Chapter 13
Thirteen
Omar paced the patio, oblivious to the pink sun setting behind the hills. His mind was churning.
Olivia, Jake, and Trent had flown to Paris together.
She’d headed to the cottage, and they’d taken a train to Marseille.
They planned to borrow a chopper from an old Air Force buddy of Jake’s to extract the extraction team from the compromised flat.
Olivia had said it in passing, like it was just another operational detail.
But it wasn’t. Trent and Jake were his brothers. And they were walking into danger.
Hanna would be safe with Marielle and Olivia. The women were armed, skilled, and in a secure location. But Jake and Trent were headed straight into whatever trap had been set at the safe house. Someone had to have their six. He had to have their six.
He couldn’t sit here doing nothing while they risked everything. As much as he didn’t want to leave Marielle behind, if they were going to make this … whatever it was … work, he had to be able to balance it with doing the job. They both did. Otherwise, they had no future together.
He didn’t have time to argue his position, though. He had to get on the road.
Feeling like a coward, he eased open the side door. He crept into the kitchen like a burglar, silently removed the keys to the Peugeot from the bowl on the counter, and slipped back outside. He pulled the door closed without making a sound.
Then he turned around to find Marielle standing barefoot in the grass, his rucksack and dry bag in her hands.
His stomach dropped. “Elle—”
She shoved the bags at him. “You’re going to need these.”
“I have to—”
“Don’t bother. I know you think you have to. You’re wrong. But I also know you’re going anyway.”
He took the bags, their hands brushing. “I can’t let them walk into that without me.”
“I know.” Her eyes held his. “Just go. And get out of there in one piece.” She stepped closer. “Remember, you have a date to keep.”
He kissed her then, long and deep, trying to memorize the taste of her, the feel of her against him. She threaded her fingers through his hair and held him close.
When they pulled apart, he asked, “Does Olivia know?”
She rolled her eyes. “Do you think we’re stupid, Omar? Any of us? Why do you think Ryan risked calling, Liv bothered to come here? They know you as well as I know you. We just hoped you were smarter.” She softened this lecture with her signature shrug. “Tant pis.”
He thought he knew most of her French exclamations but this was a new one. “What piss?”
She smiled. “Not piss, tant pis. I’m resigned to this, it’s inevitable even though I don’t like it. On that note, here.” She placed a folded piece of paper in his hand.
“What’s this?”
“The address for Squirrel’s flight school. Olivia wasn’t sure you’d remember it from Jake’s bachelor party. You know, given how hungover you all were.”
He snorted at that and tucked the paper into his pocket.
Then he stole one more kiss before he jogged across the meadow toward the barn. When he reached the rise, he turned to wave goodbye, but she was gone.