Page 12 of Every Last Breath

Which would be an absolute last-ditch recourse, after she’d exhausted every other possibility. Cole was not the type of man to bend under intimidation.

Chapter 04

Philadelphia International Airport, Pennsylvania

4:35 p.m. EDT

After they landed, Aleksander slid into the passenger’s seat of the rental car that welcomed them on the tarmac. Val loaded the packed rifle and their gear in the trunk and started the vehicle. They’d cleared customs on the plane, no waiting in lines, no hassle with luggage being searched. The privileges of flying private were a necessity with their jam-packed schedule.

“How will I do it?” Aleksander asked, testing Val, ensuring he was switchblade-sharp.

Determining the how was always the hardest part. The slightest miscalculation meant the difference between success and failure.

“Bodyguards surround Callahan at all times and he’s rarely exposed in the open for more than five seconds,” Val said. “The front of his house has a porte cochere, providing cover as he leaves and gets into a chauffeured car with bulletproof windows. Security is too tight at the warehouse where he runs day-to-day operations.”

His son’s thorough assessment of the target was spot-on. “Continue.”

“Callahan goes to his casino in Fishtown every night, where the car is left unattended. You’ll do it there. Outside.” Val punched the location of the casino into the navigation system without waiting for confirmation. He was so self-assured—and quite correct.

“You memorized the address?”

“Of course. All the details on each target.”

Aleksander schooled his face, smothering a grim smile, his soul aching. His son was a fine man. Resilient, smart, capable of handling the unpleasantness of the necessary things ahead with focus and a cold tenacity.

His mother and sister would’ve both been proud. Anguish washed over him so hard and fast he fought not to gasp, but he embraced the pain. His grief gave him strength, his sorrow fortified his resolve to never stop until he got payback.

* * *

Arlington, Virginia

4:55 p.m. EDT

Handling himself in a physical fight, even when outnumbered, was one of Cole’s gifts.

To get trapped in a disastrous scenario he couldn’t overcome, then to be rescued by a person who suddenly needed his help—that was destiny giving him a chance for closure. Or fate, probing to see if he was a glutton for more pain.

Sure as shit wasn’t a coincidence.

He stormed through his town house, throwing clothes, technical gear, and his gun into a backpack. His body was strung tight, wired to spring into action.

Daring to go home even for five minutes was risky, but if the Russians were still looking for him, they would’ve placed their bets on his workplace. Going home would be stupid, and they knew he was no fool. So he’d taken the chance, armed with the knowledge of a rooftop exit no one would expect, and parked his bike two blocks over.

He took out his cell and called Linda at Rubicon. No one was better at digging up dirt on someone. “Hey, it’s Cole. Do me a favor, and I’ll bring you a box of the chocolates you love.”

“What do you need, sugar?” she rasped, sounding as if she’d spent the last thirty years smoking exhaust fumes from the tailpipe of a Harley.

He slipped a blade in his waistband sheath, replacing the one he had lost in the café. “It seems the Russians are looking for me. Might have to put your ear to the ground for ‘Nikolai Reznikov.’” Nobody at Rubicon knew his birth name. He’d been burned trusting the wrong woman before, but Linda had been like a mom to him the last few years and he was short on options. “Verify the threat is real.”

Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, I might have to bury Maddox if she orchestrated this. Right after I get answers.

“Also run a background check on Maddox Kinkade.” He’d longed to look her up during more sleepless nights than he could count, the ghost of her plaguing him. Every time, he’d been too chickenshit to face the agony of knowing. Now that Maddox had opened the door and shoved him across the threshold, there was no turning back. “I need it super fast.”

“It’s slow here. I’ll put the team on Kinkade. We’ll be quick, discreet. How deep to dig?”

“Make it thorough. If you hit any walls, go around them, down to who she’s fucking.”

Linda cleared her throat. “Pretty deep, sugar. I’ll get to it. Never heard you so fired up.”