LUKE HAD A CRAMP in his back and he'd lost the feeling in some of his toes, but he couldn't move. Abigail-no, Yael-her voice wove a spell over him as she recounted in broad strokes the events leading up to tonight. She rattled off names and places with ease, never once having to pause for details.She was one bad ass bitch.He meant it with the greatest respect.Sure, he was still pissed that he'd believed they were on the same side, that he'd been fooled by her, but when it came down to it, they wanted the same things.Peace.Safety for others.To put an end to bad people.For fear to be eradicated.She'd made some wrong choices by his book, but she made them with the best intentions. Right down to planning to assassinate the Smiths.Whoever had burned her, they must regret it now. She was a one-woman army, with the skills, knowledge, and tools to do everything she set out to do.He'd known she was something special the moment he'd laid eyes on her. It was in the w
LUKE SUCKLED HER LOWER lip between his, conscious of the way her breathing hitched when he bit down. She wasn't delicate, but she should be treated as if she were. Because she was precious.Luke's hands coasted down and up her back. He'd noticed the scars in passing, but now they made sense. They'd each lived a rough life in service to a greater cause. And they'd lived.He wasn't about to let her die now. Not after everything she'd been through.Whatever came after this was out of his control, but he'd make sure tomorrow wasn't the end. For tonight, he'd make love to her and worship her like she deserved.He hooked his fingers around the catch, releasing the closure on her bra. She shrugged the satin garment off, tossing it aside. He cupped her breasts, catching the hard nubs between his fingers. She arched her back, her lower lip between her teeth.They'd fucked last night. She'd ridden his face. They'd scratched an itch.This was different.Her lids lifted and she stare
WHERE THE HELL WAS SHE?He paced yet another hotel room booked under yet another name.She was gone.Omar had had Yael in his hand. He could have squeezed the life out of her, and the stupid idiot had let her get away."Mr. Ahmadi?" The voice was muted.He approached the door, drawing his gun."Who is it?" He stuck close to the wall.Yael might have recognized him. He'd been so focused on the bombs; he hadn't been able to watch her."Room service.""Leave it. I just got out of the shower."He listened to the movements on the other side of the door, the clank of dishes, and counted to thirty.How long until Mossad got wind of her? The moment they did, it would be wheels up, boots on the ground, find her or else. And then things would get really tricky, because she thought he was dead, and Mossad knew he was alive.Why couldn't she just die already?It would make his job so much easier.He opened the door and wheeled the room service cart in, and locked the do
LUKE TAPPED AT THE black screen, holding the phone up as if he were snapping pictures like a good tourist. Passersby smiled at him, but none looked farther than that. He checked his watch.Five minutes.An engine rumbled behind him.He turned in time to catch sight of a beaten up Jeep Wrangler roll to a stop next to him, Abigail at the wheel.Luke tossed his stuff in and vaulted into the Jeep. She eased the vehicle out onto the street. No peeling tires or plumes of dust."How'd it go?" he asked."Fine. We'll need to change the plates before we leave town. I rubbed mud on it for now.""You had time to do all that?" He peered over the top of his sunglasses at her.She glanced at him, most of her face obscured by the hat, glasses and scarf, but he felt the flatness of her glare.Of course she had."Where to?" he asked. She knew these roads better than him."How much money do you have on you?""Not a lot." He pulled his hat down. "You should know, I've seen enough c
ABIGAIL STARED AT THE bottom of the cargo plane. It was all over now.She knew what would happen to her, and it wasn't going to be good.Swinging through that town had been a mistake. She'd been there once, a long time ago. But clearly not long enough for people to forget. The Mossad agents had been lying in wait for her. From the snippets of conversation she'd caught, they'd set up a half-dozen points in an attempt to capture them.And they'd succeeded.Because she'd been lazy.Luke was strapped into a seat, handcuffed to the armrests some fifteen feet ahead of her. She felt his gaze slide back to her every now and then. He hadn't spoken a word. Not a single sentence. But he didn't have to.By now, the Mossad network would have traced her history. At least the last six months, while she'd been setting up Abigail. Luke's life would be an open book to them.She could only pray that whatever traitor had burned her was gone. Eliminated. And the unknown force behind the Smith
ZACHARIAS GNAWED ON THE plastic fork.She was in the damn pit. The Pit. And there was no way for him to get to her.Yael was under constant supervision. He couldn't eliminate her while cameras and microphones tracked her every movement. Even if he could, they had that damn man in there with her because Baron had some stupid notion that she'd say things in order to protect him. If he could get the cameras off, even for a moment, he'd have to put them both down and that would cause a ruckus with those tasked with watching her every move.Damn it.The pieces of her life since her defection were falling into place. The Mossad hound dogs were ferreting out everything. It wouldn't be long until someone asked her the right question and she gave him up. Even if she didn't realize what she knew, someone watching would. And there was always someone watching Yael. She was the most decorated clandestine combatant since Sylvia. And Yael had been a loose cannon for years.He had to put a s
