Page 70 of The Knight

He glanced at his watch—just under an hour until showtime.

“Eli will hack the hotel’s comm systems. Once we pinpoint the laptop’s location, he’ll cut the security feeds. That’s our window. We get in, retrieve the archive, and get out clean.”

“And worst-case scenario?” Freya asked.

Abe’s jaw tightened. “Worst case? We shut it down here now and deal with the fallout.”

“That’s not the preferred plan.” Now that they were within receiving distance, Kat’s voice was crystal clear on the shared comms.

“Noted, Landon.” Abe kept his tone even. Kat likely had a contingency plan in her back pocket.

“Once we’ve got the laptop—or if things go sideways—we stick to the extraction plan. No improvising unless we have to.” He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand. “My job is to keep you safe, and that means you do what I tell you when I tell you. No exceptions. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

He blew out a breath. “Okay, let’s get this party started.”

Abe stepped out into the crisp night air, buttoning his tuxedo jacket. The buzz of voices and laughter drowned out the faint hum of city life in the distance.

His tie had relented, and for now he could breathe. He opened the door for Freya. She accepted his hand, slipping out of the car with the poise of someone born to walk the red carpets of London’s finest hotels. Together, they climbed the steps, arm in arm.

The Dorchester’s interior was every bit as luxurious as its reputation promised—rich wood paneling, gold accents, and crystal chandeliers that sparkled overhead.

Abe took it all in.Korolov spared no expense.

The reception area was now an exotic carnival, teeming with performers. Abe weaved between juggling clowns andcontortionists while, above their heads, trapeze artists spun on glittering ropes.

Freya leaned into him, playing the wealthy man’s date flawlessly. His hand settled on her hip—he wanted her to feel his touch—protectiveandpossessive. He tracked the appreciative glances from other men. She was radiant, drawing every eye in the room. This was Freya unleashed—brilliant and devastating.

Twenty feet ahead, Fox and Abbie chatted to a couple. An elderly man and his trophy wife, maybe fifty years his junior.

Kat passed him in an oyster pink sheath that would give Leo’s heart a run for its money. She’d positioned six MI6 agents throughout the space—Abe had already spotted four. Leo and Zak were ghosts, as expected. If they were doing their jobs right, no one would see them until it was too late.

“We’ve got a problem.” Kat’s voice cut through the comms, her slim figure already swallowed by the crowd. “Korolov’s men are running facial recognition at the ballroom entrances. They’re looking for Freya.”

Abe came to an abrupt halt, his muscles locking. A wealthy couple swept past in a cloud of competing perfume and cologne, their jewelry catching the light like warning signals. His protective hold on Freya tightened.

“We have to find another way.” He lowered his mouth to Freya’s ear, his voice a murmur just audible over the tinkling of champagne glasses and false laughter. “We didn’t come here to serve you up on a silver platter to that bastard.”

“We can use this to our advantage.” Freya’s eyes flashed with stubborn determination.

“Exactly how?” The words came out harsher than intended, anxiety crawling up his spine.

“Korolov won’t stop.” Her voice was level, but there was a tremor in her hands. “He’s going to keep coming for me, Abe.By approaching him, I can buy time for your team to find the laptop.”

Leo’s voice intruded on the comms. “She has a point, Abe?—”

“No.” The word erupted from somewhere deep in his chest. This went against every protective instinct.

Freya’s chin jutted, set in the angle that showed her mind was made up.

Fuck.

“This is hard, Abe. But we need to make the best of it. We have to end it and better if it’s on our own terms.”

He shook his head. “Not here.”

He gripped her elbow, guiding her through the revolving doors and back out into the night air. The crimson canopy above them caught the golden glow of the hotel’s exterior lights, creating a false sense of warmth in the chill evening.

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