Assassin (Hunter Mercenary #14)
Chapter One
New Orleans
Chartres Street
Thursday
T o say that Maura and Jagger were excited to see the Crofts on their doorstep would be a huge understatement. They were beyond excited right into the realm of freaking ready to have a party.
They had handled Artemis, but now…
They had a bigger foe.
Alexsandr Dominik.
With Greyson showing up with help, that gave them a better chance of making that happen.
Now, they were going to have to have some help, and with Elizabeth back in DC, and all of the mercenaries tied up with either helping Alexsandr, or dead, they were looking down the barrel of a loaded gun.
Potentially, it was hunting season, and they were going to be the prey. Now, they had a fighting chance.
This family was a godsend.
Holy shit!
“I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you,” Jagger said, hugging his fellow mob man for the second time, proving exactly that.
Greyson patted him on the back and couldn’t help but laugh.
It wasn’t often they got welcomes like this. Normally, people shot at them or tried to kill them.
This was a good change.
“It’s my pleasure,” Greyson offered. “Can we come in or should we get some sunscreen and prepare to bake in this already hot air?”
That amused them.
Maura held out her hand and Greyson took it. Together, she walked him in, leading them into the cooler home.
Yeah, she was so damn grateful that they had backup on this one. It was only Heath, Dimitri, and Greyson, but they’d take it.
Those three men could do a shit ton of damage when it came to the bad guys.
This was a miracle.
As they walked in, they shook hands with everyone who was inside waiting.
Well, except Heath.
The man was a little overexuberant. Instead of a simple handshake, he chose to pick up his sister, kiss her, and spin her around almost like a rag doll.
That was saying a lot about their relationship. You didn’t hug a Snake.
Well, and walk away to tell about it.
“Jinxy, my sweet sister,” he said, hugging her to his big body. “It’s good to see you, Honey.”
She hugged her brother back as she breathed in his scent. It was so familiar and offered comfort. She missed the big guy every day.
“Heath, I missed you.”
He knew he’d be seeing his sister soon at Elizabeth’s son’s wedding, but he couldn’t help but want to see her more. She was in a good place in life, and that made him happy.
“How’s my nephew? Where is the little bugger? I want to squeeze and hug him.”
Rogue shook his head.
Heath didn’t realize how strong he was, and the last thing he wanted was his child squashed in a big Heath bear hug.
“He’s with the nanny.”
Heath stared into his sister’s eyes.
“You’re pregnant. I can tell.”
Rogue gasped.
“What the hell?” he asked, knowing they had just found out that morning. He’d been talking baby, and trying to convince his wife, only to find out that his sperm hit that target again.
Despite her wanting to ‘think about it’ .
She laughed.
Then, she told the whole family.
“I am pregnant. We just found out an hour ago. We’re having another baby.”
The whole room erupted, and that added one more pregnancy to their family worries. Stella was carrying and showing, Eve was not far from delivering, Maura was pregnant and not far along, and now, Jinx was with child.
The problems just got deeper for the men in the family when it came to keeping their wives from getting hurt.
“I hope it’s a girl,” Heath said. “Hopefully, your husband can keep the baby safe.”
“HEY!” Rogue said. “I can keep my wife and children safe,” he said, protesting.
When he realized he’d managed to get Heath’s attention, he began worrying.
As Heath glanced over at him, he knew what the hell was coming.
A beat down.
Or a hug that was almost as deadly.
It turned out to be the second one.
When Heath hugged him, he swore he did it just a little too hard.
“Jesus. Can’t. Breathe. Heath. Suffocating. Me,” he muttered, wanting to see his next child born.
The big man laughed.
But he put him down.
“Congrats, Rogue. Hopefully, the next baby will also have my name.”
Yeah, hell, no. If they had a girl, she wasn’t having Heathcliff as her middle name too.
PASS.
It appeared it was time to get the show on the road so they could handle this mess before it spread.
When Greyson took a seat, Zayn was watching them all, like they were going to start throwing bombs around the room.
Stella was practically wearing him, but then again, Dimitri was watching them all the same way.
Some people were just suspicious by nature.
Then again, maybe they should all be. Greyson had nearly died a couple of days ago at Worth and Bentley’s wedding, and he wasn’t playing around.
Not.
Any.
More.
Never let it be said that Marines and Russians weren’t leading the pack when it came to paranoia, and for that, he was damn thankful.
