Monday. Joe's Bar. New York City, New York.NASAR SAT IN HIS car staring at the rundown bar in a suburb of the city.For almost ten years he'd been working toward this moment. And now it was here.He was going to get to face the man responsible for killing his family.Nasar knew he couldn't act on that knowledge. If he did, it would jeopardize everything he'd worked toward. But he still wanted to see the man. To look him in the eye. Of course that was all Nasar could do. It was still worth it.Ten years ago his family had died in a drone strike. It had been an accident. That's what everyone said.Bad information had wrecked his life. So he'd set out to learn the truth.It had been a slow journey. For the first few years it was all he could do to keep going. But he'd found a crumb. Following that lead, greasing a few palms, had led him halfway around the world to this moment and this man.Daniel Smith.Such an unassuming name for the man who'd killed Nasar's family.
This close Killam could see how blown out Jabir's irises were and smell the alcohol on him.He slapped Jabir on the shoulder. "You've always treated me well."So long as no one harshed his vibe, Jabir was a rather happy drunk. He didn't tend to get paranoid, either. Killam hoped the cousins were sober enough to keep control of their tongues."I want to give you something," Jabir said."That's not necessary." Killam braced himself as Jabir leaned toward him."Yes, it is. You should appreciate those friends who have been with you.""You show me enough appreciation, Jabir."Jabir wagged his cigar under Killam's nose again. "I know what you'd like."He groaned inwardly. Jabir was always pushing stuff on Killam he most definitely did not want. "It's really not necessary.""The blonde," Jabir said.Killam clenched his jaw and his stomach immediately knotted up.There were lots of blondes in Jabir's employ, but only one that got under Killam's skin.Jabir grinned and p
Killam took a breath and then turned.He still wasn't prepared.Yousef stood there, though Killam's gaze went past him to Ivy. He swallowed for the hundredth time.Ivy looked back at Killam doing a far better job holding it all together. Her outward calm felt as though it extended around him, allowing him to breathe."Miss. Ivy," Yousef said in a monotone voice."Nice to see you again," Killam managed in his normal voice.Ivy gave him a head to toe look and a slow smile. "Nice to see you, too."She was playing the role. Doing what they'd talked about. Using that kiss to their advantage.Yousef glanced at Killam then without another word turned and strode back to handle whatever it was he needed to, likely herding a very high Jabby to a table to actually eat something.Ivy took a step toward Killam and slid her arm through his."What's wrong?" she asked.He had to say something. The truth would complicate matters too much."Jabir is high as a kite. I think the wa
Monday. Jabir al Saud's Home. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.IVY COULD HARDLY BREATHE. His smell was everywhere and it made it hard to think.Infuriating man. Why did he have to smell so yummy and have such good lashes? One of the dozen or so lash extensions had fallen off that morning while she tried to take care of them. If it weren't for London taking pity on her, she might have ripped them all out.Ivy grabbed a handful of her skirt and draped it over one arm so she could at least walk without tripping over it. She'd nearly fallen on her face when they'd fled the hall. With the way Killam was now, he'd probably have dragged her out."What's going on? Why did we run out of there?" She went to the modern, narrow sofa by the windows and sat down, curling one leg under her. It was just as uncomfortable as it looked, but she was off her feet.Killam didn't answer her at first. He took his wristwatch off, checked the night stand drawer, then paced to the windows and peered down at th
Monday. Jabir al Saud's Home. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.KILLAM'S EYES OPENED AND his body tensed.He wasn't sure why he'd woken up.The room was quiet with the soft drone of the air conditioning unit drowning out any ambient noise from other rooms or floors.Ivy's even breathing indicated she was still asleep.His monitor would have beeped if someone had entered the room.Was it something in the hall? Or outside the house?Carefully, Killam extracted himself from the sheets. His legs were tangled up from restless moving about thanks to his dreams featuring a particular blonde.Something thumped against the wall a few feet from the bed, followed by a loud guffaw.The hall, then.He glanced at the clock.Barely midnight.It was too early for most guests to be headed to bed, unless they had other activities in mind.He turned to look at Ivy's back. His shirt was far too large on her. He had this odd urge to hook his finger in the neckline and pull it down to kiss
Killam flattened his hand on the wall to keep himself away from her, but his elbow buckled and he leaned in close enough he could smell her perfume again. It wasn't floral or delicate, it was seductive and spicy.Ivy's gaze dropped to his mouth and her lips parted.Damn it to hell. He wasn't a hero and he wasn't a good man.He lowered his head and closed the last of the distance between them, giving into the pull that kept him coming back to her. He kissed her. He kissed her because he wanted to and ignoring the pull he felt anytime she was near was getting harder to do. He kissed her because if he didn't he was going to drive himself crazy wanting to.She gave a slight yelp of surprise, then a grunt as her back hit the wall. It wasn't the smoothest kiss. Instead of pushing him away, Ivy wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.Part of his mind wanted to scream at her to push him away, but it was getting drowned out by the ever-present need for her.He groane
