Chapter Twenty Audrey
Chapter Twenty
Audrey
From inside a private hangar at the Denver airport, my brother turned to face me, a worried expression crossing his face.
The secretary of defense must’ve pulled some strings to discreetly get us in here. No way would we have rolled through security with these guys armed to the teeth.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to get on this plane with Seraphina?” Ryder asked.
I peeked around him to look at said plane, with the name Costa scrolled in billionaire black on its side, then found his eyes. “I’ve got a list of things I swore I’d never do. Want to guess what’s on it?”
He smirked. And yeah, we could smile right now. Because my son had FaceTimed me from Michael Maddox’s cabin ten minutes ago while we were waiting for this plane to pull into the hangar, and he was fine. We all were.
“I take it you’re going to tell me it has something to do with planes?” Ryder lifted his brows.
“More like private jets. They’re the real reason I never want to get rich. They feel like an obligatory purchase, along with a Birkin bag—two things I can live without.” I smirked. “Jumbo jets are way more my speed. I need something that looks like it could survive an attack.”
“So I shouldn’t let my soon-to-be wife on board, is what you’re saying?” He rested his hand on my shoulder and lightly squeezed. “What if I get you a bigger plane? One of those two-story ones. Will you leave then?”
I rolled my eyes.
“That’s what I thought. You’re not going anywhere until this mess is done. And I suppose size doesn’t really matter. At least, not always.”
“You sure you don’t want to go with us?” Seraphina joined the party in trying to get me to leave, too.
“Come to New York with me. Keep me company while they take out the bad guys.” At her request, Ryder let go of me so she could take over, and he rejoined the rest of his team, along with the four men who’d been on the jet.
“What would you do if you were me?” I asked her once everyone was out of earshot.
“Truth?” she whispered.
“Yes, please.” I fidgeted with the tactical vest weighing me down, anxious to get it off me.
“I’d jump straight into the fight myself.
I mean, I did go undercover with a psychotic drug smuggler to seek revenge for my family, so I’m not the best at taking the advice I give.
” She looped her arm through mine as Ryder talked to Reed and the four mystery men set to whisk away my brother’s bride-to-be.
Ryder must’ve really trusted these guys.
Also, how lucky were we that they’d just left Vegas for New York? And, thanks to Secretary Chandler, were able to make an emergency stop in Denver?
Not luck. Fate. Everything has to be okay. We’re going to get out of this, and Chase will go back to having a normal and wonderful childhood free of bad guys and danger.
The only thing keeping my legs from giving out and my stomach from doing full-on somersaults right now was the fact he was safe now with Trevor, in some type of fortress-cabin off the grid.
Alex turned to the side, casting a quick look my way. We’d yet to speak since we departed the lodge.
“Who are they?” I asked her.
“Ryder’s friends with the only guy over there who doesn’t have Costa as a last name.” Seraphina discreetly pointed toward the non-Costa. “That’s Hudson Ashford. Maybe he even knows Trevor. He was a Navy SEAL, too. He’s now married to Isabella Costa. Well, suppose she’s an Ashford now.”
Before I had a chance to ask a follow-up question, Ryder called us over.
The sooner we got this show on the road, the better, I thought. We still had to swap vehicles and get to Boulder.
Natasha, our goddess of a cyber helper today, was currently covering our tracks with the CCTV footage while here to ensure no possible hacker on Team Mitch (or Team Counterfeit Mitch) could track us.
If they figured out we came here after the lodge, they’d begin chasing their tails trying to find where we would go next. Those were Natasha’s words, at least.
“Guess we better go over to him before Ryder comes and tosses the both of us over each shoulder. Knowing him, I bet the man would actually do that, too.” Seraphina kept her voice light and teasing, probably hoping to calm my nerves.
Ryder began making introductions to Seraphina and me. It felt nice to hear “This is my sister,” come from his mouth with such pride, too.
A chorus of nice to meet you’s followed as each of the men shook my hand.
“You just happened to be in Vegas heading home, huh?” I should’ve ditched the curious tone there, but it’d come out anyway.
The four men exchanged a look before one of them broke forward from the pack, his thumb grazing his jaw. “We had business there.” There was a notable accent. Italian?
“The kind of business my brother’s acquainted with?” My lips teased into a smile.
“Maybe.” The guy smirked before turning toward Ryder. “Ready?”
Ryder reached for Seraphina and pulled her to the side. “Give me a moment and we will be.” Holding her hand, he walked her out of view to the other side of the jet, where I had a feeling he’d be spending that moment kissing her.
“Congrats, man,” Reed said to Hudson, not elaborating on why; then he turned toward one of the other men while picking up Seraphina’s bag. “I heard your wife’s pregnant with a girl and that, uh, you have a teenage son?”
“She is, and I do.” A man of few words.
“Glad everything worked out in Italy. I heard things got a little intense and that you died?”
And then there was Reed. Apparently a man of direct words.