When Jagger sat, his arm was over his wife’s shoulders as he tucked her into his body for safety.
“I have so many questions,” he began, only to be interrupted by Mr. Paranoid himself.
“Yeah, like how the goddamn hell did you get into our yard?” Zayn asked. “Because our security system didn’t go off, and our cameras didn’t pick you up.”
Greyson snorted.
Oh, well, there was only one reason for that, and it wasn’t going to shock them.
“Elizabeth.”
Zayn rolled his eyes.
“I hate her. She is always helping someone sneak up on us. One day, that’s going to bite her on the ass. Mark my words.”
The second the words were out of his mouth, the TV on the wall turned on, and she smiled from the screen, proving once more, she was going to bust his ass.
“Really, Zayn? I’ll take a bet on that one.”
As soon as she spoke, the big man jumped in surprise at her being online.
Then, he pointed at her in frustration.
“You know that I hate it when you do that. It’s creepy when someone is lurking. How long have you been watching us?” he asked, suspiciously.
Stella laughed.
Oh, her husband was crazy when it came to things like this, and she got it.
He was a mercenary.
“Babe, breathe. These are all of the same people we trust and love. Elizabeth is part of our family,” she said, rubbing her belly.
Only, he couldn’t help it.
There was pregnancy afoot.
Stella was with child, Eve was pregnant, and so was the Major. Now, they found out that Jinx was too. They’d had one hell of a run-in with Artemis, and frankly, they hadn’t had much downtime.
All of the men were worked up into a tizzy over protecting the women.
Only, with two snakes, the major, and Zayn’s gun-seeking wife…
They were basically screwed. The only woman not pregnant was Merry, and they all knew Boone was constantly trying.
From her place on the screen, Elizabeth smiled at her family.
“I’m glad to see you’re all there together. To answer your question, Zayn, I’ve been listening since you whispered to Stella that you wanted her to ride your fac…”
He was horrified.
“STOP,” he warned, trying not to laugh. “You’re a menace, and shouldn’t be listening to private conversations!” he added.
From where he sat, Greyson laughed.
How could he not?
His people reacted the same way when Elizabeth came to town, but he wasn’t nearly as afraid of her. He was friends with Ethan, and this woman saved his bacon plenty of times.
He’d take a little ass-busting.
“Yeah, I’m sure she’s heard that before from her boss and husbands.”
She snorted.
That was the truth.
In fact, it was something that she heard daily.
Elizabeth had just been there, but now, she had to make sure they could do this without her. She had enough on her plate.
“I wish I could be there, Hunters and Crofts, but I literally just left there. I’m just here to give you a little update, and to make sure you’re going to be good with taking out the trash that Artemis let in.”
Jagger was honest.
“Thanks for sending backup. We were wondering how to do this without anyone to have our backs. We don’t know how many mercenaries are left, and who would be gunning for us.”
That she understood.
“Well, once Greyson heard you had some Russian issues, and that they had just handled a similar problem, it seemed logical to make it a group outing.”
Well, thank God for that.
There was no way they’d say no to help from Greyson and his people.
They.
Needed.
It.
Jagger and Maura would take help in NOLA any damn day of the week if it was someone they could trust, and the Crofts were those people.
They were tied together by the Irish mob, or were because people believed Emma Croft was Mikey O’s relative. They, basically, were fighting the same battles to protect the US.
Now, they had to buckle down, protect the city, and not miss a step, or this port city was about to be Alexsandr’s bitch.
That would be a problem for them since this was their home, and where they were raising their children.
There were too many good people in NOLA to let that happen. They weren’t sure what the man was trying to get into the country, but it wouldn’t be good.
Call it a hunch.
“How’s the mob doing in Boston ?” Jagger asked, worried that their last visit might not have been enough, and they didn’t have time to go back to fix it.
Greyson laughed.
“Well, the Russians betrayed us, and we nearly died. We do have the full support of the Irish mob, so there’s that.”
Maura had seen the news.
“Is your other family member okay? We got the story down here. We saw he was shot and nearly died.”
Greyson nodded and was grateful that they had a positive outcome on that one.
“Chris is on the mend. Luckily for me, my wife is there, or she’d be trying to be a mob boss down here too, and I really don’t want that.”
When Jagger opened his mouth, Maura stared at him.
“Go ahead, Captain. I double dog dare you to go there with a pregnant wife. I’m pretty sure that statistically, it’s going to end with you crying, and me laughing as I stand over you.”
