Page 83 of Explosive Vengeance

To her lawyer. “How is she?”

Jean-Pierre hesitated. “She’s…”

“What?”

“Not well,” he finally said. “Her eyes are swollen. She hasn’t slept either, has been crying most of the time.”

Oh, God, he couldn’t bear to know he’d caused her so much pain. The horror, disappointment and betrayal in her eyes last night would haunt him forever.

He dropped into the chair behind his desk, feeling empty. “Did you find out who told her?”

“Someone linked to the organization the woman you shot in Marseille was involved with. The one that took in the women from the shipment in Le Havre.”

Guillaume stared at him. “So she’s haunting me from the grave.” He gave a humorless laugh, thinking of Gabrielle lying ice cold in the morgue, getting the final laugh. “They both are.”

Jean-Pierre shifted his feet, looking uncomfortable. “I’ll just let you—”

“I’m going to have a shower and then head into the city to see my lawyer. Alone.” He needed time to think, come up with a plan for how he was going to throw himself on Vienne’s mercy. He couldn’t give her up without a fight, even if it was futile.

Jean-Pierre and two other security team members were waiting for him by the back door when he came downstairs half an hour later. He felt like dog shit and didn’t look much better, but he had things to take care of and he needed to at least see his girls. However much Vienne loathed him now, he prayed she wouldn’t try to keep the girls from him. If she did, he would fight her with every last Euro he had.

“You sure about going alone?” Jean-Pierre asked him.

It was his job to worry about Guillaume. Still, today it annoyed him. “I’m sure. Call me if there are any updates. I’ll be in touch once I know what my plans are.”

Outside, the weather perfectly matched his mood. Leaden gray clouds as far as the eye could see, the ground damp and a cold wind gusting through the almost naked trees.

His Audi was parked at the side of the house. He headed for it, his mind churning around something he’d thought of in the shower and couldn’t let go. Had Gabrielle leaked his activities to someone before dying? He couldn’t shake the feeling this had to do with her.

His fist tightened around the keys. Goddamn her, ruining his life from beyond the grave. He’d had her killed too late.

A few paces from the Audi, he stopped. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or his emotional state, or just plain paranoia. But something in his gut told him not to get into that car.

Gabrielle had worked in explosives. Car bombs were an efficient way to kill targets.

He scanned the surrounding property, seeing nothing suspicious. Was he crazy? He had a good security system and two men had been here with him all night.

But he still wasn’t getting into that vehicle without being certain.

Guillaume pivoted and shouted for Jean-Pierre, who came running out of the house. “Have one of the men send up a drone to check the property.”

“Why, is something—”

“Just do it. And come check this thing for me to make sure it’s okay, then start it.” He held out the keys.

Jean-Pierre didn’t move for a moment, then came and took the keys. They studied each other in stony silence for a few seconds. Guillaume paid the man well to watch over him and his family, enough to take a bullet—or a car bomb. It was part of the job as head bodyguard, whether Jean-Pierre liked it or not.

Jaw tight, without a word Jean-Pierre walked to the car while Guillaume retreated to a safe distance away to wait. His bodyguard checked the outside and undercarriage carefully, then peered into the interior before opening the door. He popped the hood and checked inside it.

A minute later the engine started. Guillaume tensed, but nothing happened.

Jean-Pierre emerged, leaving the engine running. “All good.”

Guillaume walked past him to the car. “Get that drone in the air.”

“Already done.”

“Good. Tell me if they find anything.” He slid behind the wheel, buckled himself in and started around the side of the house.

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