Page 78 of Rescued

He paused. “It’s also possible that we can secure her release without turning over the bonds, if Miss Carter is willing to meet Mr. Moreno as promised.”

Oh, no. No way. Switch said, “Forget it. Breanna’s not doing the drop. It’s too risky.”

Sanchez chimed in, “He’s right. She’s not trained, and there’s no reason. We can fly in to this rendezvous point and take Moreno down with a strike team.”

“No!” Breanna said. “If you do that they’ll kill Kimberly.”

“It’s possible,” Thanatos said. “But Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Switch are correct—you would be putting yourself at extreme risk.”

“I know,” Breanna said. “But he has to think it’s just me—that I don’t have any resources except a pilot that I seduced into helping me. Otherwise he’ll cut his losses with Kimberly, and try to get me some other way.”

Mikey said, “We could disguise me as Breanna.”

Breanna shook her head. “Quentin knows me too well.” She took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to do this, but it’s the safest way for Kimberly. And if you can all back me up and find a way to get her out safely and take Quentin down, that would be great. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

She looked at Thanatos again. “But if you’re willing to do it, and we can save the bonds, then… I’ll give you some of the bearer bond money for Outlaw Ridge. Assuming we can get to where they were issued and cash them in.”

Thanatos was silent once more. Then he said, “That sounds fair. I suggest a sixty-forty split.”

“Wait, what?” Switch spluttered. “Sixty percent for you?”

Thanatos said, “I still need to pay for repairs on the helicopter you got shot up, rescuing Miss Carter.”

Switch said, “I take no responsibility for that. If you don’t want people borrowing the helicopters, you should have better security. No deal.”

“All right then, fifty percent,” Thanatos said.

Okay, now he was just messing with them. But before Switch could open his mouth, Breanna said, “Fifty percent? You’re just trying to take advantage of me. You don’t even need the money—you have your very own mansion and secret base. You’re like… if Batman and the Vampire Lestat had a love child.”

Switch heard a couple of muffled splutters of laughter from the wolves behind them, quickly suppressed.

Thanatos said, “I have to pay for all that somehow.”

“You can have a third,” Breanna said. “A third for Kimberly, to start a new life, and a third for me and Switch.”

Switch said, “You’re my mate. I don’t need Moreno’s money to take care of you.”

She patted his arm. “I know you don’t, babe, but it’s the principal of the thing. I stole that loot, I should get to keep some of it.”

Boomer said, “That’s the spirit.”

“Damn right. I have my eye on some amazing Jimmy Choos.”

Sanchez muttered, “What the hell are those?”

“Shoes, you poor sad man. Shoes.” She turned to Thanatos. “Three-way split. That’s my final offer.” She added, “Before expenses.”

Thanatos said, “So I’m supposed to fund everything out of my share?”

“It’s what you do, isn’t it?” She gazed at him, wide-eyed.

The doe eyes. That sucker was toast.

Thanatos said, “Deal.” And somewhere under the hood, Switch could have sworn he saw the gleam of teeth.

Dude. Was Thanatos smiling?

Nah. Couldn’t be.