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I remember when I was little, Father would always make sure he saw my mother before he went off to do something he felt could be dangerous. Something he might not come back from.

I could always tell. None of my brothers figured it out. Father would be working late or we wouldn’t see him for a few days, then he’d show up for five minutes at breakfast, just to get a kiss from my mother and hug us.

Those were the only times I saw a softer side to him.

I admired him for that, even though I knew what it meant. That we might never see him again.

I never thought I’d have someone I needed to see before walking into danger. Now I do.

I married Gabrielle for revenge, but whatever this thing between us has become, it wasn’t part of the plan. Before walking into something I might not come back from, I needed to see her.

I wanted the brief time with her. Korrina just happened to have additional intel we needed today, so it was easier for her to drop it off.

I still got my kiss though.

The kiss is twofold. A kiss goodbye. And a kiss for luck.

I’m hoping luck will be on my side today.

We set that trap for Petr. If it works, things could be wrapped up today, or pretty damn close.

Aleksandr, Kieran, and I are in an armored black Merc parked in a secluded section of the docks.

Across from us, the Armenians’ handler is standing at the entrance of an old warehouse building. He’s waiting for Petr to arrive.

Tiernan and Flynn are stationed on the rooftop opposite the building with a mixture of my guards and Kieran’s.

We put the operation together fast, so we were ready to move the moment we learned the meeting time.

Petr will be here in ten minutes.

The moment we see him, we’ll strike.

That’s the plan, and I just want to get it over and done with so I can move on to whatever comes next.

“I think we should take Petr back to our office,” Kieran suggests, glancing away from the handler to look at me. He’s in the driver’s seat, while Aleksandr is in the back. “It’s closer, with less chance of extra trouble.”

“Agreed.” I nod. The original plan was to take him back to one of our places. But Kieran is right. Petr is not likely to come alone. A high-level hacker like him will be heavily protected.

We keep our focus on the handler.

But ten minutes later, nothing happens.

The three of us keep watching, tense and expectant.

Guys like Petr are not normally late. Something’s wrong.

Another minute passes, and we exchange worried glances.

Kieran taps his communicator, looking toward the roof where his brothers are stationed. “You guys see anything?”

“Not a goddamn thing,” Tiernan answers.

“Keep your eyes peeled.” Kieran looks back at me. “Give it another ten minutes.”

“Something’s not right,” I reply. “I think Petr saw through the trap.”

“But—”