“Hey.” Riley braced his hands on the table. “Mind if we have a word? Upstairs?”
Grant glanced up, his frown etched deep on his face.
“Sure.”
Riley turned and swallowed. He’d worked side by side with Grant for years, and this was the first time he was going around his Team Leader. Grant had always seen reason so long as they remained faithful to the spirit of the mission, but lately with Melody part of the team he was more black and white than ever.
They returned to the room, but this time Melody was the only one waiting for them.
“What’s going on?” Grant eyed Melody like she might bite him.
“We need to talk about Erin and our instructions,” Riley said.
“What about them?” Grant turned so Riley was on his left, Melody on his right.
“I caught her trying to sneak out. She’s not going to stay put, and we can’t hold her against her will. Even if it’s in her best interest. The only way we bring her home—willingly—is if we work with her. All she wants to do is go by her office for twenty minutes.”
“No,” Grant snapped.
“You want to lose the asset?” Riley threw up his hands.
“She doesn’t know what’s good for her,” Grant said.
“Pull your head out of your ass, man.” Riley met Grant’s glare with his own. “She’s an American. We can’t treat her like a prisoner. If we call Zain or Crawford and run this by them, you know what they’ll say.”
“Orders are orders.” Grant shook his head.
“Fine. Then we vote on it. Or, we call home for further instruction.” Riley knew Grant wouldn’t call if he didn’t have to. Not for something like this. He’d take additional instruction as a slap in the face or a critique of his work.
“I vote we give Erin an armed escort to her work place, then back here.” Riley held up his hand.
“No,” Grant snapped.
“I’m with Riley on this one,” Megan said. “Holding someone against their will is a federal offense. Erin is smart and pissed.”
“No one asked you,” Grant said.
“According to the leadership hierarchy, she’s your equal. That means her vote weighs just as much as yours.” Riley couldn’t look at Grant. Riley knew this was the right call. If he didn’t push for this Erin would leave. Then where would they be? What would happen to her?
The room descended into silence.
Riley could feel Grant’s stare, the betrayal. In Grant’s eyes Riley was siding with Melody. The enemy. Riley didn’t understand what their deal was or why Grant couldn’t play nice with her, but as of now it was getting in the way of the job. At the end of the day Riley had to do what was right.
“Incoming,” Brenden’s voice bellowed through the house.
The word sent an electric charge of panic up Riley’s spine. He whirled and bolted for the door. Incoming could mean anything, but in that tone? It meant an attack.
“Get Erin out of here,” Grant barked.
Riley bounded down the stairs.
Erin stood near the doors, her dark, wide eyes on him.
She wasn’t wearing a vest. Neither was Riley. And they had an incoming threat.
“What’s going on?” Erin asked.
“We’ve got to go. Now.” Riley scooped up his vest and the smaller one sitting on top of the gear.
He drew his hand gun and pulled the door open.
The security gate was open.
It shouldn’t be open.
“Get in. Get in. Get in,” Riley chanted. He shoved Erin toward the passenger door.
“What’s wrong?” She climbed inside.
A bright flash of light went off inside the house. Riley ducked his head before the flash grenade blinded him.
“We’re under attack.” He started the SUV and shifted into reverse, slamming his foot on the gas.
Riley twisted, and they bounced out onto the road.
Riley twisted the wheel, sending them out into the near lane at an almost perfect ninety degree turn. His only goal was to get Erin clear. The others would draw the attackers; keep them distracted while he and Erin got away.
The headlights glinted off the black body armor of a trio of people carrying guns. In Erbil. For a moment, they stared at the vehicle and Riley stared back.
“Fuck,” he spat.
Those were mercenaries.
“I NEED EYES ON that vehicle.” Mark watched a pair of tail lights whip around a corner and disappear from view.
Fuck.
With any luck, the target was still inside.
“Go,” he barked at the forward team ahead of him.
This whole plan was a risk. Striking in the heart of Erbil would bring the full power of the combined military forces down on them if they didn’t make it out fast.
He had to stop that woman. He needed her off the playing field.
The two men in front of him proceeded through the open gate. There was enough space for two vehicles to park, and two entries to the house.
The lights inside were off, casting everything into shadow.
Shit. The targets knew they were there. These weren’t a couple of hired bodyguards. Aegis Group had stolen a couple plush contracts out from under him. He wouldn’t mind getting his pound of flesh back.
“Find her or don’t bother coming back,” Mark said.
The two men in the lead moved forward, toward the glass doors.
“Making our approach from the front,” the other team chimed in.
Mark finally stepped through the glass doors into the swanky house. Plates sat in the kitchen. Cords were on the cream-colored sofa.
They hadn’t known he was coming.
Something made of metal hit the tile, the musicality of the impact causing the hair on the back of Mark’s neck to lift.
He ducked and turned moments before a blast of light erupted, chasing shadows away. The ring from the explosion pulsed behind his eyeballs.
Hands grabbed him, yanking him around.
Mark swung his fist, punching a man in the shoulder.
The man—Thomas—gripped Mark by the face and pressed his mouth to his ear.
“She’s not here,” he yelled as though at a great distance.
Mark stumbled back.
