Page 62 of Rogue Voice

“I only just remembered when you spoke of the chance. I was never allowed in my uncle’s office but, one day, soon before you arrived, he asked me to get something for him from inside. There was an open email on his screen. He was making appointments to meet someone in Antwerp.”

Rogue’s expression lost all color, then. “Do you know when?”

“What day is it today?”

He looked down at his watch. “September 16th.”

Bea closed her eyes, trying to remember the exact dates mentioned. “I think … I think it was September 22nd.”

“Shit. That’s less than a week from now. Are you sure?”

“Almost sure,” she said, hesitating slightly. “My cousin was really happy that evening. He spoke about things he didn’t usually speak about … at least with me. About the expansion of his business. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about it earlier. I don’t know how it could have slipped my mind.”

“We need to speak with Thorne.”

She nodded quickly. “I’ll get dressed.”

27

Rogue

Alarm bells rang in his head.

They’d been ringing ever since he’d agreed to this shitty plan.

He looked beside him at Bea, sleeping peacefully. She was slim enough that she’d been able to tuck in her legs and get comfortable on the narrow economy seat.

Meanwhile, Rogue shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a caged animal. With his larger frame, there was no chance he’d be able to get any sleep.

He’d forgotten how uncomfortable flying commercial was. But then, it’s not like he’d been expecting to sleep, anyway. Not knowing what they were traveling towards.

Thorne hadn’t been surprised to hear of Emiliano’s plans. It turned out Antwerp was the main entry point for drugs intoEurope. It was the perfect place for Cruz to go to if he wanted to expand his business in that continent. Which he did, of course. Two pounds of cocaine, worth around three hundred US dollars in Colombia, could be worth as much as a hundred thousand US dollars by the time it got into Europe.

There were a lot of hungry consumers, looking to spend big bucks on the best product. It was a gold mine for Emiliano. But, more than that, it would cement his global expansion. And that would mean more to Emiliano than any amount of money.

Rogue looked down at Bea. She was traveling under a false name and wearing a brunette wig, to make her less easily recognizable. Now that they were out of Colombia Rogue felt marginally safer, but he didn’t want to take any chances with her safety. If he knew Cruz at all, the man would be looking for her.

Bea stirred, opening her eyes. They’d considered finding some colored contacts, but there hadn’t been enough time to set it up. “Did I miss a snack?” she asked, looking at the open trays some other passengers still had in front of them.

Rogue laughed, handing her the box he’d saved for her. At least, the stress of the last days didn’t seem to have affected her appetite. She was slowly gaining strength and weight. She opened the sandwich up with more enthusiasm than he’d ever seen anyone muster for airplane food. That was one of the things he loved about Bea—the excitement she found in things both big and small.

“It’s not bad. Would you like a bit?” she asked, looking guiltily at him.

He signaled for her to finish it. He wasn’t the least bit hungry.

“I wish you weren’t coming to Antwerp,” he said in a low voice.

He’d wanted to drop Bea off in Zurich before heading to Antwerp to look for Cruz—had pushed hard to make that happen, but Bea had apparently had other ideas.

Bea chewed the bite in her mouth thoroughly before swallowing. “I won’t have a life as long as Emiliano’s free, Rogue. You know him. You know he won’t stop looking for me.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to be bait. There are other ways?—”

“It’s not just about me, either,” she said, in a hushed, anguished tone. “It’s about the people who are getting hurt every single day that he remains free. I never had the courage to do anything before, but now … for the first time, I believe there’s something I can do. Please don’t take that away from me.”

The earnest look in her eyes undid him.Jesus.He didn’t want to take anything away from her. Ever. He wanted to give her the world. He wanted to?—

“Please, Rogue. Let me help.”

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