Chapter 12
Waverly
Ready or not, this was it. My team, plus Shayne, had spent the past few days meticulously planning an op we weren’t even sure would work. The only other person who knew what we were up to was Joel. Both Noreen and Wes had been left in the dark at his insistence.
Thanks to Bob the reporter––who manipulated his way into a one-on-one interview––Finn’s annual banquet had received an outrageous amount of airtime.
It’s what we wanted. Exposure. The more the better, in Duncan’s opinion.
But it wasn’t his lamb we were leading to slaughter.
It was mine. My heart. My love. My…everything.
The whole idea was to present the stalker with the opportunity of a lifetime; one he or she couldn’t resist. Close to four hundred fifty people would be in attendance, if you included the catering and waitstaff.
One person could easily go unnoticed with those kinds of numbers.
It was those thoughts which made me a nervous wreck.
Our limo came to a stop outside of Lachlan Industries.
Wes opened the back passenger’s side door and just like we’d discussed, Keaton was waiting to escort us inside the building.
The rest of my team, plus Shayne and a few of her most trusted officers, were strategically placed throughout the hall where the party was being held.
We were covered, yet something felt off.
I circled Finn’s forearm with my fingers when he tried to slide across the leather seat.
“Do not leave my side for any reason. Okay?”
“Baby.” His blue eyes softened. “Everything will be fine.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.” He silenced my protest with a look. “Trust your team, Way. Trust yourself. Besides, you made me wear Kevlar under this getup. It’s impenetrable.”
Not entirely, but it’d slow down a bullet.
“You guys coming?” Keaton called out.
Finn cocked his head to the side, waiting for my response.
I closed my eyes and breathed through the panic.
Eventually, I nodded. Peeling my fingers from his arm, Finn laced them with his, then swung out of the limo.
Showtime. The moment my head cleared the door, flashbulbs lit up around us from the media circus gathered on the sidewalk, making it impossible to see beyond the spots overtaking my vision. My stomach tightened.
“We’re on the move.” Keaton’s voice sounded through the small earpiece I was wearing.
The twenty-five yards to the front entrance seemed like a mile, but we cleared the sliding doors without incident.
Once inside, we moved straight to the elevators, which would take us to the basement level.
Only then, when we were securely enclosed in a tiny metal box, did I chance a second to admire the way Finn filled out his tuxedo.
The black suit was expertly tailored to fit his tall frame and muscular build.
Under the jacket, he wore the customary white button-down dress shirt; however, instead of a black bow tie, he’d chosen a green one to match my gown.
He looked amazing, though he always did.
When the silver doors slid open, my mouth dropped.
Somehow, Noreen had created a tropical oasis in the middle of Bumfuck, West Virginia.
Colorful lights were strung high above us, casting a warm glow over the spacious room.
A half a dozen palm trees––housed in industrial-sized planters––kissed the ceiling, while their branches loomed over large pits of sand which had been trucked in for the occasion.
I winced, feeling sorry for whatever company she’d hired to clean up after the party.
They’d more than earn every cent of their paycheck that night for sure.
Round tables filled the space to the left while a makeshift dance floor, which was already jam-packed with gyrating bodies moving to the beat of the music, was on the right. It was a logistical nightmare of our own creation.
“You’re late.” Noreen wrapped Finn in a hug.
“Good thing I’m handsome then.”
She backhanded him across the chest, then folded me in her arms. “You look stunning, Waverly.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
The sleeveless, midnight-blue gown was elegant, much like the woman wearing it. Ending near mid-ankle, it flowed in sync with every move she made.
“And what about me?” Joel stole me from his wife, planting a loud kiss on my cheek.
“You look very nice.”
Despite my nerves, I snorted when Finn snagged me around the waist, pulling me back into his chest.
“Lips to yourself, old man.”
“Behave.” I rolled my eyes, then cursed myself. I was supposed to be scanning our surroundings, not letting my guard down. “Is everything set?”
“Nelson’s set up in the main security room, along with two of my guys. Between the three of them, they’ve got a visual on almost every inch of the building.”
