Page 78 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

James, Oliver, and Roman are fully equipped, dressed in black sweaters, tactical black pants, military-grade boots, with Kevlar vests underneath. Each of them carries multiple weapons and plenty of ammo, their technical devices tucked into their pants and remotely connected to the central comms system that Lang has control of from the den. His eyes are glued to every computer screen while his fingers type updates into the system every other minute.

“Remember, once we’re out the gates, Oliver needs to confirm that we do, in fact, have a tail before you can leave,” James tells Tori. “It’s imperative that we make sure Igor took the bait.”

“I’m going to be very good bait,” Tori says, giving me a wink.

I like her. I can see why the guys trust her with their business operations back in Boulder.

“Alright, got it,” I say.

I kiss James first then Roman, such a simple act yet it carries endless depth and a million unspoken words. I can tell from the looks in their eyes that it feels like a possible goodbye, but there’s no time to dissect such doubts and suspicions. There’s too much at stake to linger over any of it, even for a second.

“Let’s roll out,” James tells Roman.

The two of them flank Tori as they walk out the front door. She pulls the hood over her head, making sure her blonde wig is still clearly visible, as the three of them rush over to the car. Oliver and I watch them from the living room window as they get into James’s SUV.

“They’re on the move,” Oliver says, finger pressed on the comms device in his ear.

I put mine in as well. I can hear the main channel as each of the agents comes through with updates of their own.

“Eagle is leaving the nest,” I head Lang say.

“Eagle, Hawk, and Osprey are on the move,” James confirms on the same channel as his SUV proceeds toward the gate. I hold my breath as the car vanishes into the mist.

Oliver pulls me close and kisses me softly on the lips. “It’s going to be okay, Elise. Trust us. We’ve got this.”

“I trust you,” I whisper.

“Eagle, Hawk, Osprey, you have a tail. I repeat, you have a tail,” an agent confirms on the main channel. “Black SUV. Tinted windows.”

“Make that three tails,” James replies. “We just got on the main road into town. Two more joined from the A56 side road.”

“Confirming, three tails,” Lang says. “Picked them up on a neighbor’s camera feed.”

“Lang tapped into every single CCTV system within a fifty-mile radius,” Oliver mutters. “The kid may be scrawny and annoyingly frantic at times, but he is good at what he does.”

“What now?” I ask as an agent comes into the living room.

“Your ride’s ready.”

“Agent Kirby here will take you to meet with Janice and the twins,” Oliver tells me. “He’s in touch with Janice’s detail. The meeting spot has been confirmed.”

“Once you’re all together, we’ll transport you to an assigned safehouse on the other side of the mountain,” Kirby says. “You’llbe safe there, Elise.”

“And you?” I ask Oliver.

“I need to go and make sure James and Roman are covered.” He wiggles his car keys at me then winks and bolts out the door.

I want to shout after him, to tell him to be careful, to tell him that I love him. They know I want them back alive and in one piece. But in the meantime, I have some shenanigans of my own to handle, so I give Kirby a flat smile. “Lead the way.”

To say that I’m nervous would be an understatement.

Kirby seems like a good guy. He’s big, likely a former pro football player, judging by the sheer size of him. I’m on the curvy side and I could still disappear behind him. I’m hoping his size means he’s a tad bit slower than me and I can easily slip away from him when the time is right.

“Where’s Kara? Any word on her?” I ask as we get in his truck, which is parked at the back gate of James’s property.

“She was seen in Rustic about a half hour ago,” he says, hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. I can see the tension in his set jaw. He’s been put in charge of my protection; no wonder he’s on edge.

A lookout crew has been stationed outside and is actively watching all roads leading toward Rustic and the neighboring towns. Lang’s eyes are constantly scanning the traffic cams as well. The crew guides us down the road with Kirby constantly glancing at the rearview mirror.

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