Chapter Twenty-One #2
I borrowed a page from Mina’s playbook, however, in thinking for myself while I did all that.
Who was Gordon’s client, the person behind all this?
Why did he — or she — want that particular painting?
Or was the painting secondary to some second, hidden agenda, like satisfying a vendetta against Baumann or Dobrov?
Worse, was the entire operation some kind of setup?
Many questions, no answers. But one thing was for sure. I was more invested in this mission than I’d been in anything for a long, long time. Which was kind of ironic since the only thing at stake was art, not military secrets or millions of dollars.
Art and Mina, my dragon insisted.
The day passed quickly, with multiple trips between Baumann’s estate, Dobrov’s hotel, and all potential routing options. Before I knew it, my phone pinged with Roux’s reminder to return to our base for a final operations briefing.
I snorted at the text, but Bene just shrugged. “You can take the man out of the military, but you can’t take the military out of the man.”
“That, or he was born uptight,” I muttered.
“That too,” Bene chuckled.
At that point, we were at the St. Regis Mardavall Resort, where Lukas Dobrov, the art dealer, had checked in to one of the Royal Penthouse Suites. The drive to our home base at Ses Roques took forty minutes — thirty with Bene’s hell-for-leather driving, but still — and I longed to fly instead.
I had the window rolled down, and the wind whispered, Destiny.
I nearly rolled it back up, but I closed my eyes instead, considering the possibilities.
Eventually, the tires crunched over gravel, signaling our arrival.
“Home sweet home,” Bene announced.
The image that popped into my mind was the chateau, but when I opened my eyes, I was disappointed to find the finca on Mallorca.
“Back to business, Romeo,” Bene chuckled, tapping my arm.
What did he think I’d been doing all day? Buying roses?
We found Roux surrounded by documents, maps, and grainy surveillance photos, some of which we’d taken only a short time ago. I had to hand it to the guy — he didn’t just step into a job, he tackled it like a goddamn linebacker.
Henrik stood in the innermost corner of the room, sipping red wine. At least, I hoped that was what he was sipping. He and Roux were dressed to the nines, as appropriate for their roles at the party.
Roux greeted us with a nod and motioned to our rooms. “Get changed. The minute Mina and Delphine return, we’ll deploy. Bene and Marius first, then Delphine and me, followed by Henrik and Mina.”
I clenched my teeth. Henrik might not have a problem with another guy posing as his girl’s date, but I definitely did. Especially when the poser was a vampire.
“Oh, and good news.” Roux tossed me a clip-on ID. “Gordon got you on to the security detail. Just the local team, of course, not Baumann’s private squad, but still an in.”
I caught it one-handed, checked the photo, and snorted.
“How much security are we expecting?” Bene asked.
“Minimal,” Roux replied. “Think of the art dealer as a pop-up boutique operator. He won’t have time to rig the place with cameras, motion detectors, or any of the other usual safeguards. And he’ll only have a handful of guards since Baumann will want him to keep a low profile.”
“I guess he gets a commission?” I asked.
Roux shrugged. “That, or first dibs on the best pieces or just bragging rights among the millionaires he schmoozes with.” He checked his watch again. “Time for you two to get moving.”
“Five euros says I beat you,” Bene dared me on the way to his cottage.
A deal I took and easily won, with twenty-two minutes to his thirty for a shower, shave, and wardrobe change.
“Well, as security, you don’t have to look good,” he said, touching his perfectly coiffed, golden hair.
“And catering does?” I snickered.
Roux looked up, then shook his head at Bene. “Marius is right. You can’t look so…so…”
Bene flashed his best Hollywood grin. “Good? Dare I say, hot, even?”
“Memorable,” Roux grunted. “You can’t stand out in a crowd.”
Bene’s grin widened. “Not my fault I’m outstanding. I was born this way.”
“Born with extra-volume conditioner and aftershave?” Henrik wrinkled his nose. “What is that? Dolce&Gabbana?”
