Page 70 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“What is it?” I ask, my stomach dropping. The adrenalin has yet to wear off.

“I can’t reach her,” he says. “I keep getting her voicemail.”

“Who’s with Kara Konstantinova right now?”

“Perry, Jason, Horowitz, and Delaney. They rushed her out of here on my command as soon as we heard the shots.”

“Then you and Jones came out here to see what was going on.” They both nod in acknowledgement. “Alright, call the others. Get someone on the line now. We really need to talk to Kara. This was a direct attack on us, not on her. And judging by their weapons and overall demeanor, they knew what they were up against,” I add, pointing at the dead men on the ground.

Red and blue lights flash across the back alley.

Chip gestures to Jones and nods at the assailant with a broken neck. “Check them for IDs before the deputies take over,” he says. “Whoever they are, they’re undoubtedly connected to the Konstantinovs somehow.”

“What was Kara’s mood earlier?” Roman asks him.

Chip’s expression turns to one of frustration and anger when he still can’t get ahold of anybody. I can tell from the look on his face that things are about to get a hell of a lot worse. “Sir, none of our agents are picking up. Voicemail, all of them.”

“Cell phone jammer,” Roman suggests.

Oliver curses under his breath. “Someone from the Konstantinov side just declared war on us.” A split second later, he’s fishing through the dead guys’ pockets, pulling out a couple of burner cells and wallets.

Chip gives me a stern nod. “You go ahead, sir. We’ll handle the cops.”

“They’ll need statements from us,” I tell him.

“I’ll make sure the sheriff understands that you had pressing matters to attend to, matters that couldn’t wait.”

As the first deputies spill into the back alley from the other side, Roman, Oliver, and I are already out of sight and headed back to our car, guns safely holstered. I’m getting too many wartime flashbacks as I try to keep my pulse and my breathing under control. The more I think about what just went down, the more worried I become.

We’ve got missing agents and a missing Kara Konstantinova. We’ve got two surviving hitmen on the run. There’s no way this doesn’t end in horrific bloodshed unless we get to the truth first.

25

Elise

The house is surrounded by guards clad in black Kevlar and armed to the teeth. Additional outdoor lights and motion sensors were mounted along the perimeter and property fence, and there’s a base of operations set up in the den. A gentleman dressed in brown camo gear sits behind a computer setup with six different screens, watching CCTV feed in real time coming from ten different cameras.

“We’re safe here,” James says as he comes into my bedroom. “I promise.”

“I’m trying my best to believe you, but—”

“I know it’s not easy.”

“What took you so long?” I ask him, the tension in my voice palpable. “I put the girls to sleep, then I waited for you to call me back.” James had texted me hours after they left, telling me they had set up a meeting to speak with Kara. “How did the meeting with Kara go? What did she say?”

He takes a deep breath and briefly glances out the window. The sound of footsteps in the hallway are followed by Oliver andRoman coming into my room.

“The twins are still far away in dreamland,” Oliver says.

“Something happened,” I conclude, picking up on the awkward yet subtle glances exchanged. They’re all working hard to avoid direct eye contact with me. “What is it?”

“At least you’re already sitting down,” Oliver chuckles nervously as he sits on the edge of the bed. Roman stays by the door, his dark brow furrowed while James comes over and leans against the window frame. He takes a deep breath as he looks down at me.

My gaze bounces between them, and the longer they stay quiet, the more anxious I become. “Somebody needs to tell me what’s going on here,” I say, my voice trembling.

“There was a problem,” James says. “But I need you to do your best to stay calm and just listen before you react, Elise. Please.”

“Just spit it out, already.”

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