He snorted, knowing she likely wasn’t kidding when it came to that.
Maura didn’t pull punches, even with him.
Instead of risking his wife’s wrath, he focused on the mob man.
“The struggle is real, Greyson. The struggle is real.”
Yes, yes, it was.
“Oh, you can say that again,” Greyson admitted. Luckily for him, his wife was home clucking over Chris.
Thank.
God.
As for the Hunters, they were curious about what had happened in Greyson’s neck of the woods.
“What went down in Boston ?” Dakota asked, wanting to see if it connected to them.
Greyson explained.
“We had an ex-CIA operative tied to someone here, and we found out that The Black Butcher was coming. He wanted Boston . Elizabeth was kind enough to let us know that our mess is tied to your mess. So we figured we’d come here after shutting down the Russian and Chinese mob at home, and help a guy out.”
Thank God for that.
They had a mess brewing, and since this was a major port city, who knew what they were bringing in?
Since Boston was having the same mess, they knew this wasn’t coincidence.
“Yeah, well, we have The Black Butcher landing somewhere tomorrow. He wants NOLA,” Maura said.
The Fed on the screen clarified.
“He wants it all,” Elizabeth said. “Artemis was funneling him CIA intel that she was getting from her boss. Well, WAS is a huge word here.”
That made them curious.
“What happened to him?” Dimitri asked.
She smiled.
“Yeah, well, that’s classified, but it was a minor fender bender on the beltway. He seems to have gone missing. I wonder where?”
The Marines all laughed.
“Oopsie,” Maura said, amused by that. “Someone will never be seen again.”
That was the truth. It appeared that another loose end was tied up.
They all knew that Feds, spooks, and anyone else who wandered into federal territory all went to one place.
Guantanamo Bay.
On paper, it was not filled with people.
In reality, it was.
Whatever the government said, it was best to believe the opposite.
The government lied like a rug.
“Well, Artemis, the cunt selling everyone’s intel, is also gone. As in, she died under suspicious means, but the body is missing,” Maura stated, letting that hang there.
Oh, they all knew what that meant.
Heads turned, and they all focused on the woman on the screen.
She shrugged.
“If people threaten my children, they find themselves on body farms where the students get to use their corpses to further forensic studies. She’s technically not lost. She was a victim of a crime whose body was sent there with paperwork. Right now, she’s teaching a bunch of wanna-be forensic MEs that weather and bugs are NOT your friend.”
“Handy,” Zayn said, knowing exactly how they got her body put there. Someone was in a relationship with one of the best forensic MEs in the country. “I need to keep that in mind.”
Elizabeth didn’t miss a beat.
“To pick up a lady for some fun?” she joked. “They seem like your speed.”
He stared at her.
Oh, and gave it right back to her. This was their thing.
“Nah, to get you a best friend that can’t run away,” Zayn replied, grinning.
She laughed at that one.
Half of her fun was that banter between her and Zayn that she’d come to love.
“Good one, Marine.”
He winked at her.
Elizabeth continued.
“Anyway, Artemis is taken down, and so is Jared Reynolds, AKA Jonathan Meyer, AKA JM Monroe. The CIA connection was traced back to the source and handled. We all know that I won’t be causing shit.”
“For once,” Zayn said. “Funny how you’re the eye of most hurricanes.”
She flipped him off, and it made Stella laugh.
“I swear you two are ridiculous. You’d think you’re related or siblings,” she said, knowing how fond Zayn was of Elizabeth.
How did she know?
He was actually going to go to her son’s wedding.
AT.
THE.
WHITE HOUSE.
That was huge.
Mercenaries didn’t go out to places like that where there were in-depth background checks and people staring at them all day.
But the man was.
“Are you just popping in for funsies on MATE?” Eve said. “Not that I mind. I like your face,” she said.
Elizabeth grinned.
“Same, Adder. Only, this is for official business, unfortunately. First, Doctor Seville is heading to Chartres shortly. He’s picking up Gamble to transport to his private home for in-depth therapy. Greyson has a little package for you to give the man.”
Greyson held out his hand, and Heath pulled a folder from a messenger bag he was wearing, and then, he handed it to Greyson.
Next came an envelope.
Oh, and all of the Marines knew what it would be. They could spot a military record a mile away.
Elizabeth was to the point.
“That’s the ONLY hard copy of Gamble’s medical and military records. When I say that it was a bitch to get my hands on that, since he worked undercover for the CIA, I’m not exaggerating.”
