Page 44 of Explosive Vengeance

“Everything go okay with Fleur, by the way?” he asked as she dragged a chair from the corner over to the desk where she placed her laptop. Even though he’d overheard everything, the women had spoken in rapid French, so he hadn’t caught much.

“Yeah, why?” She continued setting up without looking at him.

Because it bothers both of us that we’re putting an untrained civilian in this position.He crossed to the mini fridge and opened it. “I got you something.” He handed her the can of energy drink.

The genuine pleasure and surprise in her eyes when she glanced up at him warmed his heart. “When did you get this?” she asked as she took it from him.

“Had room service bring it up while we were out.”

She set it on the desk, looking a bit flustered. As if no one had ever done something nice for her before. Maybe they hadn’t. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Figured you could use a caffeine jolt right about now.”

Any sign of discomfort vanished and a smile curved her mouth. “You figured right. Want some? I’ll share.”

“No, I’m good.”

Still smiling, she cracked the can and took a long sip, closing her eyes as she swallowed. “Mmmm, that’s good.”

“If you say so.” What would bereallygood was seeing that same look on her face while he held her hips and buried his tongue between her legs. Or when he had her so close to the edge she could taste it, and hold her there as he buried himself inside her warmth. He wanted to watch her face at that exact moment, hear what sounds she made and drink in every moment of it the same way she was savoring that drink.

A brisk knock on the door pulled him from his fantasy. She opened it and Ty and Megan strode in.

“You ready to knock this out?” Megan asked as she headed for the desk where Chloe’s computer was. She was high energy too, but in a quieter way than Chloe. More on the anxious side, whereas Chloe was flat out restless. Their nicknames made sense to him now: Itchy and Twitchy.

Over the next hour they reviewed what they’d seen down at the harbor, using a satellite map on Chloe’s laptop.La Libertéwas due to arrive in port around sixteen-hundred-hours tomorrow. Once the ship was located, he and Chloe would find a spot to hide and watch on the south side of it, while Ty and Megan took the north.

Fleur wouldboard the ship without a wire or earpiece, determine whether the women were on board, then complete the transaction with the electronic fund transfer, signal them, then leave. From there, Chloe and Megan would take over, with him and Ty providing backup.

There was more at stake here than Fleur’s and the captive women’s safety. If anything went wrong and Heath had to fire his weapon on this unsanctioned op, his security clearance was up in smoke, possibly along with his career. But he was too invested to walk away now, and he would never turn his back when Ty, Chloe and the others might be in danger. He was going to do everything he could to keep them safe.

“Okay, so…we’re good?” Megan asked as they wrapped up, looking at each of them gathered around the laptop.

Chloe was chewing away on her gum, still studying the map on screen.

“Chloe.”

Her gaze shot to Megan, and she straightened. “We’re good.” But the lingering unease in her eyes proved she still had some major reservations about Fleur’s role in this. Hell, they all did.

With a reassuring smile, Megan pulled her into a hug. “It’s going to be fine. By this time tomorrow, all those women will be free and Fleur will be on her way home to Paris.”

“Yeah, can’t wait.” Chloe squeezed her and let go. “See you guys in the morning.”

Heath let them out and locked the door. When he turned around, Chloe was gone. Her laptop was still on the desk, but the door between their rooms was shut.

Annoyed at himself for being disappointed, he grabbed the sandwich from the bar fridge and wolfed it down. He’d just jammed the last bite into his mouth when the connecting door opened and Chloe walked through it wearing a tight pair of sleep shorts that barely covered her ass, and a T-shirt snug enough to show him she wasn’t wearing a bra. It bore a logo mimicking AC/DC’s, but readAD/HD: Highway to—Squirrel! instead.

Sweet Jesus.

He had to swallow twice to force the sandwich down his throat as she walked back to the desk and studied the map, not paying him any attention. “Something else on your mind?” he asked.

“Just…everything,” she said with a frown, scanning the area where the ship was supposed to dock.

Then she straightened and wrapped her arms around herself, framing her pert breasts. “It should be me on board that boat tomorrow. If something goes wrong, I could handle it. Fleur…” She shook her head.

Heath crossed to the table, turned a ladder-back chair around and straddled it, resting his forearms across the top. He was a protector and healer by nature, wanted to help ease her anxiety about this. “Want to go over everything again, see if we missed something?” He didn’t think they had, but it might make her feel better.

She flashed him a half-smile and closed the laptop. “No. We’ve done everything we can for now.” She straightened and stretched her arms over her head, making her breasts push against the material of her shirt for a second until she dropped her arms again. “It’s late. Guess I’ll turn in.”

---