IVY WASN'T USED TO being affected by a blowjob. Sure, she liked driving a man crazy as much as any woman, but they didn't do a lot for her. When she'd decided to take the reins, it had more to do with praising the hero of the hour than anything else. That, and she'd felt as though she'd burst if he kept staring at her forever.Killam's tongue slid between her lips and stroked her own. He cradled her head now, where moments ago he'd pulled almost roughly.The joke was on her.She wanted him more now than she had before.He was still a lone wolf type. He'd never work well with others. And she didn't doubt that he'd done things in the name of the job that she wouldn't agree with. But right now? Tonight? She'd seen him do the right thing. It made resisting the attraction that much more difficult.Killam pulled back. She leaned toward him, greedy for more. He tugged her hair once, then let go. His other hand wrapped around hers and he pulled her to her feet.How was he able to s
Tuesday. New York.NASAR SANK DOWN FARTHER in the front seat of his borrowed truck.He'd followed Daniel Smith to the Air Force base that morning, and the man hadn't yet left.Was it possible he'd been telling the truth? If he was, then where was the rest of the information coming from?Nasar scrolled the Facebook page of one of Daniel's cousins, a pretty blonde girl who was maybe a year or two younger than him. Like most American girls, she documented her every waking moment online and little of it was made private.He'd scrolled back almost ten years, drinking in Daniel Smith's story.Every family member Nasar had investigated all said the same thing.Daniel fixed planes.He didn't fly drones.If that was the case, why had Nasar been told differently?He set the phone down.When his family had been killed, Nasar had been working with the Americans as a translator. He hadn't been lying about that point. It was a fact. No one had been able to give him answers a
A week later...QUENTIN WISHED HE COULD savor this moment. He slapped the cuffs on the pint-sized asshole who'd had Candi's life in the palm of his hand that fateful night. Was it just a week ago?This should be more satisfying.It was, in a way.Eleven perfectly timed arrests effectively cut off all the heads of Metis. According to Nadine's notes, there was still one unknown head of the organization out there. But they were not alone. Metis itself wouldn't be ordering the death of anyone else. But it didn't bring Nadine back. It didn't restore the time Quentin had lost with Candi. It did make the world a little better, and in the end that's what mattered. Nadine's final acts were all about sacrifice and justice.Quentin stepped back as the FBI agents continued doing their job.He'd been granted permission to be here. As CIA, he had no jurisdiction nor the ability to make an arrest. Still, putting those cuffs on the little asshole felt good.Nadine would be pleased.
Sunday. Clementine Baker's Home, Washington, DC.CANDI CLUTCHED Q'S HAND in both of hers. "Is this it?""Yeah," he whispered.They stared at the moderate sized home in a DC suburb. Now and wind pelted them. Her teeth chattered. And yet, it felt good. The bone chilling cold reminded her that she was alive."Are we going to knock?" she asked."No. Come on. The FBI lookouts know why we're here."Q led her through the yard and a side gate. A uniformed police officer sat at the first-floor window watching them. Q nodded. Candi lifted a hand, but let it drop to her side without actually waving."This way."Solar lights chased away the shadows, making it less ominous. In a few hours, the world would wake up to a blanket of new snow. A clean slate.Candi didn't know how to feel right now.On one hand, they'd found Nadine. They'd done what they'd set out to do.But, Nadine was dead. Her final act had been to save Q and give them the means with which to combat two threat
Small hands shoved Quentin sideways a second before bullets erupted into the night.Quentin yelled. It was mixed rage and fear. He staggered sideways, only for Nadine to shove at him again."Move, damn it," she barked.They dove behind the shelter of a single boulder. This side of the creek the ground was rockier.Quentin yanked his sidearm out of his holster and sucked down air.Unlike the men at their back, Quentin didn't have unlimited ammunition. Not unless he took theirs."Give me a gun," Nadine hissed.He still couldn't trust her. "No.""Damn you," she growled."Come out and it'll be quick," a voice called out.Nadine laid a finger across her lips and stared him down.He opened his mouth, but she spoke first."You can't think I'm that stupid," she said. With her other hand she pointed back down the way they'd come.She wanted him to go to the creek?"I think you know what your options are," the man called out.Quentin's head knew he couldn't trust Na
Saturday. Harper's Ferry, VA.QUENTIN KEPT AN ARM right around Nadine and held to the broken stub of a branch. The ground beneath them had started to crumble. He wasn't convinced that they'd keep their perch if he let go.Damn it.Every time they made a move someone was in their path. And it wasn't always the same pair.Were all six circling him and Nadine? Did that mean they'd captured Candi? Or had she gotten away?He'd heard a couple of shots off in the distance. Could it be...?No.He had to keep his mind here and now.Quentin strained to hear anything. A leaf on the wind. The crunch of a boot. Something.To Nadine's credit, even her breathing was soundless.Could he trust her to not turn on him?He didn't think so.She leaned toward him until she could whisper ever so faintly in his ear. "Now."He understood her meaning. They were both watching and waiting for an opening. Words were unnecessary risks.One thing was certain, he could trust Nadine to h
Candi's heart raced as she watched the man kneel by the bag and yank the zipper.She lunged left, behind a tree and drew her weapon.Overhead, there was no mistaking the whining whirl of helicopter blades. It might not be anyone friendly, but DC was about a half hour away by air. They'd called Q's contacts about forty-five minutes ago.Could that be help? More enemies? Something else?She didn't know, but she had to hope. She had to believe this wasn't how it was going to end."Hey!" the man barked. "Get back out here.""Keep the cash and let me go, no one has to know." She clicked the safety off the gun.Candi had mostly blocked out the fact that she'd shot and killed someone after being kidnapped. Now, it was on repeat in her mind.Could she do it again?If she got to tell Q she loved him-again-she'd pull the trigger.Her hands shook.The leaves rustled underfoot, allowing her to track the man's movements. She shifted around the tree, keeping it between them.
