Page 56 of Home Free

“Have they worked for you before?” Once they left the apartment and got in the boat, they’d be incommunicado. Finn didn’t like the idea of being out of touch with Elise while some stranger kept her safe.

Ronan snorted. “Hawk McGregor doesn’t work for anyone. Not really.”

“I’m confused. You hired him, right?” Finn asked.

Ronan sighed and looked up, obviously annoyed by the interruption. “You know how MIS is an intelligence firm?”

Finn heard the quotes around Ronan’s last two words. “Yeah.”

“Think of Imperium like that — a personal security service that’s more than a personal security service,” Ronan said. “Trust me. Other than us, no one will keep them safe like Hawk will.”

Finn nodded and forced himself to breathe. Elise would be okay. Ronan wouldn’t take any chances with her and Julia and JT. If he said they were safe, they were safe.

Tomorrow night, they’d get into the boat and start across the water in the dead of night. He’d find Achilles, kill him in his own home like he’d killed Fedir and Iryna.

Forty-eight hours. That’s all he needed.

Then it would be done. For better or worse, it would finally be done.

32

Kate shoved her plate away and sat back with a sigh. “That was amazing.”

They were on the patio, catching up over Indian takeout, the evening sun slanting behind the house. Elise had only been gone a few days, but it felt like forever since she’d sat around the table with the women who’d become her family. They’d enjoyed a laughter-filled meal while JT napped inside and Chief lounged under one of the patio heaters.

Alexa laughed. “I’ve literally never seen anyone eat so much food in one setting and that includes the guys.”

Kate rubbed her rounded stomach. “What can I say? What baby wants, baby gets, and baby wanted a metric ton of Indian food.”

“She’s going to be a champ,” Elise said about the baby. They didn’t know for a fact that Kate was having a girl, but Kate had a feeling.

“Without a doubt,” Alexa said. “Look at her mom.”

“Her dad’s not so bad either,” Kate said with a grin. She looked at Alexa. “How’d it go with the birth mother? If you want to talk about it I mean.”

Alexa took a drink of her wine. “It went well, I think. She’s due in a couple of weeks actually.”

“Wow, that’s right around the corner,” Julia said.

“Maybe we’ll have our babies at the same time!” Kate said, her face pushed with excitement.

“Maybe,” Alexa said. “Hannah — that’s the birth mom — said she’s having a girl.”

Elise smiled, thinking of Stella Vitale and her beaming face as she'd tried to please Angel with her dives. “That’s amazing!”

Alexa turned the wine glass in her hands. “It is.”

“What’s up, Lex?” Julia asked softly.

Alexa sighed. “I’m just nervous. Hannah said she hadn’t chosen anyone yet because she hadn’t met the right people, but I’ve read that can be a warning sign.”

“What kind of warning sign?” Elise asked.

“That she doesn’t really want to choose adoption?” Kate asked.

Alexa nodded. “It makes me nervous to get our hopes up.”

“Did she say when she’d have an answer?” Julia asked.

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