Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
HALLSTATT, AUSTRIA – LATER THAT NIGHT
Ella gazed out the window of their lakefront room, the sound of Jesse speaking over a burner phone to A.J. a faint murmur in the background as she focused on the reflection of the village lights shimmering atop the water.
The lodge Carter had chosen was Austrian-quaint and painted a beautiful sunset yellow with multiple terraces overlooking the water. The entire village felt almost as if she’d stepped back in time.
Alpine houses with charming window boxes, now topped with snow. A majestic stone church, steeple reaching toward the heavens. A picturesque town square with small shops, a bakery, and cozy-looking restaurants.
If only she and Jesse were there for their “honeymoon.” She could imagine stepping out onto their private veranda, Jesse wrapping his arms around her as they took in the view as husband and wife. He’d rest his chin on her shoulder, maybe press a kiss to her cheek, and murmur into her ear all the naughty things he’d be doing to her later.
And in the morning, after a night of making love, they’d walk along the bank of the lake and take in the sights of the beautiful village as the sun kissed the snow-capped Alps surrounding them.
Hallstatt was wedged between the lake and mountains on a narrow strip of land and was most likely the image for a jigsaw puzzle out there somewhere. The whole place was a stark contrast to their grave situation and what was soon to go down. Ella rubbed her hands along her biceps, trying to erase the chills when reality once again grabbed hold of her at that thought.
The team assumed they’d hear from Yuri sometime around midnight, which was in an hour, and that he’d most likely planned their “showdown” for tomorrow.
Ella did her best to convince herself that Falcon’s “counterplan” would succeed. But there was also the matter of a bomb hidden somewhere in the city for Oliver to deal with, and that had her stomach turning as well.
“Tunnels. I fucking hate tunnels.” A.J.’s words over the speakerphone had Ella swallowing the massive lump down her throat and turning to the room, honeymoon fantasy officially vanishing from her mind. “You don’t know this,” A.J. went on, “but I had to deal with an operation involving tunnels in Budapest last year.”
“Seems there’s a lot I don’t know about you,” Ella found herself saying, joining in on the conversation.
“I was just, uh, giving Jesse a few pointers about how to operate when you’re navigating a maze of ancient tunnels,” A.J. said hesitantly, obviously unaware that Ella had been within earshot.
But she and Jesse had no more secrets. Right now, the only barrier between them was his insistence she not go anywhere near the salt mine, which she refused to obey. If she didn’t show up, Yuri promised to detonate a bomb somewhere in Hallstatt.
The horrific image of an explosion destroying the village and killing the innocent residents had her stomach flipping yet again. She quickly pushed those thoughts away, terrified she’d manifest the scene into reality if she hung on to it for too long.
But no way would she choose herself over a city of innocent people, and Jesse knew that about her as well as the fact it was pointless to argue with her. She’d just as willingly sacrifice herself for a village of strangers as she would for her niece, McKenna. In her mind, there was no choice.
“I can’t believe you’re taking her into that mountain, but I know you’d rather die than put my sister in harm’s way,” A.J. said, reading Ella’s thoughts, and Jesse’s jaw clenched at his words.
“I don’t want to, but she’s?—”
“Stubborn,” A.J. finished for Jesse, and she needed to change the direction of this conversation fast before they both teamed up against her.
“How’s Beckett?” she deflected. That wasn’t the wisest choice of subject since Beckett’s vow to never forgive Jesse still hung problematically in the air, but there weren’t exactly any rainbow-sunshine type of conversations to be had right about now.
“Grumpy. Pissed,” A.J. quickly remarked as if wanting to get this talk over with fast. “But physically, the burns aren’t bad. He’ll be okay.”
“And McKenna?” Her young niece had experienced a truly frightening ordeal, and witnessing her father and uncles take lives only made it that much worse. She’d be needing therapy, and that’d be another nail Beckett would hammer into Jesse’s coffin when they returned.
“She’s a tough kid, you know that. I think once you’re back home, she’ll feel better. We’ll all feel much better.”
Ella searched Jesse’s gaze, but his attention was fixed on the old, slightly beat-up wood floors.
“And you, are you . . .” Mad? Angry again? Want to throttle the man I love?
Ella’s unfinished question had Jesse dragging in a deep breath, his focus zipping to the phone as though A.J. were standing there.
“My job comes with risks too. The work I do has the potential to put everyone I care about in danger at some point.” A.J.’s answer had Jesse releasing a breath. Because A.J.’s response was the same as saying, No, I don’t blame Jesse. “I’ll try and talk Beckett down. Just focus on . . .”
“Staying alive?” she sputtered, and there went Jesse’s jaw again, working double time.
“I don’t like the situation, but I know you’ll be okay. If I didn’t trust Jesse to keep you safe, you know I’d already be in Austria with you,” A.J. said, his voice suddenly breaking when he added, “I love you, Sis.”
“I love you too,” Ella choked out, then cupped a hand to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes even though in her gut she was certain this wasn’t a final goodbye. Everything was going to work out because she refused to believe the bad guys would win.
Yet, the events of the last few days unfolded in her mind—the DGSE holding room, the attack at Rochella’s estate, the B&B in Versailles where plans to take down Yuri had been formulated, and finally the attack on her family back home. It sounded like an action movie.
Her thoughts returned to Yuri and images of an explosion, death, and destruction. She wished it really were a cinematic experience and not real life.
“Jesse, take me off speakerphone so I can have a word with you,” A.J. said a heartbeat later.
Jesse brought the phone to his ear and set a palm on the windowpane. His bicep flexed, stretching the fabric of his shirt as he leaned forward a bit, head bowed.
Ella sat on the bed, her legs too wobbly to support her, and placed a hand over her heart, hoping to calm herself down.
“Yeah, okay. Roger that,” Jesse said a minute later, then lowered the phone from his ear and joined her on the bed. “I’m so fucking sorry,” he apologized straight away, reaching for her hand.
She turned toward him and leaned closer, brushing her lips over his for their first kiss since Beckett and McKenna had been under attack.
“Stop apologizing. That’s not what I need from you.” She pulled back to find his eyes. “I didn’t just get you only to lose you. Or for you to lose me.”
He quietly studied her, his lips drawing into a tight line, his forehead creased with worry.
“Hey,” she said while palming his cheek when he’d yet to talk. “I’m too stubborn to die. Got it?” She did her best to keep her voice steady, so he wouldn’t hear the panic trying to strangle her words.
Jesse’s brows pinched as he brought his nose almost to hers. “Roger that,” he rasped before drawing her back in for another kiss.