Bene looked offended. “Jean Paul Gaultier. Enough to cover my scent from other shifters.”
The rest of us had taken similar precautions, but you never knew. A shifter with a really good nose might still ferret us out.
Roux pointed back at the cottage. “Whatever that is, change it. Now. And not just the aftershave. The hair too.”
“How?”
Roux shook his hands in exasperation. “I don’t know. Just change it. Look more like a bozo.”
“Comb it back like Henrik does,” I offered, earning a lethal look from the vampire.
Bene sighed and returned ten minutes later, looking marginally less striking and smelling incrementally less seductive.
“Better? Or should I say, worse?” he asked sullenly.
Roux rubbed both hands over his face in exasperation.
A vehicle pulled into the driveway, and we all turned.
“Oh, the girls are back,” Bene said, spotting the limo.
Women, I nearly growled.
My inner dragon perked its ears, cheering, Mina! Mina!
The driver parked and opened the rear door, offering his hand to the first passenger.
Delphine exited, looking surprisingly… Well, classy, despite the fire-engine-red dress. Amazing what toning down on makeup and jewelry could do.
Bene whistled. “Delphine, you look stunning. Not that I’m surprised.”
Delphine grinned at him, but she positively glowed at Henrik and turned in a slow circle for him. “Do you like it?”
“Nice,” he said in his usual detached way.
Limited as his attention was, Delphine basked in it.
I wondered if Mina could talk some sense into the poor girl. Surely, Delphine could do better than Henrik?
I caught myself there. As surely as Mina could do better than me?
A light, arched foot in sand-colored heels slid out next, and my breath caught. A good thing too — otherwise I might have growled when the driver leaned in to offer Mina a hand. And when she emerged—
My mouth hung open, and my mind went blank.
“Damn, Mina. You look really good,” Bene breathed.
Heavenly was more like it. The gold-and-cream dress shone in bright contrast to Mina’s cocoa-colored hair, which bounced over her shoulders in long, elegant locks. Tiny studs shone from her earlobes, matching the sequins of the dress.
“Giorgio Armani,” Delphine gushed, flouncing her dress beside Mina. “Mine too.”
Giorgio knew what he was doing, showing just a hint of Mina’s cleavage and a hell of a lot of her long, toned legs.
Mina put an arm around Delphine, and they grinned at each other like a couple of sisters.
Kind of a contradiction, because Mina was educated.
Poised. Classy, in a word. Delphine was a hooker Henrik had found on a street corner in Marseilles.
Nothing personal — truly — but that was just the way the world was.
But Mina didn’t seem to see it that way. So, hmm. Maybe I ought to… What was that called? Broaden my perspective.
Mina gave Delphine a hearty hug. “Yours looks better.”
I begged to differ, but I kept my mouth shut.
The effect wasn’t even spoiled when Mina tottered over the gravel. Clearly, she had more practice in work boots than heels.
“If I break an ankle in these things, I’m blaming Roux,” she grumbled.
He frowned. “How is everything always my fault?”
Bene thumped him on the back. “Because you’re in charge, champ.”
Roux ran a hand through his hair, but Delphine fixed it on her way to glueing herself to Henrik’s side. “Remember, you have to look the part. Both of you.”
That was my only consolation. I didn’t get to go into this mission as Mina’s date, but I didn’t have to wear a tux either.
Still, the flesh-toned parts of Mina’s dress made me look twice, and I didn’t relish her flashing that much skin — or pseudo-skin — to anyone, least of all a vampire.
“Dammit, this thing is giving me a wedgie,” Mina groused, plucking at the back of her dress.
Bene waggled his eyebrows. “Want me to help?”
“Not a chance, buster.”
She glanced at me next, then looked away just as quickly. Still, my groin ached.
“All right, already. Time to review and make sure everyone’s got the last details.” Roux set his hands on the paper-strewn table and began his final briefing.
It was hard to focus, but when I reminded myself Mina’s life could be on the line… Well, I was all ears.