Page 106 of The Payback

Suppressing a chuckle at the image of a wrapped up and pinned down Eleanor, I answer, “I’m fine, my Sabre. I made my peace with what’s coming a long time ago. There’s no avoiding it now, and, frankly, I’m ready to move on.”

“Mmm. What are you gonna do after?” Her words are slow and stilted as she nods off. Finally.

“Go wherever you go.” We might not have any logistics planned, but I think a lovely holiday in the middle of nowhere is a good start. There will be time to put it all together once this is over. And I’ve ensured we never want for anything with some careful and untraceable banking.

I kiss the top of her head and cradle her in my arms, pulling my left foot onto the couch to make a barrier so she doesn’t roll off. I gently rest my hand on her stomach, curling my body around her, and let my eyes drift shut.

I wake when my body is jostled, and the comforting weight on top of me shifts. Before my eyes fully open, I have my gun pulled from my holster and pointed in front of me.

Nik lets go of Eleanor’s arm and raises his hands in supplication.

“Easy,” he says in a whisper. “I’m just gonna move her upstairs to bed. The two of you don’t look comfortable here, and she was about to roll off.”

I look down, and sure enough, my leg has fallen off the cushion. I pull back the hammer of my gun, the click sounding through the darkening room.

“I was very comfortable,” I say, keeping the gun pointed at him, my still-drowsy brain making silent promises that Nik is only pulling her from my arms if I’m dead first. Eleanor doesn’t move during the entire standoff; she just continues softly snoring against me.

“Put the gun away, old man. You know my piece is fancier than yours.”

I raise a brow but keep the gun level. “Big talk for someone with a target on them.”

He chuckles, and Eleanor stirs. I throw him a glare. Great. She was finally sleeping, and we ruined it. I uncock the revolver, put the safety back on, and stuff the whole thing under my couch cushion.

“Nik?” she mumbles. “Why are you staring at me?”

“You two fell asleep, and your snoring was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think.”

For a beat, Eleanor is silent, a blush rising on her cheeks.

“Nik,” I growl in warning.

“I don’t snore.” She’s so confident in her retort. But honestly, she does snore. Loudly sometimes, but fuck knows I won’t be the one to confirm that. Thankfully, Nik takes that bullet for himself.

“Uh, yeah, you do. Remember that time we were staking out that fugitive just outside of London? What was his name again?”

“McAvoy?”

Nik snaps and points at Eleanor. “That’s the one. Anyway, we were holed up in the car, taking shifts watching his building. He left at one point but heard your snores fromacross the street, and we had to chase him all the way down the road!”

“I coughed. I didn’t snore.”

“Repetitively? And for an hour?” Nik deadpans.

Eleanor roots around between the cushions and pulls out her own gun. I laugh a deep belly chuckle that has Nik throwing his hands in the air and walking away while muttering, “Great, two of them.”

“What did he mean by that?” Eleanor asks when Nik steps into the kitchen.

Carefully, I pull my hand out from under the cushion with my revolver in my grasp.

She chuckles. “You threatened him too?”

“He tried to take you away.” It might not logically be a good reason, especially since he was just going to move her upstairs, but it’s a good enough reason for me.

“What time is it, anyway?” She looks outside, and we’re in that in-between time where the sun is down, but night hasn’t entirely fallen yet. I put the gun away correctly and pick up my phone to check. “Seven.”

She groans. “Come on. I have a few more questions about logistics, and we’ve been asleep for like three hours.”

Eleanor stretches when she stands, the hem of her T-shirt riding past the top of her leggings and her pert ass right in my face. I hustle, standing up and scooping her into my arms. She yells at the sudden weightlessness, and I toss her over my shoulder as I head for the stairs.

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