LUKE FOUGHT THE URGE to drum his fingers on the table. He knew interrogation tactics. Could recite the playbook. They all knew what was happening here. The only question was, how long until Luke could bust them free?So far he'd only seen the two guards and Abigail-no, Yael's-ex-husband. Those were two very different women in Luke's eyes. Abigail would chew that prissy man up and spit him out. Yael needed to remember she was no longer a child bride to a man without morals.The door swung open and Baron stepped in, holding a fucking McDonald's bag and two cups of coffee.They were close enough to civilization that the coffee was still steaming. "I guessed what you might like." Baron plopped the bag on the table and set the coffee within easy reach.The guard hadn't put the handcuffs back on Luke. He could hurl the coffee at the man, deck him, get a pound of flesh if he wanted to, but then he might lose the ability to move around freely. He could pick the handcuffs. They hadn'
"YOU HAVE THAT MAN wrapped around your finger."Abigail stared at the metal table between her and her ex-husband. Though they'd removed her handcuffs, she still felt their presence. She was a prisoner. And she'd given Baron the advantage. She should never have let Luke goad her into talking. They'd exposed too much of themselves in what was not a private moment. Baron was too perceptive to have missed it."How did you manage that? You only just met him." Baron drew on the table with a finger. "You were always good with people though. At least when you wanted to be. I'll never forget watching you, how you'd just...change. At home you were so quiet I'd almost forget you were there. And then we'd go somewhere. A dinner, maybe. You'd stand back, watch the room, and decide who to be. That's how I knew you'd make a good agent. Even as a girl, you knew how to read people."She couldn't deny his words.Abigail had been an awkward teen, so hungry to please this man and her mother. She'd
Two months later. Ekko's Apartment, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.EKKO STARED AT THE table with the spread of food laid out.Was there enough? Did she need more? Would Coco and Paxton like it?She reached out and adjusted the tray of cheese so it was at more of an angle instead of perfectly aligned to everything else.It looked too neat."Stop." Silas took her hand and spun her toward him, capturing her against his chest with strong arms around her waist."It looks like I'm trying too hard." She smoothed her hands up and over his shoulders."Stop. It's just Paxton and Coco.""Your best friend and his fiancé, who I haven't met yet.""What?" Silas' face scrunched up. "You've talked to her dozens of times.""In the background of you and Paxton talking. That doesn't count." She pulled away from him and proceeded to turn dishes a little this way and that."You do realize Coco spends most days digging in elephant shit and stuff, right?""Silas." She scowled at him."What?" He gr
IT FELT LIKE THE weight Silas had been carrying around in his gut had now attached itself to his eyelids. He floated in darkness, no longer asleep but not yet awake. Someone had called this twilight once, though he couldn't recall who. Something wouldn't let him go back to sleep. There was something he needed to do. It was urgent.What the hell was it?That nagging question hounded him as he ever so slowly gathered his strength.He wasn't aware of time or how long it took to wrestle one eyelid open, but at long last he peered out of his darkness into...more darkness.Well that was just dandy. What the fuck?He blinked that one eye again, letting his vision adjust. He was in a room and there was a light on, it just didn't do much.Machines beeped and whirled around him.That was a sound he could never mistake and it told him the first piece of his puzzle. From there the others fell into place, one after another.He was still in the hospital.He'd been hurt.There was a fight.
EKKO CLUNG TO THE stretcher bearing Silas out to the parking lot.She hadn't realized how bad his injuries were. He was barely keeping his eyes open. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she kept pace with the two paramedics. Silas covered her hand with his as they came to a stop at the bumper of an ambulance.Paxton, Brett and Vito were sitting inside. They were worse for wear and grim, but seemed okay.All around them police were marching uninjured people they'd arrested to sit in a line next to a chain-link fence blocking the sidewalk. The night was lit up with swirling lights that made her head spin."Where's Chayan?" she asked. Her heart was tearing in two, aching for both men.A little distance away an ambulance took off, sirens blaring. She hoped it was the one with Pasley in it."Ma'am, I need to look at that wound," a paramedic said to her.She held tight to Silas' hand. "What about Chayan? Older man, little taller than me? Salt and pepper hair?"Silas had said he was fine.
