Page 94 of Seduction in Spades

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“Idon’t like it.” Drakestands and paces his office. “You’re putting yourself at risk when we don’t know how many of Micky’s men will be on board.”

I’ve filled in the guys with as much information as I’m comfortable with. The rest is on a need-to-know basis. And they don’t need to know much. It’s for their protection. If things don’t go down the way I planned, at least their hands will be clean.

“I agree. This can’t be a Rambo mission.” Ryder folds his arms across his chest.

“I’m trained for this, Ry. I’m not going in blind.” I don’t tell them about Hugh’s involvement or the rest of the intel I’ve called in. My connections are nearly limitless, and I’ve tapped into Micky’s computer and phone.

He’s careful in what he sends, but his right-hand men, Liam and Callum, are idiots. They’re still running an old-school operation and have fewer and fewer allies in the city. Getting rid of his son Eddie was actually a gift to Micky. The kid was out of control with his drugs, the using and the selling.

Part of me is tempted to let the other mobsters in the city know I had a hand in Eddie’s death so I can count on them to have my six when I take down Micky. But that’s not how I work.

Solo, with the help of a few men I trust. I trust Drake, Trey, and Ryder with my life, but they’re not trained, and I would never willingly put their lives at risk.

“Sounds like you already have this figured out,” Drake says.

“I do. I need you to keep Avery and Nora far from this.”

“How far?” Drake taps his pen to his hand.

“Not in Boston.”

“They can go to the cabin Nora and I stayed in up in New Hampshire.”

“I’ll go with them,” Trey offers.

I nod.

If I can’t be there to protect Avery, Trey is the next best person. Hell, he’s probably better at guarding her than I am. While we’d both take a bullet for her, she’s his family. His only person in his life besides us guys.

“You need to trust me on this. I’m not going in rushed or blind. I have a teammate that’s been helping with surveillance and... other things. The less you know, the better. Drake and Ryder carry on as usual. If all four of us go MIA, it’ll tip off Donahue.”

“Fuck, Nolan.” Ryder comes around the table and gives me a one-arm hug. He’s always been overly affectionate. “It’s gonna be hard as shit to bark orders at my sous chef while you’re out there doing your slippery SEAL work.”

“Never stopped you before.” I put him in a chokehold and rub my knuckles on his scalp.

“You’ll need an alibi for tonight,” Trey says.

I nod in agreement. “Check into the resort under my name. I’ll have an ID for you within the hour.” I turn on my cell and fire off a message to Hugh.

“Just like that?” Trey shakes his head. “Fuck. I knew about your time in the military, but I had no idea you could get shit done like this.”

“Does it turn you on as much as it does me?” Ryder asks. “My bestie is a freaking stud.”

I’m thankful for Ryder to lighten the room. We spend the next thirty minutes running through the plan for tomorrow. It’s nearly midnight by the time I make it out to my rendezvous spot.

I wait for Hugh to arrive, and we go through the game plan for the tenth time making sure we’ve covered all our bases. I send him back to watch over the penthouses and continue with my surveillance alone.

I’m tired as shit when I roll through the elevator doors at three in the morning. “Any noise?” I ask Hugh.

“Quiet as a mouse.”

“Only a little static out at the dock. Operation Spades is ready to roll at eighteen hundred hours.”

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