you.”
“Roger. Everyone okay?”
“Fucker got one good lick in, but pretty boy here’s just fine. He won’t embarrass you tomorrow night.”
Inara’s throaty laugh carries over the feed. “Double-time it, Romeo. Night doesn’t last forever.”
* * *
When I pushthrough the back door, Popov slung over my shoulders in a fireman’s carry, Wren runs in from the main room. “Oh, thank God,” she whispers, but then her eyes widen at the unconscious man on my back. “Popov?”
“Yep. Just be thankful West found track suits for these two.” I head down the stairs to the basement, and Semyon scampers off the thin mattress and into the corner of the room.
“Wh-who…is that?” he asks.
Fixing him with a hard stare, I arch a brow. “The key to getting your sister back. Assuming you don’t screw things up.”
Semyon throws up his still bound hands. “I no make trouble. I know truth now. Zionzhertvafor us.”
“Zhertva?”Letting Popov slide to the mattress, I step back and brush off my hands. West lays Popov’s lover down next to him and checks their pulses.
“He…uh…”
“Sacrifice,” Inara supplies as she joins us. “He knows Zion didn’t abandon him.”
She snaps pictures of Popov and his lover, then snags the duffel West packed with the man’s wallet, phone, and laptop and heads back up the stairs where Wren’s waiting, wringing her hands. “Come on, computer genius,” Inara says as she hoists the computer. “Time to get to work.”
40
Wren
The sun seeps around the drapes by the time Inara and I finish going through Popov’s computer. The man’s a letch—intimidating his competition, making them disappear on occasion, paying off government officials—and every new thing we learn adds to Ryker’s tension. He’s been surprisingly hands-off since he got back, with the exception of pulling me into our little bedroom for a kiss that rocked me down to my toes.
Now, he sits up against the wall, his eyes closed, his lips moving soundlessly.
“Is he okay?” I whisper to Inara.
She nods and draws me into the kitchen where she starts another pot of coffee. “You saw us before the men left for Popov’s, yeah?”
I rinse four mugs while she leans against the counter. “Your rituals? Yes.”
“This is one of Ry’s. I don’t know exactly what he does, but I think he’s recounting memories. It’s his way of staying motivated during downtime when he can’t sleep.”
“I’m surprised you don’t read lips.” Drying one of the mugs, I reach for another.
“I do. Just not Ry’s.” Inara’s sad smile dims her gray eyes. “Our first missions, I caught a few words. Never tried again. The man went through…God. I can’t imagine.”
“He’s never told you?”
She snorts. “No. He’s changed, Wren. More than I thought possible. You found something in him I think he believed was dead.”
I drop my voice to a whisper as I grab the last mug. “What?”
“Trust. Hope. Peace? Any or all of the above? He’s…not the same man who left Seattle. I sure hope you’re sticking around.” The coffee pot sputters, and smoothly, not spilling a drop, Inara shifts one of the mugs in place of the pot to catch the precious nectar.
“I…don’t want to lose him.” My mind hasn’t stopped racing since Ryker told me he loved me. How can we make this work when he lives in Seattle and I live in Boston? I can do my job from anywhere. But…I don’t know if Dax would let me. Not with how he and Ryker feel about one another.