Oh, boy.
How she pulled that off, they had no clue.
Then again, her boss was Axelle, and she had done her time in Spook-ville.
“And?” Merry asked, not sure why she was giving it to them.
Elizabeth explained.
“He’s wiped. When Dr. Seville is done with Gamble’s treatment, he’s to destroy it. Gamble Holloway no longer exists. He can disappear, do what he wants, or ask for further help. I’ll get him new creds, and he can go be a new person— AFTER SUCCESSFUL TREATMENT . I’m not losing another Marine to PTSD.”
They got it.
She had a soft spot.
For them, that was a good thing.
“What’s in the envelope?” Zayn asked.
She didn’t miss a beat.
“I sent a bunch of friendship bracelets to share with you guys since I’m that kind of loving and sweet, Genius. God. I know why they call you crayon munchers. What do you think, Zayn?”
He snorted.
“I know it’s cash, you cuntasaurus. What’s it for?” he asked, amused by Elizabeth.
She explained.
“I paid for his treatment, but that’s for the extras. He’s going to need a new life, and that means clothes, food, and a place to stay afterward. Poe is going to get him settled when he’s done.”
Jagger opened the envelope.
Then whistled.
“That’s a lot of money. Where is he settling him? Some country where all of the illegal money is sent? The Caymans?”
She shrugged.
“What can I say? I like Marines. There’s something so childlike and innocent about them. Not you guys. You’re all fucked in the head.”
They began laughing.
Elizabeth continued without missing a beat.
“Speaking of a pack of crazy-ass Marines who do questionable shit, that brings me to part two. There’s a present for you guys too.”
“Say guns,” Jagger, Zayn, Jinx, and for some reason, Heath all said at once.
She snorted.
Well, never let it be said they weren’t hella predictable because they absolutely were.
Without a doubt.
“You’re all insane. No, it’s not necessarily guns. It’s a new location to work out of since we don’t know how much of your intel was taken from MATE. The techs who know her best said minimal, but I’m not taking any chances.”
Thank God for that.
That was the last thing they needed.
Now, the pack of Marines were curious. How could they not be?
“Where is it?” Maura asked.
She clued them in.
“After Dr. Seville takes Gamble, Greyson will take you guys. They have a GPS location. I didn’t feel comfortable transmitting it.”
“And you felt safe giving it to a mob man? You make questionable decisions,” Zayn said, busting her ass.
She laughed.
“Oh, I know. Let’s just say that Greyson and my husband go way back, and they are buddies who would never betray each other. Apparently, my husband was his wingman to help him get the ladies.”
Greyson stopped her.
“Uh-oh. One time, and it was more to get him to NOT date a pretty lady so I could have a chance. Sue me. I like a redhead, and for the record, that ended up biting us all in the ass.”
She snorted.
“You don’t say?”
Because he could, Zayn raised his hand.
“I have a question.”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“Promise you’ll answer?” he asked.
She was wary.
This man was one bucket of sarcasm and angst after another. He was a lot like her.
“That depends. What’s the question, Marine?”
He went there.
“How the bloody fuck do you and just about everyone you send here just pop into our goddamn courtyard without setting off our freaking security? It’s making me absolutely insane to the point I can’t stop fixating on it.”
She started laughing.
Greyson too.
Truthfully, she was waiting for him to ask. She knew him well.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she joked.
Oh, he wasn’t buying that.
“Come on!” Zayn said. “We’re always caught off guard. Are you a witch? Is it a spell? Do you sacrifice animals on the weekend? What? Because we have CIA equipment from Remmy, and you aren’t using that. What is it?”
She was to the point and gave them enough so they could figure it out.
“Well, true or false?”
They waited with bated breath.
“Jagger and Maura own the building attached on the East side of your base, right?”
Jagger lifted a brow.
Oh, he wasn’t answering that.
To be honest, he wasn’t sure where she was going with this. His home was not known to many people—including the Feds.
Old habits die hard.
“Maybe,” Zayn said.
She stared at them, waiting for someone, anyone, to get the idea. When they didn’t, she sighed.
“Mr. Thundercloud, who the hell do you think owns the one on the other side of the office you’re in?” she asked.
That was all she had to say.
“What the fuck?” Zayn asked.
Maura started laughing. She found that outrageous for the simplest reason.
