Page 147 of Wild Mustang Security Firm

“I think it was a real blow to him when he realized Timon Springer was not acting alone and that his brother, Gerold, was calling the shots. He gave Adam a complete breakdown of how he put his organization together. It’s pretty frightening to think about what will happen if Springer and the extremist group he represents are able to completely take over. There’s a lot of arms and money involved, which could go a long way toward funding extreme acts of terror. Fariq is also convinced Springer has ties to Boko Haram and some of the other groups in the Congo and Nigeria.”

“I’d like to wait to make any final decisions until Mac is back. He and Willa are scheduled to be home at the end of the week,” John said. “I think we keep Fariq and Reid here until we know what’s what and can formulate a plan to keep them safe for however long this takes. But, Croft, that means you tracking down Finn and getting her back under our protection isn’t just a personal imperative, but a Wild Mustang one as well. All company assets are at your disposal.”

“Thanks, John. Hopefully, Thom will know where she’s headed, and I can get her corralled in short order. I think I’ll grab my go-bag and see what Thom knows.”

“Speak of the devil,” Noah said as Thom joined them again.

“She’s on a flight bound for London, Gatwick to be specific, and has reservations at the Savoy.”

Reid nodded. “That sounds like Finn. That’s her favorite place to stay in London.”

“Is she likely to stay there?” Croft asked.

“Not really. If Finn’s trying to get some space and isolate herself, London is not her go-to destination. However, if any of this has piqued her curiosity, she may be headed for Zara Hughes.”

“The investigative journalist?” Noah asked.

“One and the same. She and Finn are close friends and have worked together in the past, producing some pretty impressive pieces.”

“In other words,” Croft said, “if Finn is headed for this Zara, she’s probably about to put herself and her friend in considerable danger.”

“That would be my guess,” Reid agreed.

“Go get your girl, Croft, and bring her home. Noah, go with him. If Finn does hook up with her friend, you stay on the friend.”

“Got it. I’ve got stuff here and can have a go-bag put together in the time it takes Avery to be ready to roll,” Noah said.

John called Avery to apprise her of the situation, and the team began to get set up for what could be a far more intense and dangerous assignment than they had originally imagined.

As Croft returned to the office, Avery taxied the plane close to the office and was waiting for them. He parked and joined Noah as they boarded for the long flight to London. All Croft could hope was they had time to catch up to Finn and her friend before they did something foolish. Once they were airborne, he turned to Noah.

“You sound like you know this friend of Finn’s.”

“Not personally but by reputation, and frankly, I’m a fan. She’s a lot like your Finn—tenacious and fearless. Reid’s right, they’ve teamed up together to bring down a couple of nasty regimes and exposed more than one dictator and terrorist organization.”

Croft smiled. “Pretty?”

“Hughes? Hell, yeah. Stunning. Beautiful features, a smokin’ hot body, and legs that go on forever.”

“Hmm, sounds to me like watching over this woman isn’t going to be your idea of a difficult assignment.”

“No, I’m a fan from afar. She’s way too feisty for me. I want an easy girl, someone who makes Mandy look like a spitfire.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Croft teased.

“Not on a plane headed to London because she’s a pain in the ass.”

“True enough,” Croft laughed.

“You think Finn’s okay with the two of you?”

“I do. I think she’s just having a harder time reconciling what she wants and needs with what she’s told herself over the years. You weren’t wrong when you said she wouldn’t be sitting comfortably after I get my hands on her, and I damn well may handcuff her to me or the bed when I need to sleep. This waking up to find her gone bullshit is coming to an end.”

Noah chuckled. “I can’t imagine waking up, wanting my woman, and finding her gone. That can’t be a good thing.”

“It isn’t. I plan to get things resolved with her. I was trying to give her some time and space to reconcile it for herself, but that’s an enormous failure, so I’ll get it settled for her.”

“Like I said, you and Mac can have the complicated ones. I just want a woman who wants to follow my lead, understands the consequences of misbehaving, and chooses to be a good girl more often than not.”

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