Page 22 of Covert Vengeance

“But you got Kiyomi out.”

Not really. Not without help. “Cordova did.”

“You both did.” Another pause. “What’s he like, anyway?”

“He’s good.”

“Is he hot?”

A startled smile spread across Amber’s face at the abrupt shift in topic. He was definitely hot. “I guess. He’s relentless and he hits what he shoots at, so that’s pretty hot.”

He was also built, with bronze-toned skin and deep brown eyes that were surprisingly warm when they looked at her—even though she was an assassin who’d left him for dead at the side of the highway yesterday and he’d risked his life again for her today. She didn’t deserve any warmth from him.

Megan laughed softly. “Trinity says Bautista considers him one of the best. And skill set aside, he’s apparently a really good guy, considering what he does for a living.”

Damn, she felt even worse now. “He’s had my back a few times here.” Amber didn’t think she would have made it out of that basement tonight without him. Definitely not if she’d been trying to carry Kiyomi. She owed him her life, and that was a strange dilemma she wasn’t sure how to handle.

“I’m looking forward to meeting him, then. But mostly I’m looking forward to seeing you again.”

Hot prickles needled the backs of her eyes. They’d lost so many years together. Years that could never be replaced. All they could have now was whatever time remained. “Can’t wait to see you either. How’ve you been? Still with Ty?”

“Yes. He threw me a surprise Christmas last week. And he also gave me a promise ring.”

Amber’s eyebrows shot up. Valkyries were notoriously solitary creatures. For Megan to jump into such a serious, committed relationship so fast surprised her. “Really? So soon?”

“We’re not engaged or anything,” Megan added quickly. “But we might be one day. He’s stuck by me since day one. And he’s given up a lot to be here with me.”

He’d also helped Amber escape—because of Megan. “So he’s staying there?”

“Marcus gave us the gatehouse.”

Marcus, former SAS, owner of Laidlaw Hall and the two-hundred-acres surrounding it in the Cotswolds. Megan had rescued him from certain death during an op here in Syria two years ago. And when the Valkyrie Program had been exposed in the media a few months ago, forcing all remaining operatives to go to ground, Marcus had taken her in, no questions asked.

“So…you’re happy?” Amber asked.

“Yeah, I’m happy.”

She could hear the smile in her sister’s voice, and it made her ache inside. Megan deserved happiness after everything she’d lost and been put through. People like them didn’t get happy endings all that often, but maybe the universe would make an exception for Megan. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“I’ll meet you guys at the airstrip in a few hours, okay?”

Relief and anticipation swelled inside her, mixing with the fatigue and guilt. “Can’t wait. Bye.”

She got up and turned on the shower to hot before stripping out of her clothes. The fabric was stiff with dried blood. She bundled everything into a plastic bag to throw out later and stepped under the forceful spray.

Leaning one palm against the dingy tiles, she closed her eyes and bowed her head under the rush of water. The second she did, her head got in the way. The memory of that fateful night in Rome replayed in her mind, as fresh as if it had just happened.

She’d been in the empty apartment, manning comms and various video feeds on Lady Ada while the others carried out the op. Everything had gone as planned, without a single snag as Hannah, Zoya and the others had captured their target—a rising star within the Bratva network.

Zoya wasn’t even breathing hard from dragging the man into their waiting vehicle. “En route to the RV point,” she reported to Amber. “Stand by for transfer. I gotta wake him up first.”

Amber tracked them via a beacon in the vehicle, following their route on a GPS map on screen. “Roger.”

A blow came through her earpiece, followed by an enraged cry and a burst of angry Russian. More blows, a grunt, then a masculine cry of terror. Zoya spoke in rapid Russian, ordering him to give her the password to his account, then threatened what piece of him she’d cut off next if he didn’t comply.

Another struggle followed. Amber couldn’t see what was going on in the vehicle, but she could guess. It wasn’t her concern, so she monitored the vehicle’s progress through the winding streets of the ancient city and waited to enter the password.

Zoya’s amused laughter came a minute later. “I got the password. You ready for this?”

---