Chapter Four
At The Same Time
Gamble Leaving
Chartres Street
Thursday
O h, it was difficult to watch. Jagger stood in the doorway and watched as the man pulled away with their friend. All that he could hope and wish for was that Gamble would get better so they could see him prosper again.
Watching him self-destruct wasn’t making it easy for anyone. It was painful.
Truth be told, they wanted the best for him, and that meant living. If he died, they’d all miss him in their lives. Gamble mattered.
He mattered to them.
Most of them had already lost too many friends in their lives, and they really wanted Gamble to make a comeback.
It was always in him to do it.
And they knew it.
Now, they had to put their faith in the doctor who Elizabeth had paid to take care of their brother. Poe Seville was the man’s last chance.
Saying a little prayer, Jagger prayed for the man’s strength, and that he’d see the light and fight to survive. When he was done, he crossed himself.
If anyone could help him, the higher power could.
Heading back in, everyone was quiet, and Jagger knew why.
“He’ll be okay. Gamble has this.”
Stella wiped her eyes.
“He looked so frail,” she whispered. “I don’t know how much longer he can hold on. As a doctor, I can tell you he’s destroying his organs.”
Yeah, they all worried about that too.
Greyson wasn’t one hundred percent sure what had gone down, but he felt for the man. He’d been a soldier too.
Hell.
He’d been in his place not that long ago when he’d hit rock bottom and turned himself into the FBI. Luckily, it had been Ethan and he’d cut him a break.
“Soldiers are tough. He’ll be okay,” he reassured. “He’ll find his way out.”
Oh, they somehow doubted that.
Maura clued the man in.
“His wife, Storm St. Clair drowned their baby and took her own life. He found them,” she stated.
Holy shit.
Greyson looked ill over that. He knew about the woman. She’d been an agent who’d been taken under his watch at the FBI. He didn’t know that the man had married her.
She’d been damaged when Ethan had her sent here to be rehabbed. He just assumed she’d made it.
Clearly, she hadn’t.
“Oh, God. That poor man.”
Yeah, that was what they all thought. Storm had either wanted to break Gamble, or she was so broken herself she didn’t realize that losing his child like that would damage and change him forever.
“I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy,” Greyson admitted. When he’d been holding Tessa and Max, and they’d been attacked at the wedding, he’d preferred to die than watch his children perish.
That was every parent’s nightmare.
Without a doubt.
“Elizabeth arranged for the doctor to work with him one on one, to try and get him back into one piece. We’ll see how good he is.”
Well, Greyson hoped that worked out.
“I’ll say a prayer for him,” Greyson offered, making the sign of the cross.
“Thank you,” Maura said. “He’s our brother and we’re at a loss on how to help him.”
Greyson wasn’t sure there was a way to do that. Losing a child was brutal, but losing one by your spouse who was supposed to protect the child…
Cruel.
As the melancholy was setting in, Croft knew he needed to get the Hunters on the same page. They had little time before tomorrow, and that meant getting everything in place.
If they didn’t, he was going to have to break out his plan B, and he didn’t want to put Alyona into play unless there was no other choice.
“I know you’re all struggling with this right now, but how about we take a look at that new facility that Elizabeth had set up for you?” he asked. “I hear there are guns and technology…”
That seemed to work for everyone. Nothing made a bunch of Marines or mercenaries happier than those two things.
Only, before anyone could comment, Stella had a very important question.
“Mr. Croft?” Stella asked, getting his attention.
“Yes?”
She went there.
“Can I have a gun?”
Before he could say anything, Zayn stopped that train from trying to leave the station.
How could he not?
All of their lives depended on it.
“One, she’s pregnant. Two, she’ll end up shooting one of us. My wife’s shooting skills are sketchy.”
She stared at him.
The look said it all.
Only, Zayn wasn’t having it.
“Don’t, my sweet Stella. The angry eyes only make me frisky.”
That did what he’d intended.
It made her laugh.
“Okay, then. Shall we?” Greyson asked.
They all agreed that it was time to get the show on the road, and see what Elizabeth came up with for them. Their safety mattered.
When Maura stood, Jagger handed her body armor, and Dakota, plus Rogue did the same for their wives. Clearly, they were taking all of the precautions.
The Major protested.
“Uh, it’s our building,” Maura said. “We’re going to be safe in it. That’s the point.”