It was so low tech that NONE of them ever considered it. Of course, she could just buy the property next door, create a story, and pretend it was owned by someone.
“So Renee and Jackson Williamson aren’t our neighbors?” Zayn asked.
“My middle name is Renee, and Ethan’s is Jackson. I thought for sure that the Jackson would be a dead giveaway since that’s also Callen’s writing name.”
Apparently, not.
“My dude, we share a parking area. You never see cars there, but you have to know that someone lives next to you. Come on, now. How did you not put two and two together to get the answer? HOW ?”
Zayn shook his head.
“I’m speechless,” he said. “What are you doing? Putting a waterglass to the wall to listen to us?”
She snorted.
“Hardly. You just worry about your business there.”
He shook his head.
“I don’t know what to even say about this.”
She didn’t miss a beat.
“Good. Let’s keep it that way. Is there anything I need to know?” she asked, done entertaining the jackassery that was her team.
Maura had one thing.
“Hey, Bestie, there is one thing.”
Elizabeth lifted a brow.
Uh-oh.
That wasn’t a good way to start a conversation.
“Yes?”
She gave her the bad news.
“Mr. Cantrell’s ex is lurking. Our cameras caught him on a bench across the street, and he’s called twice asking for him. I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but your husband is all over the media with his mouth pressed to a man who isn’t in his circle.”
Elizabeth knew there would be fallout.
How could there not be?
The breakup had been…ugly.
Now, Gene was moving on, and moving on rather easily thanks to his ex.
In fact, she, Callen, and Chris had talked about it. In the span of one night, they saw a change in Ethan.
With Gene living in Takoda’s room, at The Fort, she saw her husband come alive.
He smiled, he was happy, and she knew what that meant.
It was only a matter of time before Ethan somehow fucked this up by overthinking it.
That was how he rolled.
Also, they were taking bets on when he’d get the balls to just come to them and admit he was in love with the man, and wanted a relationship again.
She could see it when Ethan looked at his ex, and Gene was definitely doing more than leaning on Ethan as a crutch.
At that very moment, she was in their shared home office, and Ethan and Gene were swimming in the indoor pool with the kids.
She could hear the laughter and happiness from here, and that was very telling.
“What do you want me to say?” she asked.
Surprisingly, Zayn was the first to answer.
“If you want that problem solved, I can take a little trip-y-trip and make him disappear for you. Gene, not Ethan. That might raise some questions with the kids.”
She was horrified.
And touched all at once.
“First, I trust my husband, and second, I actually love Gene, so no, you can’t kill him. He’s part of our family, and important to Ethan.”
Zayn shrugged.
“I never said kill. Where did you get that from?” he asked, turning it around so he didn’t get implicated in anything.
Greyson laughed.
“Oh, boy,” he said. “The stories I have about Ethan and Gene long ago when they were working out of the Philly office with me.”
Elizabeth stared at him.
“On your way back to Boston , swing into DC. We’ll do lunch. I want the deets. Ethan is selective with sharing those memories.”
He wasn’t saying no to her.
“Absolutely, Elizabeth.”
Because she had shit to do, she then focused on them.
“Listen, if Thomas keeps putting his nose in this, I’ll handle it. I will sashay my ass back to NOLA, and I’ll make Gene confront him. I already warned him that if he fucked with my people in NOLA, I was going to get mean. I have protections in place.”
They suspected what those ‘protections’ were.
“Spiders?” Maura said.
At that one word, she nodded.
“I figured,” she said. “When Tommy came to the door, I felt like we were being watched. It didn’t feel like a bad guy.”
Well, that was good.
Sorta.
“Reaper is in the neighborhood, and he’s been paid to watch your backs. So rest assured. Now, if there’s nothing else to discuss, I have to get back to making sure my children, the minor ones, don’t wreck a town.”
Dakota snorted.
“Like you don’t make buildings quake.”
She shrugged.
“I do what a girl has to do. Tell Remmy, if he ever leaves his girl’s side, that he needs to be careful. There are still mercenaries tied to the Chinese mafia on the ground. We can’t account for them until after you take out the rest of the trash.”
Rogue clued her in.
“Calyx closed down The Underground temporarily. Right now, he’s likely enjoying Artemis being gone, and having a new focus. As in the lady.”
She smiled.
“Good. I’m glad. He deserves it. I like Calyx. She’s good for him. She’ll keep his ass in line, and as we all know, each one of you needs a babysitter.”