Saturday. Harper's Ferry, VA.CANDI CROUCHED BETWEEN THE rotted out remnants of a tree and a dense holly bush. This was as close as she could get to the house without being seen.Where had Q and Nadine gotten to?Candi had run out of the house, unable to hear anything beyond the blood pumping in her ears. She'd pushed ahead, convinced those men were right behind her. The only thought in her head was that she couldn't lag behind or else Q would have to leave her.Only, it had happened the other way around.She didn't know when or how Q got separated from her, but when she'd paused to turn around and look, he was gone.Her teeth chattered together. Had something been on the news about a cold front? The winter had been awfully mild so far. It would be their luck for snow to settle in today.Please, no...Where were they?She cautiously peered out through the branches.All but one of the men who'd arrived at the house had gone into the woods.Was this a bad idea?
Friday. Harper's Ferry, VA.THIS WAS A DISASTER of her making.The stitch in Nadine's side felt like a knife was being plunged into her. That, or her scar tissue was warning her about the turning weather. The warm spell was most certainly over."This way," Quentin whispered.Her heart twinged.This was her fault.She was going to get this boy killed. And for what?Over the years, she'd lost her focus. She'd become a leaf, being blown about with no respite. She'd done things to stay afloat, things she regretted.Like involving Quentin.He didn't know it yet, but she wasn't leaving this forest alive."Shit," Quentin muttered."What-?"She never got the question out. Her foot slipped on the underbrush then she tripped on a root. Only, the ground wasn't where she thought it should be. She pitched forward and just kept going. Her shoulder hit the steep incline first, then the rest of her. Limbs tore at her clothing. Rocks scraped her skin. Something rubbery smacke
Friday. Safe House, Unknown, VA.QUENTIN HELD TIGHT TO Candi's hand. He kept glancing at her to make sure she was really there and he hadn't imagined her dramatic return. He had the urge to leave Nadine here and run away with Candi, somewhere it would be just the two of them forever.Instead, he secured the front door then stood in the entry staring at her."And here I thought you'd finally grown a brain," Nadine said dryly.Candi held up her other hand, extending just her middle finger in Nadine's direction.Quentin's phone buzzed. He knew before he pulled it out that it was Wesley. Quentin turned the screen toward Candi. She shrugged and didn't offer any insight into what he should say or do.He clicked the answer button and put it on speaker."Wesley, hey.""Is she there?" Wesley's voice was flat, emotionless.Quentin glanced at Candi. "Yeah."Wesley sighed heavily. "Damn it.""You're on speaker," Candi said."Do you have any idea what I sacrificed to help
Friday.CANDI SLUMPED DOWN A bit more. Wesley gripped the steering wheel like he was on a race course. From where she sat, she could see the speed wavering between five and ten over the speed limit.He couldn't wait to get away from Q.Her heart nearly seized up just thinking that.She wrapped her arms around her more tightly, as if she could hold herself together with strength alone.It felt like history repeating itself.She had to leave because of Nadine for her own good.While Q remained where he was.Candi understood his resolve to carry through with his job. She really did. But her heart couldn't help but feel abandoned. Again.Q had chosen Nadine once over her, and now it was happening again.Yes, Candi knew it was different. This was about doing the right thing and protecting themselves."You're awfully quiet," Wesley finally said."Know your audience," she mumbled.He glanced at her. His sunglasses hid his eyes and made it impossible to guess at wh