Page 129 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“Yep. How about we see what we can put together for breakfast, then see how much time we have? If there’s enough, maybe we’ll saddle a couple of horses and take a brief ride before it gets too intense.”

“Any chance we could ride Jasper and Sam? I’ve grown kind of fond of that appaloosa mule of Willa’s.”

“As I said, he’s a good mount, and I don’t mind riding Sam.”

Croft helped her off his cock and off of his lap, then the two went to the kitchen. They fell into cooking together as easily as they had many other things and quickly had breakfast ready and consumed.

There wasn’t a lot of time, but they managed to take a brief ride. Finn could tell Croft was trying to keep her mind occupied and reassure her without mentioning what they could expect that afternoon.

“Do you think Christian will be all right?” she asked as they rubbed down the two mules and put them in their stalls.

“Fariq said he had him cared for, and I have no reason to doubt him. He also indicated this whole thing with your brother was done without his knowledge, and I tend to believe him. It’s not that I don’t think he’s capable of kidnapping and torturing someone, but remaining in the States is not his normal MO. He prefers to operate in neutral waters where there’s little anyone can do about it afterward.”

“You almost sound as though you like him.”

“Like? Hardly. He’s ruthless and a killer, but in his own way, he’s honorable, and at the end of the day, he’s a professional and a businessman. He’s a lot easier to deal with than some hopped-up junkie or a committed terrorist. As I said, we’ve dealt with him before. We’re a known entity for him. He knows as long as things go down the way they’re supposed to this afternoon, he’ll have no issue from us. He also knows if it doesn’t, we won’t stop coming until we’ve put him out of business… permanently.”

She nodded as he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. Returning to his cottage, as Finn liked to think of it, each took a shower and got ready to leave. They hopped in the truck for the short drive back to the firm’s headquarters, where they were to convene before leaving for Las Vegas. As they drove up and parked, Finn was reassured to see the team and a larger helicopter waiting.

“We aren’t late, are we?” she asked Croft.

“No, babe. We just all tend to be chronically early. I’m usually the first one here. I plan to blame it on you… an excuse they’ll all understand.”

She rolled her eyes, and he laughed, then kissed her again. Finn had to give it to him—for a tough ex-SEAL cowboy, he tended to be very affectionate and loving.

Croft was glad to see, while Finn’s body had a bit more tension in it than earlier in the day, she seemed far more relaxed and confident than when they had first started. John had been right when he’d advised Croft to keep her occupied and make her feel as safe as he could yesterday and this morning.

“Morning, Finn. I don’t know if you remember from yesterday, but I’m Baez.”

She nodded. “Rafael Baez, if I remember correctly.” She turned to the other two men. “You’re John Hampton, second in command, as I recall, and you’re Noah Taylor.”

Both men tipped their hats. Croft wasn’t sure why her behavior made him feel even prouder to be with her.

“Your pilot is Avery,” she went on, “but I don’t know that I met the man with her.”

“That’s Junior,” John said. “He’s our backup pilot as well as sniper. If it all goes to rat shit, Junior’s the guy you want coming for you.”

“But you think it’ll be okay, right?” she asked, looking at Croft.

“We do,” Croft said. “Like John said, Junior and Avery are our backup. They’ll be linked into our communications. I don’t expect any problems with Fariq, but it’s a bit bothersome this happened in the first place. It’s not at all like him. If he’s got something going on in his organization, there may be a power play we know nothing about.”

The men and Avery all nodded.

“We’re the just-in-case team,” Avery said with a grin. “Things start to go sideways, Junior and I come in, guns blazing.”

“But only two extra guns,” Finn said.

“And a fully armed helicopter,” Avery informed her. “This is the one thatisn’tregistered with anyone, anywhere. Trust me, I can take out the back wall of the Four Seasons dining room before Fariq and his goons know what hit them.”

“You know, Avery,”—Finn smiled back at her—“I think you and I will become great friends. I rather suspect you know all sorts of interesting stories about Croft.”

“I do indeed. And unlike the boys in the band here, you don’t have to get me drunk to get me to tell.” Avery walked over,disengaged Croft’s arm from Finn, and linked arms with her. “Why don’t you sit up front with me,” she continued as she led Finn to the chopper.

“Oh, that’s not good,” Baez teased. “She knows way too much about you.”

“Me?” Croft answered. “I’m not the one we had to bail out of the brothel in Morocco.”

“All right, gentlemen, that’s enough. Let’s go get Finn’s brother,” John said.

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