33. Killian
There was no fear, disgust, or annoyance in those dark eyes after I KO’ed the asshole with a single hit to the head. The additional hits after he was out were all for my enjoyment rather than ensuring he stayed unconscious. If he didn’t want to almost die, he shouldn’t have looked at what was mine. Wiping the blood from my knuckles on my dark pants, I stepped out of the small closet and closed the door with a soft click.
When I spun around, ready to put the new plan into action, I found Millie perched on the edge of the bed, both high heels dangling from one hand, just like I instructed. For two reasons: One, if we needed to run, there was no way she could in those three-inch heels. Two, well, call me a caveman, but I loved our height difference. Loved how her tiny frame fit perfectly against mine, how she had to tip her face up to meet my gaze.
It spoke to the protector in me.
And the fucked-up side, too. I couldn’t wait to see all the different ways that tiny body could bend for me.
“Ready for scene two?” I asked, waggling my brows, hoping to lessen the seriousness of the situation. “Spoiler alert: we win.”
A cute snort escaped as she stood. “You don’t know that.”
“Sure I do.”
“How?”
“Because you have me, chameleon extraordinaire, and I have you, the smartest person I’ve ever met.”
Her teeth sank into the lower lip I loved to suck between my own, hiding a grin. Interlacing our fingers, I tugged her toward the closed door and slipped my cell free to check for any missed messages or alerts from Hunter.
Nothing. No texts, calls, or alerts from anyone.
Unease churned in my gut. He should’ve made the drop hours ago and sent an ETA of when he would be back, but there was complete radio silence from his end. In fact, I hadn’t received any messages or calls since the moment we stepped foot in the mansion hours ago. As I stared at the darkened screen, it hit me as to why.
A hissed curse escaped between my clenched teeth, making Millie curl tighter against my side.
“They must have a jammer,” I muttered. “Probably so no one can live stream while they get their fuck on.” Worry flickered over Millie’s features. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. We’re still good to go. Now I know why Hunter hasn’t reached out. I was getting worried. Once we’re out of range, my phone will work again, and we can call in reinforcements.”
It really was fine. We didn’t need my cell for the next step of the plan, but it sure as hell would be nice on the off chance things went sideways. I didn’t care what happened to me, more about Millie. Wait. As I thought those words, I realized they were a lie.
Sometime between when I saw Millie again and now, I began to care about my safety. With her in my life, I wanted to make it out unscathed, to fight harder and be smarter. For too many years, I was reckless with my life, taking unnecessary risks.
Now I had a life to look forward to with Millie. So it was settled. We would both make it out of this shithole alive and unharmed. Failure was not an option. Rolling both shoulders, I stretched my neck to one side and then to the other, relieving some of the tension from the tight muscles.
“Remember the plan.”
“What plan?” she hissed as I opened the door.
I paused and looked down at her with a frown. Shit, did I forget to tell her what I came up with while I hog-tied the fucker in the closet? Seemed I was too used to working alone.
“Right, just act drunk and horny. Since you’re already one of those, it should be easy.” I shot her a salacious wink and pulled the door open wide enough to poke my head through the gap. Head on a swivel, I checked up and down the hall, relaxing slightly at finding it empty. Only the distant sounds of laughter and voices came from the direction of the ongoing fuckfest back in the main part of the house.
One foot out in the hall, then another, I led Millie towards the staff’s stairwell, each step silent and cautious. My heart raced, and sweat slicked my spine, but it wasn’t out of fear or worry. Anticipation and excitement thrummed through my veins. My body reacted this way in high-pressure situations like this. My dad was right about one thing early on: I was born for this kind of work. My ability to remember anything I heard only added to my value as an asset for the CIA. I loved the thrill, the thrumming anticipation that kept all your senses on high alert.
A heavy thump and vibrations shaking the wall on my right had me whirling to the sound, instantly searching and prepared to snap the neck of anyone close. A loud, muffled moan followed by another solid thump came from the other side of the wall.
Right. Clearly not a threat to tonight’s mission.
Seemed someone was having fun in there.
Shaking my head, I continued down the long hallway, my fingers constantly tightening around Millie’s, reassuring myself that she was close behind me without needing to turn around. I couldn’t afford to be distracted, not when so much was at stake.
Pausing at the plain, white-painted door at the end, I turned the bronze knob, careful not to leave any prints on the shiny metal, and inched the door open, ensuring the staff stairwell was empty before guiding Millie in behind me. The soft click as the door shut behind us echoed through the quiet space. Step by step, we eased up the stairs. Thanks to the thin carpet, each careful step was silent and cushioned the bottom of Millie’s bare feet.
Paused at the second-floor landing, I tugged Millie close and pressed my lips against her ear.
“Act drunk and idiotic, like you have no sense that we’re doing something wrong.” She nodded. “And no matter what, let me handle the security. If there is a… disagreement between me and them, I’ll handle it.”
“Disagreement meaning a potential fight to the death?”
I smirked. “Exactly. Ready to act?”
At her hesitant nod, I opened the door wide like I had no care in the world or knowledge that we were entering a restricted area. Instantly, I identified two fuckers in suits that stood outside a door. Both their heads whipped our way as we stumbled from the stairwell.
“Oh, this is pretty,” Millie giggled, pitch high and filled with excitement. “Look, honey, we have extras.” Dropping my hand and her shoes, she clapped and bounced on her toes. “Can they join us, please?”
I huffed a humorless laugh and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, moving us both toward the frowning security.
Both wore nine millimeters on their hips, but neither reached for the sidearms. Instead, they watched us meander closer, one with curiosity, the other with suspicion. The latter was the one I needed to take out first. No way in hell would I give either time to radio for backup or alert others we were here.