Honestly, Jagger didn’t give two shits if it was their building, Elizabeth’s building, or Greyson’s. It was the fact that they had to get in cars, and drive there.
That meant a risk.
A lot could happen once they left the house, and they were pretty sure they didn’t get all of the mercenaries that Artemis had bought up.
If Greyson’s intel was right, the Chinese mafia were still lingering in their town.
That was a problem.
They had to clean that up before he’d feel secure enough to believe his family was safe.
“Well, you can wear it, or you can stay here,” he said, laying down the law.
Uh-oh.
Everyone took a step back for the fallout of a man telling the Major what she could, or couldn’t, do.
Someone wanted to die.
Normally, Maura would get cranky when her husband went into bossy-mob-man mode, but she understood how he was worried about Gamble, and the consequences if they missed Alexsandr tomorrow.
Because of that, she’d cut him a break.
This.
Time.
As soon as he said the words, and he heard how tension filled they were, Jagger tried to make it less…assholish.
“Please?” he asked, trying desperately to meet her halfway.
She was to the point.
“I’ll wear it if everyone is wearing. We could all be in trouble, and that means we need to be careful—including you, J.”
That seemed like halfway to Jagger.
As if to prove a point, Dimitri slapped Greyson on the chest to show he was in body armor—especially after what happened at the family wedding.
Only, as soon as he did that, Heath knocked the man onto and over the back of the couch.
He landed on the floor with a thud.
Oh, and he wasn’t happy either.
“Oops. Sorry. That’s my reflexes when someone HITS MY FATHER ,” he admitted.
At the antics, Greyson laughed.
The people he loved were mostly loose cannons who could go off at any moment. Heath liked to push his limits, taking for granted that Dimitri, while family, was still a killer. Shoving him was risky if he was in a bad mood.
From the floor, Dimitri simply held up two middle fingers, making his friend laugh even more. It was the string of profanity in Russian that told them he wasn’t amused.
Ah, when would Heath learn?
Likely never.
As the whole family suited up, it only took a few minutes to get ready.
“We should take the minimum number of cars,” Greyson suggested. “How many can you fit in yours?” he asked.
They had pretty big vehicles.
Well, the Major did.
“We can fit ten if two people ride in the cargo space,” stated Jagger.
That was more than half of them, so that would work.
“Okay, how about this? You and Maura join us, and that way we can talk about the plans for today after we check out your new facility. Your family can follow.”
That worked for them.
They already knew they were on cleanup duty today, in preparation for tomorrow’s arrival of Alexsandr.
So they could leave, Maura tossed Eve the keys to her ride, getting her husband, Dakota, to protest.
“Uh, why is she driving?” he asked.
Maura shrugged.
“Because you drive like an old lady,” she stated. “She drives like an insurgent is on her ass. We need to get there today, not next week.”
Dakota sputtered.
“You heard me, old man. Now, let the pretty, pregnant lady cart your ass to the new location,” she stated.
Someone was playing Marine favorites.
“Who hurt you?” Dakota asked. “Because you have some issues.”
She just snorted.
Gee.
Really?
Dakota was telling her something she already knew.
“Come on, Family. Let’s take a field trip,” she said, as they all walked out through the courtyard, following Dimitri, Greyson, and Heath.
Maura was excited to see what Elizabeth came up with in the few days’ notice she had to do it. Honestly, they’d take anything, but she hoped it was at least secure.
Jagger spent most of the day and night twitching with worry.
As they were walking to the cars, Heath pointed out one thing.
“The pretty boy is coming with us,” Heath said, grabbing Rogue by the arm and tucking him under his.
The whole time, Rogue was staring at his wife as if he was never going to see her, or their next child again.
It was amusing.
Heath loved busting his ass, and that was exactly what he was doing now.
He was harmless.
To the people he loved.
As they got to the two blacked out vehicles, both were big, and screamed power player. This definitely wasn’t going to be easy to not stand out in the city.
Hopefully, no one would be following them. If they were…
That was an issue.
As they loaded up and headed out, Dimitri was driving, with Heath in the passenger seat, scanning as they drove. In the back, Greyson and Jagger were working out a plan as Maura and Rogue were also keeping an eye out for any trouble.
Everyone was carrying guns, and that might just save their asses if there was trouble. There was a lot of firepower in the two vehicles.