Duncan, Joel, and Nelson did a walk-through two days prior, placing additional cameras wherever they noticed a blind spot. Although the cameras wouldn’t stop a madman, they gave us the advantage of having eyes everywhere if all else failed.
“Perfect.”
“The two of you need to take your seats.” Noreen ushered us along. “Dinner will be served in a few minutes, then it’s time for your speech, Finn.”
Regardless of what Noreen thought, our arrival was timed perfectly.
Finn being out in the open was paramount to the success of our mission.
That didn’t mean he had to be on display for hours upon hours.
Getting here late was one of my caveats.
Finn wearing Kevlar was the other. Even with all the federal agents and police officers in attendance, thinking about him standing up on a stage in front of the entire room made me twitchy.
All it would take was one well-placed shot, then game over. Like hell would I let that happen.
“Where’s Duncan?”
“I’m at your eleven o’clock,” he answered through the comms unit.
“Keaton, stay with Finn for a minute. I’ll be right back.”
I pushed my way through the crowd, which started to form when the DJ announced dinner was about to start. Duncan was standing up against a wall, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes continued to search the room, even while I approached.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, flicking the earpiece out of his ear.
“Everything.”
“Break it down for me.”
“I can’t, Duncan. I’ve got nothing definitive. Just my gut.”
“You know as well as I do, if your gut talks, you listen. We’ve still got time to pull the plug on this whole thing if you want. Say the word and it’s done.”
“No. We need to end this before someone really gets hurt.”
This stalker was playing a deadly game. Who knew how many people could’ve died because of carbon monoxide poisoning. He or she didn’t care who they hurt so long as they took down Finn in the process.
“Then what do you need me to do?”
“Stay close. Get to Finn if I can’t.”
“Keaton has him.”
“No, Duncan. I need you to have him.”
Locking eyes with one of my best friends in the world, I waited for him to grasp my meaning.
I wanted––no, I needed Duncan to make Finn his priority over me.
Keaton was good, but Duncan was the best agent the FBI had ever seen.
No one else came close to his skill level.
It’s the reason why he’d been in such high demand before his cover was blown years ago.
He could get into and out of any situation without being seen. He was like a ghost.
“Fine,” he gritted through his teeth.
I left him to stew, returning to Finn, who was patiently waiting by our assigned table.
We were joined by Joel, Noreen, and two other couples who were introduced, then immediately forgotten about.
Thank God Noreen was an expert conversationalist. It wasn’t like I was trying to be rude, but there were more important things to focus my attention on, rather than the popularity of my dress designer. Seriously? Who gave a shit?
Drinks were poured for those who didn’t already have one, followed by a plate filled with Caesar salad.
Halfway through, the servers reappeared; two per table.
One cleared the dirty dishes away, while the other retrieved the main courses from a serving cart.
My stomach grumbled loudly when a delicious looking Beef Wellington was placed in front of me.
I leaned into Finn, asking quietly. “How’d they know what I wanted?”
“I gave our dinner choices to Noreen yesterday.”
“What if I wanted the vegetarian option?”
He grinned, talking directly into my ear. “You didn’t seem to have a problem eating meat the other night, baby.”
Instantly, I heard a multitude of curses, groans, and Shayne’s rather amused voice. “By all means, don’t remind him that you’re on comms, Way. I’m rather enjoying the entertainment.”
“Shit,” I groaned, face-planting in my palm.
“What?”
Rather than tell him, I casually pointed to my ear. While I blushed the shade of a fire truck, the bastard had the audacity to smile wider. Men were idiots.
After dinner was dessert, which I declined; having a hard enough time keeping the beef from reappearing.
Then it was time for Finn’s speech. When he stood, I grabbed my purse and went with him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Duncan parallel us on the right while Shayne did the same on the left.
A small stage had been erected at the front of the room.
It wasn’t big enough for the both of us, so I moved off to the side, but stayed close enough to intervene.
Among the party-goers, my team did their best to blend in.
Keaton was near the bathrooms, hidden mostly in the shadows.
Koen held a position near the entrance, while Noah and Lanie roamed the room in opposite directions.
All heads were on a constant swivel, looking for any signs of danger.