Fuck.
The slippery bitch was gone again.
A bullet whizzed past him, shattering the glass at his back, showering shards down on him.
“Retreat,” Mark bellowed.
He turned and ducked through the blown-out window.
It was every man for himself. They all knew that. It was the first thing he said to the guys who came to him looking for the lucrative work. The shit that paid better than anything else.
6.
SATURDAY. AEGIS GROUP Safe House, Erbil, Kurdistan.
“Grant? Grant, talk to me.” Riley turned, always heading north and west, away from the safe house.
“What’s going on?” Erin sucked down oxygen.
“I don’t know.” He wanted to turn back. To help his team. But his job was keeping Erin safe. The only reason someone might have attacked them was for her. Going back would mean endangering everyone.
Riley pulled his phone out of his pocket and jabbed at the screen. The Bluetooth chirruped, signaling it was connected.
“Call Zain,” he snapped.
“Cameras are still down,” Zain said after no more than half a ring.
“Someone just hit the safe house. I made it out with Erin, but I don’t know about the others.” Riley tightened his grip on the wheel.
Erin came first.
“On it. How many?” Zain’s tone changed, his words clipped.
“I saw four,” Erin said.
“Thugs? Military? What?”
“Private contractors. Black body armor, the works.” The image of those men would be burned into Riley’s head forever. He didn’t like close calls. What if they’d taken a moment longer to get out of there? Erin would have been front and center du
ring the breach.
“Get out of there, head downtown, find a hotel.” Zain’s call ended.
Riley turned again, almost straight into a security check point, which left them sitting still. He glanced in his mirrors, looking for some sign that they’d been followed this far
Erin’s breathing was ragged, her chest heaving. He reached over and grabbed her hand. She was tough, but everyone had a limit.
“Everything is okay,” he said.
“They were right there,” she said.
“Yeah, and we got out.”
“What about the others?” She wouldn’t be Erin if she didn’t think about someone besides herself. Riley was learning that about her.
He didn’t want to think too hard about the fact he’d just left his team behind. It was the kind of thing he had to do. Their directive, more than anything else, was to bring the asset home safe. Sometimes that meant they lost a man. So far, Riley hadn’t lost one of his. They’d had some gnarly injuries, and they’d had a few retire or go into the general pool of bodyguards, but they hadn’t lost anyone.
Riley squeezed Erin’s hand and cleared his throat.
“They’ll be fine, too.” It was what he had to say. He had to believe it otherwise he couldn’t do his job.
“We could send people back to the house?” she said.
“Zain has it handled.” Riley took a breath and pushed his need to back his team up. The only thing that mattered in this moment was Erin. He handed the phone to her. “I need you to make a list of every hotel you’ve stayed at in Erbil, okay?”
“Why?” She blinked at him.
“Because that’s the list of hotels we can’t go to.” He rolled his window down and pasted a smile on his face.
The people manning the security checkpoint were efficient and didn’t make chit chat. They asked their questions, peered inside the vehicle and examined Riley’s licenses before waving them on. All total it took a handful of minutes. Not once did he spy anyone sneaking up on them or paying their SUV more attention than necessary.
“How’s the list coming?” He glanced at Erin tapping on his phone.
“It’s long, but I’ve really only stayed at the big chain hotels. We could stay at one of the locally owned, independent hotels?”
“What’s the most expensive one?”
“What?”
“When in doubt, go for the most expensive hotel. They typically have the most security.”
“The Erbil Rotana, then. I have been there for an event, but I’ve never stayed there.”
It gave them a destination at least. He’d take it.
Erin plugged in the address and the GPS rerouted them west, cutting through the heart of the city. This hour there wasn’t any traffic on the highways which allowed them to make good time.
“Why haven’t we heard anything yet?” Erin asked after a period of silence.
“Zain won’t distract us until we’re somewhere safe. It’s not out of the question to think that we could be followed or are still targets.” He glanced in his mirrors again. There wasn’t anything remotely out of place or suspicious. “We’re safe, though.”
Damn, but they were lucky.
“You said one of the others saw us leaving? What if they saw those men? Warned the others?” Erin leaned back in the seat.
“If Brenden saw us, he had to see them.” That idea eased the muscles in his chest and allowed him to breathe easier. As long as the team was prepared, they’d be okay. “I bet he got everyone upstairs. They could defend themselves from the higher ground more easily.”
They were going to be on the hook for whatever damage was done to the property, but it was all part of the job.
Riley pulled onto the grounds of the Erbil Rotana. The white stone set off the brilliant blue windows rising up against the night sky in a way that was both exotic and modern. It was one of the prettier hotels he’d ever seen, that was for sure.
He eased the SUV to a stop and turned to survey the vehicle. There wasn’t a piece of gear, empty water bottle or anything besides what they’d picked up at the rental place. The only things they had were what he had on him.
Great.
At least Zain had begun issuing company cards to everyone.
They left the SUV with valet and proceeded into the swanky hotel.
“Let me do the talking, okay?” He hadn’t wanted to give Erin too much to think about. She was rattled and scared enough without adding pressure to the mix.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She narrowed her gaze.
