Chapter 29
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
ROME, ITALY – TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER
The city lay before her in such picture-perfect detail it almost felt like a dream. She had a clear view of Vatican City, and her thoughts wandered to the Davinci Code , Dan Brown’s novel she’d loved reading years ago. The adventure and excitement. The legends and secrecy. She’d fallen in love with Rome in the pages of that book, and now here she was, and her world was as dangerous as one of fiction.
Savanna focused on the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, hoping her mascara didn’t smudge as tears filled her eyes. She was in a beautiful city, and she’d never felt so alone. Not even Marcus’s spirit, which she almost always felt surrounding her like a protective shield, seemed to be there. “Where are you?” she whispered, looking out the window at the view of the holy city. If there were ever a place to feel Marcus, wouldn’t this be it? They were both Catholic, and he’d even mentioned bringing her here one day. Exploring every inch of the city together hand in hand.
Her shoulders fell even more when her thoughts drifted to Griffin and how he’d broken her heart yesterday. He’d rejected her plain and simple. He’d let his fears and his mother’s betrayal consume him and refused to see that they had something worth fighting for. And then he’d done his best to prevent her from trying to save Marcus’s brother.
When Griffin and Carter had stepped outside the doors of the hotel in Santorini and begun arguing, Savanna thought Griffin was going to attack his friend. At one point, he’d even shoved Carter, who’d just stood there and allowed him to release his anger. Probably hoping to break him down to the point he’d be able to convince Griffin that Savanna was necessary for their operation.
Operation? I’m part of an op, one that feels like something Marcus would have done.
Once Carter and Gray received word from Emilia that she could get them into the party without exposing their real identities, they overrode Griffin’s objections, and the two team leaders promised they’d keep her safe. The key, and the fact that she wouldn’t have it on her person, was added insurance for that. Griffin hadn’t been convinced if the scowl on his face had been anything to go by.
He also hadn’t spoken a word to her since then. No doubt punishment for insisting they use her to save Nick.
For a man who wouldn’t fight for her heart, he was ready to kill anyone who put her in harm’s way. Wasn’t that a contradiction?
The knock at her hotel door had her smoothing her shaking hands down the shimmery silver gown they’d managed to find at the last minute with a little help from Emilia. Despite being petrified, Savanna wanted to do this. For Nick, but more so for Marcus.
“Can I come in?” That familiar deep voice was everything she needed right now.
“Jesse?” she rasped in shock and turned in a hurry to get to the door.
Jesse was standing in the hall, hands in the pockets of his tuxedo pants, looking like her knight in shining armor. She was so happy to see him she nearly stumbled into his arms as he went for a hug once inside the room.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, swiping away a tear.
“Carter filled me in last night. I gave him all the reasons why I needed to be here for this party, and I didn’t give him a choice about letting me come.”
“I should be mad at you for leaving Ella, but God, I just . . .” She was going to cry and ruin her mascara. “I really need you.”
“Shit, Savanna. What’s wrong?” Jesse pulled her back into his arms and held her, setting his chin on her head. “Aside from the obvious.”
How would she tell him that as crazy as it sounded, she’d fallen for someone in a matter of days when no one had stirred any interest inside her since Marcus? “I, um.”
“Growly Griffin?” Jesse surprised her by reading her thoughts.
She eased free from his embrace and leaned back, her hands on his biceps as she looked into his eyes. It really wasn’t the time for this conversation because she needed her head on straight for the op, but she had no one to talk to, and she felt as though she were losing her mind. “How’d you know?”
He lifted a brow and pointed to the door connecting her room to the one where the team was prepping for the night’s mission. “Did you not hear him through the wall, demanding I knock some sense into you and keep you here?” Jesse’s lips twitched into a smile. “Griffin was the only one in the room whose veins were in danger of popping at the idea of you going on the op. He had the kind of look I’d have if?—”
“Ella were placed in a similar situation?”
His shoulders collapsed at her words, and he looked toward the window that displayed a stunning view of Rome.
“Are you going to try and talk me out of this?”
His light blue eyes returned to hers. “I know you better than to ask you to change your mind once it’s been made up. A stubborn Southern woman.”
“Mm-hm. Guilty as charged.” But also, she still refused to believe someone who shared Marcus’s blood could be a killer. And if he were only a thief, then she’d do what Marcus hadn’t been able to, forgive Nick.
The idea of a soul unable to pass on because of unfinished business in this world was most likely only a false notion, but why did she feel like Nick was Marcus’s unfinished business?
“I won’t let anything happen to you tonight. I promise.” He reached for her shoulder and squeezed. “And growly Griff won’t either, I take it.”
“And, um, what does this mean for you that you’re working with the guys tonight? A one-time thing?”
He removed his hand and swiped it through his styled blond hair. “I don’t know.”
“You said it made you feel good to do something again that had purpose. Are you considering working with them after tonight?” Running from Ella again?
“Let’s take it one night at a time.” He cleared his throat, then added, “So, what happened with Griffin? Why do you look so upset if he’s clearly got some insta-love thing going on for you? That’s what your books call it, right?” He twirled a finger before tucking one hand in his slacks pocket.
“Insta-love? Griffin doesn’t love me. And wow, you actually listen to me when I talk about my books?”
He smiled and shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Then you remember I hate insta-love stories. Totally unbelievable. No one falls in love that fast.”
“Didn’t you with Marcus? Why not with Griffin?”
Not that fast with Marcus. Her gaze crashed to the floor and that lonely feeling she knew so well bloomed in the pit of her stomach at the mention of Marcus. “I’ve always felt Marcus’s presence with me. Always. But he’s not here right now.” She searched the view outside as if he might be there and had only taken a quick holy break.