“This is a restricted area,” the suspicious one said, though he couldn’t stop watching the way Millie swayed to some unknown beat in her head. If our lives weren’t on the line, I’d watch her, too. She jerked like a person possessed, nothing that anyone would consider labeling dancing. Somehow, it all made her even more adorable and perfect in my eyes. “The available private rooms are downstairs?—”
“That’s where we were, but”—I angled my head toward Millie—“she wanted to go find some company, though it seems we got turned around.”
“Babe,” Millie whined, tugging at my shirt sleeve. “I’m super horny. I need you.” Her head lolled to the side, and she eyed the two men with hooded lids. “Or them. I’m not picky.”
“Neither am I,” said the curious one. Welp, seemed Mr. Suspicious was now second on my kill list because Mr. Curious thought it was okay to eye fuck my wife like she was a piece of meat.
How dare he.
Only I could do that.
Again, Millie clapped excitedly as she skipped down the hall with me hot on her heels.
“Ma’am, you need to go back downstairs where you’re allowed.” Mr. Suspicious eyed me. “Who are you two? This is a private event, and I don’t recognize you from the leadership team.”
Right, no time to waste, then. I needed to deal with the two immediately.
Noting the height differences between Millie and the two men, I placed a palm to her lower back and urged her between them. She shot a questioning look over her shoulder, but I just smiled and nodded.
“It’s okay, baby, I don’t mind sharing. These two men look like they could use a break.”
“Fuck yeah, we could,” Mr. Curious huffed, hand going to Millie’s waist. I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Carl, we can’t?—”
“Yes, we can,” Millie rasped, voice breathy and oh so fake. Damn, she was good. Wonder if she took acting lessons since college. “It won’t take me long, I promise.”
“Ben, for fuck’s sake, relax. The pastor isn’t even up here. Let’s have some fun with this?—”
And just like that, the two idiots died because they thought with their dicks.
Okay, fine, they didn’t die, but I was tempted to add a little more power when I palmed the back of both heads and slammed their foreheads together. The crunch of their skulls connecting made me wince as I snagged Millie’s elbow and pulled her from between the men before they crumbled to the floor.
Mr. Serious was out while Mr. Curious blinked up at me, clearly seeing stars.
“What the fuck?” he groaned, hand flopping at his side where the radio hung off his belt.
“Nope, sorry, bucko, can’t let you radio for help. That would ruin our plans. Nighty-night.”
Pulling my already bruised and split fist back, I slammed my knuckles against his temple. Once to knock him out, the second time because he touched Millie.
It made me feel better. Way more than what was probably considered healthy.
“Maybe I should pick up boxing instead of going to therapy. I really feel lighter already.”
“Focus, please.” Millie sighed. “Think this is her room?”
“I don’t know, Margo,” I said in my best snooty voice. “Get it?”
“What…” She tossed her hands up in the air. “A movie quote?”
I nodded. “A movie quote. We have serious work to do if you can’t identify that quote from Christmas Vacation. There are a solid ten to fifteen iconic lines from that movie.” With a dramatic, defeated sigh, I hitched my chin toward the door. “See if it’s locked.”
Reaching out, Millie tried the handle. It rattled in her hand instead of turning. Kneeling between the two unconscious idiots, I patted their pockets, removing their guns and radios, securing all to my belt as I went, until I felt the sharp outline of metal keys inside Mr. Serious’s pants.
“Try these.” As she pulled the keys from my outstretched hand, a sense of urgency sent a bolt of trepidation through me. “And hurry, they probably have cameras out here in the hall. We need to pull Tweedledee and Tweedledum into the room so it’s not obvious Karigan is in trouble.”
The multiple metal keys rattled, jingling together as she tried one key, then another. The third and last on the small ring smoothly slid into the keyhole and turned the knob, twisting with it. Millie flashed a victorious grin over her shoulder and pushed the door open wide for me to see inside.
I did a quick scan of the room, only pausing for a moment on the girl staring out the window from her perch on the bed. I gestured for Millie to continue inside and turned back to the two unconscious idiots. With no time to waste, I gripped under their arms and stepped back, grunting through the effort needed to drag their heavy-as-hell bodies into the room. Deadweight was always a bitch to move.
Millie spoke in a soft, comforting tone as she carefully approached Karigan, her words barely audible over my heavy breaths as I strained to pull the bodies deep enough into the room to allow the door to shut.
A male voice crackled through the room. Both women’s heads whipped my way, eyes wide at the loud sound. One stolen gun already in hand, I scanned the room, moving to clear the adjoining bathroom and small walk-in closet.
When the voice came again, I froze, only to relax when realization wormed its way through the kill fog.
The radio.
The voice came through the radio on my hip. The clip snapped against the plastic back as I ripped one from my waistband. Fingers on the dial, I upped the volume and set it on the dresser beside me.
“Hurry, Millie,” I ordered. “I’ll try to keep up with the chatter, but we’re on borrowed time. When these two don’t report in, someone will come check on them.”
With a clipped nod, she closed the distance between her and Karigan, slowly sinking onto the bed beside her.
Pulling the other gun free, I double-checked both clips and engaged each slide. One in each hand, I pointed the barrels toward the door and widened my stance, gaze locked on the only way in and out of the room. Now it was up to Millie to convince Karigan of the danger she was in and the freedom that waited beyond the compound’s walls, hopefully, before the rest of the security team noticed Tweedledee and Tweedledum missed their check-in.
I smiled and shifted my weight, keeping my muscles tensed and ready for anything.
That pastor fucker’s ragtag security team had nothing on me. If they tried to hurt my Millie or the innocent girl we were here to save, then they’d quickly find out that I wasn’t here to play games and they would be dead before they even realized they were in my crosshairs.