“Hello and welcome to the Erbil Rotana.” The concierge spoke excellent English, which Riley was grateful for.
“We’d like a room for the night.” Riley kept away from the counter, mindful of his dirty, sweaty gear.
“Are you with someone? A group?” The woman tapped away at her computer.
“No, it’s just us.” He glanced at Erin. “Our plans got put on hold while the airport finds our luggage. Don’t suppose you have a shop here?”
“We do.” The concierge gestured at the corner to their right leading deeper into the hotel. “It’s open for another hour. We have a few vacancies, all of which are in our executive range. Can I have a name, please?” the concierge asked.
“Jennifer and Erick Rush,” Riley said before Erin could respond. He produced his company card, bearing the name Aegis Group, and not his real name.
In short order they had their reservation, keys, and instructions for how to find the complimentary breakfast in the morning.
“Jennifer and Erick Rush?” Erin muttered.
“Names the company has on record for us to use when we need to be discreet,” he explained.
“What now?” she asked.
“Visit the shop, get some essentials, and head up to check in.” He placed his hand on her lower back. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“You don’t know that.”
“No, but I have faith in my team.”
Riley and Erin stepped into the shop, selling everything from toiletries to food to clothes.
“Let’s be out of here in five, okay? Make sure to get you something else to wear.” He nodded at the mannequin sporting some sort of gauzy dress.
“I’m not wearing that.” Erin turned and strode away from him.
He grabbed a basket and began tossing in essentials. Deodorant, toothbrushes, a couple razors, some general medicines. If they couldn’t hook up with the others, Riley needed to be ready to handle whatever came next. He carried a lot on his person when he was in gear, but there was plenty he didn’t have on him.
At five minutes exactly, he and Erin converged on the register together. Their pile was bigger than he thought they’d need, but it never hurt to be prepared. He didn’t listen to the total, just handed his card over and was grateful he didn’t have to foot this particular bill.
“What now?” Erin asked once they were outside the shop.
“Let’s find our room and get up to date.”
“Finally.”
He suppressed his urge to agree with her sentiment.
Their room was on the upper floor of the hotel. The halls were quiet, almost eerily so given it wasn’t that late. Then again, swanky hotels like this weren’t prone to parties. The convention center signs indicated this was a place of business first.
“This is us. Swipe the card?” Riley nodded at the key card sticking out of a vest pocket.
“When are they going to tell us what’s going on?” Erin glanced up at him, worry lining her face.
“Inside first.” He was just as anxious as her to find out what had transpired at the house, but his priorities were set.
Erin swiped the card and pushed the door open. He followed her in, peering around the spacious room. The six-piece bathroom was damn nice. The rest of the room was modern and comfortable. There was no secondary entrance for him to worry about.
Riley dumped the bags on the bed and pulled his phone out from his pocket. He jabbed Zain’s
contact and flicked his finger over the speaker button. With a typical client, Riley wouldn’t dream of letting them listen in, but Erin was different.
“Finally. Where the hell are you?” Zain said by way of a greeting.
“Erbil Rotana. I’ve got Erin here listening in.”
“Hi,” Erin said.
“Ms. Lopez, I’m glad Riley was able to get you out as fast as he did,” Zain said.
Erin glanced at Riley then at the floor. Yeah, their escape wasn’t exactly intended to go down the way it had.
“How is everyone?” Erin asked.
“Couple of bruises, that’s about it. Thomas took the worst of it,” Zain replied.
“What?” Erin gaped at Riley.
“After Brenden sounded the alarm, everyone got upstairs except Thomas before they breached. Local law enforcement arrived and found him unconscious by the kitchen. They traded a few shots with the attackers. Grant took one in the vest, covering Melody from the sound of it, so he’s going to be a real peach.”
Riley blew out a breath, the tension unraveling inside him. Vests could save lives, and this time it likely had.
“That’s great. When are they going to be here?” he asked. He couldn’t wait to give Grant shit just to watch his mouth pucker.
“I’ve sent Grant and the others to a different hotel. Our official story is that you two are still missing.” Zain’s voice changed, growing harder.
“Why’s that?” Riley stared into Erin’s eyes.
“Because Grant reported that Ms. Lopez was concerned about her bodyguard, and the professionalism of the guys who hit the safe house means she’s still in danger. I’m sorry to say that, Ms. Lopez.”
“I don’t know if I’m glad people believe me now or not.” She blew out a breath and pulled the scarf from around her head.
“Do you know of anyone who would wish you harm, Ms. Lopez?” Zain asked.
“Erin, please. And no. I mean, the only people who’d want me dead were the ones who kidnapped me in the first place. I have no idea who those people were tonight.”
Riley reached out and wrapped his arm around her. She let him pull her to his side and leaned on him. Sometimes they all needed support.
“Okay.” Zain blew out a breath. “The rest of the team is going to comb over the equipment, see if they can’t identify how it was tampered with leading up to the attack. They’re also going to keep a close eye on Thomas and see if they can learn anything from him. I’ll rip his life apart and have something for you in the morning. For now, get some sleep. That’s an order.”
Dangerously Taken (Aegis Group Lepta Team, #1) Page 7