Jagger opened his mouth, and Maura warned him.
“Don’t, Captain.”
He laughed.
Since no one was arguing, she focused on Greyson for the time being.
“Thank you for coming, and I owe you one. If you need me, Grey, call. I’ll see you on your return visit.”
The man nodded.
Only, before she could shut MATE down, someone had their hand up.
“Uh, Mom?” Heath asked, hating to interrupt.
She lifted her brow.
“Yes, Heath?” she asked.
“There’s that little thing called payment. I do believe you owe me something?” he said, knowing she’d understand what he was talking about.
She smiled.
“In three, two…”
The doorbell rang, and everyone jumped.
Well, everyone but her.
Apparently, her present had arrived.
“That’s for you, Heath. I love you, big guy. See you when this mess is cleared up, and for my son’s wedding. You’re all expected to be there at the White House in appropriate attire.”
And with that, she winked, and was gone.
Heath went running toward the door, and whipped it open.
The whole time, Zayn stared at him like the man was insane.
“Jinx, he’s not that bright,” he said. “He’s going to open a door in NOLA without knowing who is there? He has no sense of preservation.
She snorted.
“He knows what she left for him. That supersedes any kind of logic.”
When he came back into the room, there was a whole basket filled with tins, boxes, things with bows, and then wrapped in cellophane like a giant gift basket.
It was huge.
“Uh, what’s that?” Dakota asked, confused.
Greyson sighed and explained as his son went basket spelunking to see what was inside the present.
“It’s going to be cookies. The man could have anything he wants from the Deputy Director of the FBI, and all he ever asks for is cookies.”
Dimitri shrugged.
“I get guns. Cases upon cases of guns. Let’s not knock people’s choices.”
Zayn stared at him.
“How do we get that deal? We don’t get lots of guns. That doesn’t seem fair.”
He shrugged.
“She digs Russians. Maybe you’re annoying?”
Before they could go there, Maura shut them down. They had to get working and for the record, they were all annoying.
“We have Chinese mafia to hunt down since we don’t have a lot of time before Alexsandr lands tomorrow.”
Greyson was curious.
“And we’re tracking that flight?” he asked. “Because I don’t like surprises.”
Maura nodded.
“We have intel.”
At that cue, Merry raised her hand, and then focused on the big screen.
“MATE, show us the flight itinerary.”
It was a private jet, and it was still on the ground in Copenhagen.
The man had yet to leave.
“It is scheduled to take off tonight, and be here in the morning. We’ll be at the private airfield when it comes in, and handle it.”
Greyson was curious.
“And we know for sure that’s where he’s landing?” he asked, thinking this felt a little too easy for his liking.
Merry explained.
“All of the intel we pulled from laptops, and the shit from Artemis’ hidey-hole says he’s heading there on that jet. She had some intensive intel on him. The man put a little too much trust in her.”
Uh-huh.
That still didn’t make him want to put faith in it.
“We’re going to use that research,” Maura said. “He’ll land, and if he gets past us, he’ll be at the warehouse that she’d procured for him. We know that for a fact.”
Okay, well, that was better.
Not by much.
“And?” Dimitri asked.
“He’ll be expecting some mercenaries and guns—a shit ton of weapons. He’ll only find half.”
Greyson lifted a brow.
“Dare I ask which half?” he asked.
They all began laughing.
“Well, not the pew-pews,” Dakota said. “The Marines confiscated them, and all they left behind was a building full of rotting corpses. They took out all of her purchased mercenaries.”
Maura interrupted that.
“That we know of,” Maura said.
Greyson reminded them of one thing.
“We took out Fang Yan, back in Boston , but his number one side kick wasn’t there. His family is wiped, but we have to find him. You have a Chinese problem here, and that can be dangerous.”
Maura was curious.
“And he’d be here? Do you know that for sure?”
He nodded.
“He’d send his number one here to get the port ready. You’ve been having a Chinese issue a lot lately. I’m going to bet it’s his BFF that’s making your life hell.”
Great.
“And what do we know about him?” Dakota asked.
Maura knew from meeting him.
“Is that the asshole who was with him when we came up and you had your little Mikey O’ meet and greet?”
He nodded.
“I have my family working on that right now. His name is Shing Reung. Do you mind if I make a call?” he asked, pointing at the big screen.
Maura and Jagger didn’t.
“Sure. MATE, make a call for Mr. Croft,” she offered.
At her name, the screen came alive.