“Maybe that in itself means something, Savanna,” Jesse softly said.
“What?” she whispered, turning his way.
“Maybe Marcus isn’t hanging around now because he was only here until he knew you were taken care of, and now you are. What if he guided Griffin to you?”
“By putting me in danger?” She was on the verge of tears, mascara be damned. This was all too much to take in.
“Maybe he wanted to save his brother too?” Jesse suggested.
“Since when do you believe in anything spiritual or otherworldly?” Savanna laughed out a sob.
“Sweetheart, you believe, and that’s all that matters. You don’t need me to tell you. I can see it in your eyes.”
“My very own Hemingway standing before me. Who would have thought that you had a soft side?”
“Don’t you dare tell anyone.” Jesse drew her back in for a hug as the door clicked and opened.
Savanna freed herself from Jesse’s arms and erased her tears with the backs of her hands at the sight of a broody-looking Griffin in the doorway, his key to her room in hand. Had he seen Jesse’s arms around her? Was he having flashbacks to his mother?
“We have news.” Griffin’s dark eyes raked over her. It was the first time he’d seen her dolled up, and actually, the first time she’d had on makeup since they’d met. The dark look in his eyes didn’t appear to be anger directed at Jesse, but rather lust directed her way, and it had her stepping back. “Can I have a word with her first?” he asked Jesse, and Jesse patted her on the back as if to say “everything will be okay” before leaving the room.
Griffin placed the key card into his pocket and kept quietly studying her once they were alone. Like Jesse, he was in a black tuxedo, and his hair was styled and glossy, combed off to the side. Handsome as the devil and able to seduce any woman.
But he hadn’t been the one to seduce her. She was fairly certain she’d seduced him.
His eyes journeyed over her once again. She was wearing her hair in loose curls that framed her face, and her eyes were made up to match the dress with glittery silver and gray shadow. The floor-length gown hid her pretty silver shoes and was constructed of layers of satin and silk, with a shimmery skirt, a deep V down the front, and nearly no back. She felt like Cinderella, but she wasn’t going to meet her prince at this ball.
“You look . . .” His jaw tightened as he found her eyes again. “I don’t have words.”
“Well, you’ve barely said any words to me since yesterday, so I guess that’s not surprising.” She turned but gasped when he reached for her wrist and spun her around in one fast movement.
He was breathing hard, staring down into her eyes as if he were on the verge of crushing his mouth over hers and saying to hell with everything.
She swallowed, the lonely feeling gone with him holding on to her and his heated gaze warming every inch of her exposed skin.
“If anything happens to you tonight,” was all he said, dark eyes cutting straight through her with a tortured look. He was worried about tonight, but she recognized the familiar achy desire they shared for each other there too.
Marcus sent you to me. She’d somehow known almost since the moment they’d met.
“I have you to watch over me,” she whispered, lifting her chin a little, worried her legs were going to buckle, and she’d lose eye contact with him soon. “You,” she repeated, letting him understand she was leaving her trust and faith in him now.
As much as she loved Marcus, and she always would, it was time to start a new chapter. And she needed this frustrating man to believe it could be with him.
He bowed his head and set his forehead against hers, and in a gritty tone, said, “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.” He abruptly pulled away as if he didn’t trust himself to be that close without claiming her mouth. “Come on.” He reached out as if to take her hand but immediately pulled back. After blinking a few times, seemingly conflicted, he turned. “We discovered another of the someones looking for Nick. Very unexpected and a potential problem tonight.”
Savanna stopped in her tracks at his words. “What? Who?”
“We’ll fill you in next door,” he said, already on the move, which forced her to do the same.
Upon entering the other room, Savanna momentarily forgot there was news when she witnessed Carter and every one of his men dressed in tuxedos, looking every bit the part of 007. So, when Carter announced, “MI6 is after Nick,” her heart nearly stopped.
“Wait, what?” Savanna’s back went to the wall by the door as she tried to absorb the shocking news. That was one possibility that had never come up in all their back-and-forth theorizing.
“Emilia got wind that MI6 operatives will be at the party tonight, looking to get to Nick as well,” Gray said, spelling it out for her.
“They can’t possibly want Nick for the same reason? The Elysium Project,” Jack added.
“We have no clue why they’re gunning for him, but it could be a hiccup,” Carter said. “We don’t want to accidentally take out an MI6 operative.”
“What does this mean?” Savanna’s gaze skated around the room, bouncing from guy to guy.
“It means we’re going to have to reach out to them. We’ll get word to my father to give a heads-up to both Italian Intelligence and MI6 that the U.S. has people on the inside as well. Friendlies.”
Jack peered at Savanna and smiled. “What he’s saying is that Carter doesn’t seem to be so great at playing well with others. And he’s going to have to tonight.”
“I’m still the bait, though, right?” she asked and immediately felt Griffin’s gaze on her at the use of such an offensive word to him.
“Unless MI6 or the Italians object, then yes, you’ll be the one to lead us to where they’re keeping Nick,” Carter said in a low voice, his focus sweeping between Griffin and Savanna. “We stick to the plan. You take off your mask and identify yourself when we give you the go-ahead.”
Jesse picked up a beautiful silver mask, which would cover half her face, its sides decorated with white feathers that looked almost like angel wings. “Here. You’ll be needing this.”
Letting go of a deep breath, in anticipation of what was to come, she took the mask.
Savanna cut through the room and passed Griffin, who pushed his hands in his pockets as though preventing himself from reaching for her on her way to the window.
She clutched the mask and stared out at the city, now bathed in shades of orange and gold as the sun began its descent, making the buildings glow. Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Just breathe.”