“We have to move fast,” Jagger said. “Alexsandr knows that Maura and I took out his father. He also knows Jinx handled his mother. He’s gunning for us. When he lands, we’re going to be his top targets. He’ll want to take care of us before he opens the ports for whatever he has planned.”
Yeah, that wouldn’t be happening.
From the front passenger seat, Heath protested.
“No one is touching my sister. Hell! I don’t even want her husband touching her.”
Wisely, Rogue said NOTHING .
Why?
Heath was batshit insane.
Then again, if the man really didn’t like him, he’d already be dead. So, now, he at least had a fighting chance.
“That’s why we have to use the intel my son got us from the equipment and books we got from Fang Yan,” Greyson admitted. “He wanted to make his father’s mafia the best thing in the world. There’s no doubt he’s been in this city. He’s scummy like that.”
Great.
More mob trying to encroach on Mikey O’s turf. That wasn’t happening.
Bet.
On.
It.
“We have a list of the locations, so that’s good,” Greyson admitted. “We have the advantage.”
For once, that might just be true.
For once, they might just be able to take care of business easily, so they could all move on with their lives. The cities they protected needed them focused and back to helping the people there.
This had been a long, drawn-out battle.
It was time for it to end.
“We’ll have to hit the first business in the daylight,” Maura said. “That’s not going to be easy. We move better under cover of night. Marines don’t like daylight missions.”
Oh, they were all aware.
Only, what could they do?
“I can go in,” Greyson admitted.
Yeah, only, Dimitri wasn’t having that.
“Nah, you can stay with the others,” Dimitri said. “You’re too recognizable. I’m pushing it with this face, but I have a better chance of not being recognized than you do.”
Before Greyson could complain, Jagger jumped into the kiddie pool of crazy.
“My wife isn’t going either,” Jagger added.
That had one response.
Maura laughed.
And laughed.
And laughed.
Then, she explained.
“Oh, she absolutely is if Mikey O’ is moving around the city. That’s my literal job to protect your body,” she said, talking in the third person.
Jagger protested.
“Maura…”
Only, she wasn’t having it.
Not.
At.
All.
“I know you’re squeamish because I’m with child, J, but we’re not losing you. Then, what happens to me, Dianna, Michael, and this baby? We have a better chance if we’re all ready for war.”
She had a point.
Plus, the last thing he wanted was to argue with his woman. That never ended well for him.
“I don’t like the risk,” Jagger admitted. “My face is recognizable, and so is yours.”
She had a solution.
“Then we have to send someone who can blend. That means the snakes,” Maura said.
The man in the last row protested.
Oh, and he protested big.
“Oh, hell, no,” Rogue said. “You want my wife to hit up a Chinese hidey-hole business? Are you insane?” he asked. “She’s with child too!”
Over Maura’s com, they heard Eve’s voice.
“The men in this family are getting dangerously close to forgetting who saved their asses when they were taken and being tortured. We aren’t freaking Girl Scouts. Our job was to LITERALLY sneak up on people and end their lives.”
Jinx chimed in, since it was her husband protesting.
“I don’t need a babysitter, Rogue. I need a mission, and if I don’t get one, my mission at home is going to be how to make you miserable.”
Jesus.
Pregnant women were testy.
Because she agreed with both of them, Maura pointed at her vest.
“They have a point, Rogue. That’s their job. Jinx will be okay, and so will Eve.”
Now, he was feeling twitchy.
“I’m going to have an ulcer.”
“We got this,” Jinx said.
Jagger was confused.
“Why isn’t Dakota losing his shit?” he asked, laughing. “This is right about the time he starts melting down.”
Stella clued him in since she could see him and Jagger couldn’t.
“Eve is pointing at him, and giving him the old wife snake eyes. I think he’s pissed himself.”
“STELLA!” Zayn said. “Don’t joke about someone pissing in our ride. That’s gross.”
Maura would lose her nut if anyone pissed in her vehicle. Detailing wouldn’t get that out.
“No bodily fluids in my Navigator!” she warned.
Oh, and they got the picture.
Because the snakes had been to this rodeo a few times, Jinx, one of the snakes, tried to reassure them.
“We just have to get in. Once it’s clear, you can come in right behind us. We won’t be there alone, and really, this is what we were trained to do.”