“Just for a couple of minutes.” The mystery Costa nodded at Alex for some reason. “Heard you had a close call, too?”
Your ex-wife shot you. I still couldn’t get over that. How much baggage did we have in common?
Alex brushed the spot I’d patched up like he could still feel the memory under the skin. “I’m fine.”
“Well, you’re in good hands, Audrey,” Hudson commented as Reed handed him the bag.
I sighed. “I know. Thank you. And thank you for keeping Seraphina safe while we, um, figure out whether . . .”
“Your husband’s really dead?” one of the other men said, his accent fainter.
“Enzo,” Hudson snapped, giving him a death stare as Ryder and Seraphina returned. “Way to be blunt.”
“It’s fine—and you’re right.” I chewed on my lip, unsure what to say next. I was grateful I didn’t have to speak, because Ryder did it for me.
“Natasha called; she says we’re clear to roll out.
We better go.” Ryder let go of Seraphina’s arm and offered his hand.
“Constantine,” he said with a tip of the head, then went down the row of men.
“Alessandro. Enzo.” When he got to Hudson, he gave him a quick one-armed hug instead. “Thank you. I owe you.”
Constantine stood tall in a crisp suit and gave off leader energy.
And while Alessandro and Enzo carried themselves like businessmen, it was obvious all three were also the kind of guys who could kill you and still make it to a dinner reservation.
Hudson was the only one who smiled like a human instead of a loaded weapon.
Constantine stepped forward. “Happy to help.”
It was good to pair names with faces now.
“Seraphina can stay at my place. My wife will love having you around. My son . . . well, uh, he can be a lot, but—”
“I can handle him, don’t worry,” Seraphina reassured Constantine before Ryder pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.
My brother didn’t give a damn who had eyes on him. And somehow I loved him even more for that.
After a few more goodbyes, Ryder ushered us out a side exit where a black Suburban waited, parked like it’d appeared by magic while we were inside.
Alex tossed both my bags into the trunk, and I whispered softly, “Thank you. For everything.”
He gave a tight-mouthed nod and quietly reached out to adjust the plated vest I’d forgotten I was wearing. He gestured toward the SUV—my cue to get inside. Of course, he beat me to it, opening the door for me, and I let another thank-you brush from my lips to his ears in a whisper.
Reed was already behind the wheel with Ryder at his side, now holding the iPad Seraphina had been in charge of before.
“She’s going to be fine.” Reed elbowed my brother, then put the SUV in drive and pulled forward.
Ryder glanced out the window in the direction of the hangar. “I know,” he returned after a deep exhalation. He peeked back at me. “So will you.”
I nodded, unable to get any words out, then dug into my pocket where I’d stashed my new phone to keep an eye on Chase’s location.
A text popped up a moment later. A photo of Chase watching a movie alongside Michael and Kate Maddox’s kids.
Me: Thank you for this. We’re leaving the airport now.
Trevor: Good. Be safe.
Me: Always.
I closed my eyes, only to have them startled open when my brother hit me with words I didn’t want to hear: “We just received word from Hell.”
Hell. Why did that signature feel like it had an all-new meaning? The man might have very well come back from there himself.
“What’d he say?” I sat taller, planting a hand on the back of Reed’s seat while side-eyeing Alex, noticing him shift uncomfortably at the news.
“Here.” Ryder handed me a phone, a different one from what Mitch had given us, but presumably the “mirrored” version of it—whatever that meant.
I held it out so Alex could look with me.
Unknown: I know you, Audi. I know how you think. You’re not with Chase. You placed yourself in danger to protect him. Of course you did. It’s what any good mom would do. —Hell
Unknown: Nice trick with the car and snowplows. You bought yourself some time. I expected you to get away. You’re resourceful.
Unknown: But if you want to keep everyone you love safe, I expect you to do what I say.
Three images popped up at once.
I stared at the first one, which had to have been taken in Fargo at Christmas. Alex and Chase building a snowman.
The next was of my brother playing hockey with my son.
The third was me alongside Seraphina, watching Ryder, Reed, and Alex in a snowball fight with Chase.
Oh my God.
Another photo came through, this one of us at the edge of the woods with Alex at the lodge.
Unknown: Don’t tell me you’re falling for another man in uniform. Delta. Really?
Unknown: I’m still your husband, Audi. Till death do us part. You better remember that. You’re mine. We’re in this together. For better or worse.
Unable to stop myself, I pulled the phone back to my lap, about to fire off a reply, but Alex rested a hand over mine. I looked up at him, and he shook his head, mouthing, Don’t.
I gave him the phone before I did something stupid.
That fragile feeling that maybe everything would be okay vanished in an instant. I started shaking, unable to stop my body from responding in such a way.
“That text came from Mitch, I’m sure of it,” I whispered as I shifted my gaze to Ryder. “He’s the only one who called me Audi, and I just feel it deep in my bones. He’s alive.” My voice cracked. “And that means he’s right. I’m still that man’s wife whether I like it or not.”