Page 102 of Relentless

“But you don’t like it.”

“I don’t want you within a hundred miles of that mansion or Barone.”

“I’ll be safe because I have you with me.”

“Too many things could go wrong, Piper. One bullet would kill us both.”

Her brows knitted. “I don’t understand.”

“If Barone or one of his men took your life, I would do my utmost to kill every one of the thugs on that estate. I wouldn’t survive against odds in the enemy’s favor.”

She leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Then we make sure that doesn’t happen. Brainstorm with your teammates and find a way to accomplish the goal. I know you, Liam McCoy. You don’t quit without a fight.”

Liam tugged her closer to his chest. She didn’t understand. “It’s not worth the risk to your life, Sunshine.”

“The alternative is a life on the run. I don’t want that for either of us. We deserve to live without fear. If the only way to accomplish that goal is to beard the lion in his den, then we conquer that great cat and let the feds cage him.”

His lips curved. Courage in spades. No wonder he adored this woman. Unfortunately, she was right. He wanted to be free to love and live with her in Otter Creek, surrounded by their friends and colleagues. “All right. We’ll talk to the others, come up with a plan, and a billion contingencies.”

Inside the suite, the operatives gathered with Piper and Liam when he explained what he needed.

“Can you draw a rough sketch of the Barone mansion, Piper?” Brody asked.

“I’ll try. It’s been a while since I’ve been there. Matteo might have remodeled the place.”

“It’s a place to start.”

“What happens if there are changes?”

He smiled. “We’ll adjust. It’s what we do.”

For the next hour, the operatives bounced ideas off each other, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of each option until they settled on the strongest plan of attack.

“What do you think, Piper?” Trent sat against the wall and stretched his legs out in front of him. “See any flaws in our plans?”

“I can’t think of anything better. I say we go for it. I’m ready to hand the feds everything they need to send Matteo to prison. What’s the first step?”

“Talk to Romano,” Liam said. “We need him on board. He’ll play a crucial role in helping us gain access to parts of the house off limits to town visitors.”

“Should I call him now?”

“I’d prefer to broach the subject away from the house. Your uncle has security cameras everywhere. Some of the cameras may not be connected to his security system.”

“Let’s take him out to dinner. There’s an Italian restaurant he loves on the opposite side of town. We’ll talk to him as we drive to the restaurant.”

Simon nodded. “I like it.”

“Who’s on night watch?” Liam asked.

“I’m pulling first shift, Matt has the second.”

The knot in his stomach smoothed out. He trusted the members of the Texas unit to have his back. Liam trusted his own teammates more. “I need to drive Piper back to her uncle’s place. Romano goes to bed around 9:00.”

Simon slid off the barstool. “I’ll grab my gear and be ready to go in two minutes.” He left the suite.

Liam turned to Trent. “Orders?”

“Get as much information as you can about Barone’s place from Romano while you’re out of the house. Have Piper call me and leave the connection open so I can hear the information firsthand. Check in every two hours unless you’re asleep. We’ll let you know when the shift changes.”

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