Greyson laughed.
“God. I’m so glad my wife isn’t allowed to play with your wife,” he said, glancing over at Jagger. “Yours is scary.”
Wasn’t that the truth?
As they were driving, trees were flying by, and Dimitri was navigating them to a place they’d never been before.
“You guys can trust us,” Eve said over her com. “Dak, I’ll be good.”
Dakota, who was in the car with his wife sighed.
What choice did they have at this point?
Dakota gave in.
“I defer this to my wife and the Major,” Dakota said, his voice heard over Maura’s MATE-loaded vest. “I’ll hyperventilate later.”
Maura knew he wasn’t kidding.
Dakota likely would.
“Thank you,” she said. “So, it’ll be me, Eve, Jinx, and Greyson’s team,” she stated, willing to let the man make the decision on who was coming with them.
He came all this way, and they weren’t saying no to backup.
Still, Jagger didn’t look entertained.
Not.
At.
All.
His wife reassured him.
“It’ll be quick,” Maura said, kissing her husband. “You’re going to have to worry, but trust me.”
That was the problem.
He did.
He trusted and worried all of the damn time and when she was pregnant…it was worse.
Only, there was no beating that horse. It was already dead.
When he didn’t argue, Greyson took that as they had made up their minds.
“Then, it’s set. After this, we’ll hit up that first business to get this started. We have to have this done by tomorrow morning when that flight arrives. Alexsandr is bad news.”
Jagger had no choice but to keep moving forward or he was going to have a mental breakdown.
“Let’s go over the three businesses owned by Fang,” he said. “What do we have?” he asked, as his wife was working on MATE to map it out.
She pulled them up, and they checked it out.
“The first is a drycleaner/Chinese laundry, the second is a backroom gambling establishment hidden in a barber shop, and last is an adventure tour place.”
Over Maura’s vest, they could hear the team talking about the locations and how best to get into them. They were trouble shooting on the fly.
Maura turned in her seat to look at Rogue.
“Backroom gambling is your thing. Find a way in for us,” she said.
That was all he had to hear.
Maura was right. This was his thing, so he pulled out his phone and began working on that.
Jagger was focused on the other two.
“The laundry is going to be the hardest one to get into, but the outdoor adventure place…we can make an appointment for a bunch of people to go, and get whoever is there when we show up.”
That was a good plan.
Simple was best.
“Merry, I need you to make an appointment for us to go on some gator watch for later tonight. You’re the sweetest sounding one. Make it good, and see if you can rent out the whole tour boat. That way we have control of the situation.”
That was easy.
“Got it, Boss,” she said, pulling out her phone in the other vehicle and getting to work.
The whole team did what it could, and they were ready for what was coming.
Maura was satisfied.
“Well, then, we have our plan,” she admitted. “At least there’s that.”
That was the truth.
As they drove a little further, Dimitri cleared his throat.
“There it is,” he said, pointing at the navigational screen. “We’re at the location.”
That had everyone’s attention.
Everyone inside the car looked around, and there wasn’t anything to be seen. There was a dirt road, with bramble and grown in debris.
This was in the sticks.
“Uh, are we in a shack in the woods?” Jagger asked, not sure what Elizabeth was thinking.
No one had been there yet, so…there was no way to answer that.
Turning down the road, they reached a gate, and when they approached it, Maura’s vest beeped.
It made her look down.
“You’ve arrived,” MATE said, alerting them of their position.
Maura was confused.
“MATE, where are we?” she asked the computer riding shotgun on her vest.
“My home.”
Uh, okay.
Her home was a tablet or a computer system. How was it a location?
As they drove down the deserted road, MATE was making a pinging noise.
“What are you doing, MATE?” Maura asked.
There was a pause, but then, their AI let them know what she was doing.
“I’m communicating with the security and alerting the tech there that we aren’t intruders. If intruders were to access this location, I am instructed to…handle it.”
Jagger didn’t like how that sounded.
And he wasn’t the only one.
“Oh, Jesus. The computer is taking over,” Zayn said over the com. “I told you that we were going to be murdered by AI.”
The system chirped.
“You aren’t going to be murdered. I will explode and destroy myself. It will look accidental.”
Jagger stared at his wife’s vest since she was technically wearing Mate.
Well, that wasn’t good.
Not.
At.
All.