IGNEY PACED IN A circle, looking down each hall in turn.Where were they? Had he miscalculated? Were they willing to lose the woman so long as they got the man?His orders were clear. Get both the man and the woman.The woman was a symbol. Too many young people had taken to the streets because they listened to others like her.The man though, he knew things.Killing the woman was personal. Chasing her had cast him in a bad light. But the man was more important in the grand scheme of things."Fuck," Igney muttered. He glanced at a pair of men striding for the doors. "You. Come here."The men never glanced at him. Because they didn't understand him?He whirled to face Alban. "Where are the others?""I don't know where Delem and Michil are." He grimaced. "I haven't heard from them since we split up to search the building."That wasn't good.Igney had heard a lot of gunfire. Was it possible the other men he'd brought with him were dead?If both Chayan and Pasley escaped, leavin
EKKO'S ONE OFFENSIVE ATTEMPT was an utter failure. Her head spun and she was going to be sick.This wasn't good.She felt like a ragdoll being drug around, first by Igney then another man she didn't recognize. He spoke Daurian though which could only mean one thing.He was London DSS.Her body chilled. Was that from fear or the blows to the head? She didn't know anymore."Come find me, Pasley, or your little bird dies," Igney cackled into the radio.She tasted bile.Pasley had called her little bird back in the park.Igney cackled like a bad movie villain. The man was enjoying this. He was getting off on torturing them all.What about Silas?Pasley was with him.If Pasley told Silas, if he knew, they would come for her. Silas was determined to bring them all home and to keep her safe. But if he did, if he came to her rescue, Igney would kill them. Igney needed her and Chayan. Which meant he couldn't kill her here and now. It was an empty threat. Wasn't it? Did she dare belie
SILAS PUSHED HIS GROUP hard as they traversed the second floor. The sun had fully set, plunging them into complete darkness where there weren't windows or other lights.This building was a damn maze, and every turn they needed was blocked by too many people to fight their way through.There had to be more than the fifteen or so they'd estimated. More like thirty.This wasn't good.What about Ekko? Where had the others gone to?He'd hoped getting down here meant they would find her and Paxton, but so far all they'd found were a few bodies. At least they knew Paxton and Brett were eliminating the other side. But no one had taken the ammo or guns. Why? When resources were this precious, why not take them?Could they have gotten free? Did he dare hope?Something thumped in the darkness. Like a heavy footfall.Silas cursed himself as he skidded to a stop. He didn't see anything, but his gut screamed at him. He pivoted and threw himself at Chayan, shoving the other man aside. Silas w
THE DARKNESS FELT AS if it were swallowing her.Ekko clung to the back of Paxton's shirt like he'd directed. She couldn't shake the sensation that there were hands out there reaching for her. That Igney or one of the others were biding their time and waiting for the chance to kill her.Where was Silas? What about Chayan and the others?They'd been separated before she realized what was going on.Behind them a burst of gunfire spurred her on, shattering the silence.She knew it was Brett. Was he trading gunfire with someone? Those shots all sounded the same to her. She hoped he was safe. He was only one man and they had no idea how many were behind them."Stay close." Paxton reached back and pressed her hand to his back.Her head pounded with each and every step. It hurt so bad, but she didn't want to say anything. Her pain was minimal compared to what could happen."Will you cut that out?" Paxton yelled behind them.He side stepped and sort of skipped through a narrow gap betw
SILAS GRIT HIS TEETH to keep from telling Paxton to hurry the fuck up. It wasn't like Paxton was slow. The knife on his belt tool was small and no doubt dulled after cutting through several sets of thick, plastic restraints.Sitting like this it felt as though there was a ten pound weight sitting on his guts. He didn't know what the knife had cut, but Silas knew from the woozy feeling and blood making his jeans sticky it wasn't good. He had to get the others out of here before his clock ran out."Which way did they bring you up?" Silas asked Brett instead of chafing at how long getting free was taking.Brett stood by the door, a discarded piece of wood held as a weapon. "We came in some doors, up a stair to our right then a long walk down here. You?""Different way." Silas grimaced. "Do we retrace our path, or avoid it? How many people were with you?"Brett grimaced. They'd been hooded when they arrived. "Hard to say.""Let's assume at least the three that came in here plus one o
EKKO STARED IN SHOCK, her head spinning as the men left the room again."S-Silas?" she whispered so softly she barely heard herself.He slumped sideways groaning.Had that man-that monster-just stabbed Silas?"Man, Silas, dude, talk to us." Paxton had scooted forward, his arms extended behind him, attention on Silas."I'm fine." Silas' voice was strained. "Brett, Vito, how are you two?""Alive," Brett groaned."Vito? Man?" Silas shook his head and sat up straighter."Fine."This was it.Ekko swallowed.They'd done everything and in the end, they were outplayed.The DSS would kill them. She wasn't sure why they hadn't already, but she didn't doubt that death was the final move. All of these people, they were going to die because she'd been arrogant. She'd thought she knew what she was doing, when in fact she hadn't a clue.A sob tore out of Ekko making her already aching head pound harder."Ekko?" Silas called out. "Ekko, listen to me, this is going to be okay. Pax?"A ch