“Mr. Croft, what is it that I can do today to be of service for you? That is a lovely tie. It matches your eyes.”
He looked down, and the gray tie did actually match his eyes.
“Thank you, MATE. You have a very lovely screen and you’re a pleasure to look at.”
The system actually giggled.
Which was funny because Zayn and Dimitri looked around, paranoid as the day was long. They weren’t tech friendly.
Not.
At.
All.
“I’m glad you noticed. Who can I call for you?” she asked.
“Let me get you the number…”
MATE stopped him.
“I have full access to your phones, and I can see your contact lists. Just give me a name.”
That was all it took.
“What the hell?” Zayn whispered.
Dimitri also looked worried.
“She can see our phones?”
Greyson ignored them. He knew how vital MATE was to Elizabeth’s security, and the fact that they had access back in Boston —just not to this scale.
Truth be told, he was kind of jealous.
He was going to have to talk to Elizabeth. He wanted in on this, if not solely to freak Dimitri out.
That was a good time.
“Call Son number two.”
As soon as he said that, it had Heath’s attention, since he was the oldest Croft son.
“I’m his number one son,” he said, munching on a cookie with a huge grin on his face. “Don’t everyone forget to tell his number two son that. I like to see his face when he’s in second place.”
Jinx laughed.
She was so overjoyed that her brother found his happiness. It was clear that he was most definitely a Croft—and not only in name sake.
Their lives had turned out good.
When Curtis’ face appeared on the screen, he was in an office with Emma right beside him.
“Hey, handsome,” Emma said.
Greyson was standing in front of the screen.
“I miss you, Kitten. Are you holding down the fortress?” he asked.
She didn’t miss a beat.
“I am. Everyone is good. Chris is in with the physical therapist again, and he just offered the man a million dollars to sneak him in a few steaks, a beer, and a naked me. He’s about to crack.”
Greyson snorted.
“He really hates oatmeal, Emma. Maybe let him have something like chicken. Chicken seems so innocuous and harmless.”
She shrugged.
“And I really hate when the men I love get lead in their bodies and nearly die. So, when he starts living, breathing, and eating KEVLAR , we’ll cut back on the fiber. I’m holding his colon hostage.”
Clearly.
Only, that sounded about right.
“Have you found anything out about more of Fang’s properties?”
Since they broke back into Aquarius, and stole the man’s books on the assault against him, they had some stuff that was helpful.
“You have a few businesses that turned up in that ledger from your city,” Curtis said. Then, he paused. “Dad, why is Heath pointing at me and holding up two fingers?” he asked.
Everyone laughed.
How could they not?
“Uh, he’s having a mental breakdown?” Greyson asked, not wanting to stir the pot. If he did, it was a non-stop trip to Insanity-ville.
Curtis looked skeptical.
“Uh, okay,” Curtis said. “I can transmit the businesses we found with NOLA addresses.”
“Thank you, Son. One last thing. Is that backup plan in play?” he asked.
He nodded.
“It wasn’t easy, Dad, but it’s in play.”
That was all he had to hear.
“Send me the locations. We’re going to be having a little fun, shutting down even more of Alexsandr’s business buddies. We can’t risk that he has any influx of cash, and the Chinese mafia is a good source.”
That was all Curtis had to hear.
When his phone chimed, he was grateful.
“If you need anything, Grey, call us. We can get Nikita on a flight. She’s working on training Aine, but other than that, she’s free,” his wife offered. “Or I can show up.”
Hell.
Freaking.
No.
That was never happening.
They would be good with his backup plan. Now, all he had to hope was the backup plan would do what it needed to do.
“Thanks, Kitten. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Greyson. Don’t have too much fun, or get shot. If you do, I’m coming there for you. I’ll be bringing oats, a bad temper, and bran muffins. Don’t make me get mean and vicious.”
He shuddered.
“I’m definitely not messing with you, Emma. Kiss my kids for me. I love you.”
Then, he shut it down.
“MATE, close it.”
When it was ended, he pulled out his phone and tossed it to Merry.
They at least had a starting point.
“You’ll have a list of businesses. As soon as you get them pulled up, and we make a plan, it’s time to move. We only have a day left.”
Maura was curious.
“And the backup plan?” she asked.
Oh, well, that was a trickier part.
“Let’s just say that I don’t want to use it unless I have absolutely no other choice in the matter.”
That sounded ominous.
To all of them.