31. Harper #2
He brought up a good point. It brought me back to our conversation we had days ago, with how much I wanted to know about what they did for work.
Did I want to remain blind to the reality or have all the knowledge and regret it?
Was there a way for me to be in their world and not let it take over my life the way it had for Dax?
“Honestly, I don’t know what I want right now,” I answered, finally being truthful to myself and them for the first time.
“These two and a half weeks have been amazing and life-changing. Dax is convinced I’ll never be able to go back to having a normal life.
She might be right. I don’t know that I want the ‘normal’ life I had before you three,” I said, adding finger quotes because what was normal anyway?
“You don’t have to decide now, but the further you wade into our waters, the harder it will be to walk back out,” Magnus cautioned.
“If you really want to be a part of this mission, see what it would be like to be on a job with us, then so be it. This might be the best way for you to find the answer.”
“I’m sorry, have you been taken by the body snatchers?” Ghost blurted as he set me beside him. “You just willingly said Harper could be in on this mission, one we have no idea what we are doing with, I might add.”
“Believe me when I say I’m not thrilled about this. I don’t love the idea, but I have a feeling if we don’t give her something to do, she’ll find her own way to be involved. That could cause far more problems than choosing a well-thought-out plan,” Magnus countered.
Jaxson scoffed. “A plan we don’t even have yet. We’ve been working on this for the past two days, but what we keep forgetting is the person we are going after, we aren’t killing. We need her alive and to leave with us, both things we don’t do.”
“Umm…” I cut in. “You three are punking me right now, right? This whole moment of you freaking out and doubting yourself is just you trying to see if I’m going to notice you’re playing me, right?”
“What makes you say that? Maybe I took our conversation of us meeting in the middle and being partners to heart,” Magnus reasoned.
“Yup, and I am pro-gun. Speaking of, I’d really love to be packing heat at all times as soon as possible,” I answered with a deadpan tone.
“Look, we might not have been together for long, but if you think I will ever believe you’d let me on a job that easily, you’re out of your damn mind.
Oh, and let’s not even talk about the fact you’re worried about not having a plan.
” I huffed, pointing at Jaxson. “You three live off chaos, and the harder the job, the better. If you wanted me to believe any of that just now, you should have gone with the we-have-an-assassin- coming-after-us-and-want-to-keep-Harper-close argument instead.”
Ghost snorted. “Welp, looks like she knows us better than just about anyone in the world. Yet I feel like I should be worried she can tell when we are lying.”
Our conversation paused as a voice came over the intercom, letting us know we were approaching Moscow.
“Looks like we get to save this for later,” Jaxson said as he started to grab our bags from the rack above our heads. “Mag, did you get a place for us lined up?”
“Yeah, we’ll be staying at a hotel for now. I only booked it for two days. Once we make contact, we’ll know what we’re dealing with better,” Magnus answered.
“Are we done playing games now?” I questioned as I followed them out of our private room on the train.
“Now, what would the fun be in that? You want to learn how to sweet-talk people? Then you’ll need to know when they’re lying or telling the truth. If you can’t tell the difference, it will get you killed faster than a bullet here in Russia,” Magnus said, sending chills down my spine.
“How comforting,” I muttered.
The train station was chaotic with all the people getting off the train, hurrying to a connection, or just happy to be out of the metal tube we’d been rolling around in for hours.
A hand grabbed mine, interlocking our fingers together, ensuring I wouldn’t be dragged along with the masses.
Looking up, I knew it would be Magnus seeing how people started to avoid being close to him with the scowl he had on his face.
I couldn’t help but smile, knowing these scary men were cuddly puppies when interacting with me.
The station lobby was loud as people talked, intercoms blared, and the general craziness of being in such a big city.
I let Magnus lead me around, trusting he would keep me safe.
No matter how many mind games they played to help me understand what could happen in the criminal world, they always put my safety first.
Something I wasn’t as prepared for was the shock of so many people speaking all kinds of languages.
I was passible in Spanish and knew how to get around with limited French, but I was lost when it came to Russian.
Thankfully, many of the signs had translations under them in English, so I had some clue where we were going.
Coming out of the station, Jaxson was already hailing a cab for us and had the door open for me to slide right in.
Ghost followed me, then Jaxson, while Magnus spoke to the driver in perfect Russian.
“Do you all know Russian?” I whispered to Ghost.
“We each know a little, but that was one of Magnus’s to learn.
Between the three of us, we split it up, so all of us didn’t need to learn tons of different languages.
I am fluent in French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Jaxson is your Asian expert with Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic.
Magnus is mostly European with Russian, German, Swedish, and Norwegian. ”
My jaw dropped at that. “Wow, here I was thinking I was doing well for myself, knowing Spanish and some French.”
“Any of us would be happy to work with you to learn more if you wanted. We travel the world so much that it only makes sense to speak to the natives when we have homes in many countries where you can’t always find an English-speaking person,” Jaxson pointed out.
The drive to the hotel was rather quick, so I didn’t get to take in much of the sights. The last time I was here with Dax, we were so focused on praying it up that we didn’t take much time to see the sites. This trip didn’t pose to be any different since we had a mission to accomplish.
Magnus thanked the driver, paid, and helped me out of the taxi while the other two grabbed the bags.
On our fake passports, we were Canadians, and Magnus and I were married.
I knew that was most likely going to be the actual plan for the government, at least, but it was strange to think of being with only one of them.
The hotel was nice, nothing super fancy but clean and welcoming. With the name of the game not to draw attention to ourselves, this was where any typical tourist would pick to stay. Magnus left me with the boys while he got us checked in.
“What’s the plan?” I asked, leaning back against Jaxson.
“Go up to the room, shower, change, then I think it would be nice to go for a cup of coffee, don’t you?” Jaxson asked, pressing a kiss to my temple.
“Yup,” I answered enthusiastically, nodding my head.
“I would kill for a decent shower right now.” Ghost leaned in, took a sniff, and wrinkled his nose, backing away.
“Don’t even start with me, mister. I do not smell that bad.
I didn’t neglect my hygiene, I’ll have you know.
Teeth brushed, face washed, and deodorant applied every day. ”
“I’m just teasing, angel. There’s no way you could ever smell bad to me,” Ghost said, tapping my nose with a finger. “You’re just so cute when you get irritated.”
“Keep talking. You’ll see more of it,” I muttered.
“Hmm, what was that, oh dearest love of my life?” Ghost asked, batting his lashes at me.
“Enough, you two,” Magnus said, cutting off my retort. “Here’s a key to your room, Jaxson, and yours, Ghost. Doll, here is your key to our room,” he said, offering me the plastic card.
“Wait, why are we in three rooms?” I demanded.
Magnus gave me a warning look. “Why would my wife and I sleep in the same room as my brothers?”
Right, we weren’t on vacation anymore. We had a role to play and our noses to keep clean before we smuggled this girl out. Not to mention the assassin coming after us probably knows they all bunk together.
“Sorry, must be the jet lag getting to me. My brains are all muddled. I’m sure a shower and some coffee will have me right as rain,” I answered, smiling up at Magnus, wrapping my arm around his. “Lead the way, hubby.”