Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Finn kept his gaze riveted to the storefront of the designer boutique inside the sprawling Mall of the Emirates, where Harper and Julia had disappeared almost an hour ago. It was after eighteen hundred hours, so they were short on shopping time. Dinner was in two hours.
He’d decided to hang back with Roman on the bench outside the store, while A.J., who lost the intense battle of rock-paper-scissors, was inside with the women as they tried on dresses for the steakhouse tonight.
“Harper okay? Is she coming down with something?”
Roman pulled his attention from the store to Finn. “She thinks she might be pregnant.”
Finn’s spine went straight at the news.
First, Wyatt’s big reveal. Now Harper and Roman might be having a kid?
“Oh. Um.” He scratched his jawline, the growth starting to come in a bit more since he’d trimmed it. “That’s what you all want, right?” Was Roman going to go into panic mode like Wyatt?
“We do. If she has morning sickness, that might be a challenge. Plus, do I want her out in the field with my child in her?” His shoulders collapsed, and he positioned his gaze to the left, then to the right, checking their surroundings.
The mall was filled with a mix of modern versus traditionally dressed people. Some women had on the abaya, a loose-fitting black cloak. Others dressed in the latest fashion while adhering to Dubai’s strict dress code. No exposed shoulders. Nothing above the knees.
Many of the Emirati men had on the kandura, a white, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment.
They also wore the gutra, a variation of the shemagh Finn had worn in Egypt, but it had a white-and-red-checkered pattern on the headdress instead.
Tariq was rarely seen in traditional clothes, unlike his brothers, which had always made it easy for the CIA to ID Tariq on his funding-terrorists escapades over the years.
“I’m happy for you both. We’ll work things out,” Finn finally spoke up once Roman had decided there were no visible threats around them.
“How?” Roman asked in a low voice. “Knox can’t operate with Bravo right now. He has to hang back. So, Bravo is down a man.”
Their last operation, which ultimately brought Roman and Harper together, also led to Knox getting shot.
Although he’d recovered from his injury, Bravo Five was also the President’s son, and his father and pregnant wife felt it best he keep a low profile for now.
So, Knox had been placed on “desk duty,” only allowed to hang back on ops with Jessica in the command center.
“Wyatt told us on the plane that Natasha is pregnant. He said you already knew. Not surprised he told you first. Everyone seems to tell you everything, man.”
“Tell me about it.” Finn lightly laughed, but on the inside, he was in pain. In pain because of the secret he’d kept when he was younger and wished he hadn’t.
“A.J.’s wife is due, too. We’ll—”
“I think it’s time we take up POTUS’s suggestion that we bring on new members,” Finn finished what he was sure was Roman’s line of thought after a couple walked past and moved out of earshot.
“Recruit five new guys. Either they can rotate between our teams, or we start a new one. But that doesn’t mean we retire. ” None of them were ready for that.
“I’m not sharing my call sign,” Roman said. “But Wyatt did float the idea on the plane. I guess this baby thing has the man shook. Never seen him so off.”
“Agree.”
“Harper is going to buy a test while we’re at the mall. If it’s yes, it’s probably good you and Julia are with us this weekend in case my head isn’t in the game.”
If Harper was pregnant, that meant everyone except him had moved forward with their lives and started a family. Marriage and babies. Well, Chris and Rory had a dog for now as their child, but that counted in Finn’s mind.
He’d no longer be the only single guy, he’d be the only one in the bunch alone with no likelihood of becoming a parent anytime soon. And he wasn’t so sure how he felt about that fact. Hell, he was hanging on to thirty-nine by a thread with forty just around the corner.
When Finn lifted his gaze from the tiled floor, he spied Harper exiting a dressing room inside the store, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Roman zero in on her in the red dress. “I’ll be right back,” Roman announced.
“Hey, no PDA allowed here, remember? So, no getting caught hooking up in the dressing room,” Finn teased, but really . . . that’d be a crime in Dubai. They didn’t need anyone else locked up.
Roman tossed a dismissive hand in the air, already on the move.
A.J. exited the store, swapping places with Roman. “He tell you?”
“About Wyatt?” Finn didn’t want to accidentally spill the Harper news in case no one else knew.
A.J. sat next to him on the bench. He had on a black ball cap, dark jeans, and a black tee as his bodyguard-look. Finn still had on his pre-flight khakis and shirt, but he definitely needed a shower before dinner tonight. Probably should shop for clothes, too. “And the new team idea.”
The guys needed some relief as their families grew.
They’d made a commitment not to put their families on the sideline for the sake of an op.
If you didn’t make time for your family, what were they even fighting for?
“I think it’s a good idea. Some new guys to boss around,” Finn said in a light tone, trying to push aside his sadness about the fact he was feeling more alone these days.
A.J. looked around for possible threats as he said, “I could get on board with having new guys buy all of our drinks for the next year. Do the grunt work.” He looked at him over his shoulder for a moment.
“But how are you holding up? The whole mess of Julia running off and then getting taken this morning must have done a number on you.”
Finn thought back to the morning, which now seemed like weeks ago. To the fear that’d swelled as he watched Julia get grabbed and kidnapped within a split second. God, he’d never forget the look of terror on her face.
“I hesitated,” he confessed. “I never hesitate.”
A.J. slapped Finn’s back. “Honestly, if I saw that happening to Ana, I’d probably turn into a deer in the headlights too for a hot second. But she’s okay. So.”
No way would Echo Two freeze. Finn didn't believe that. But he appreciated the attempt to make him feel better.
“We’ve all been a bit off on this trip, I think. And I’m blaming the mummy curse. Opening those coffins . . .”
“Sure, sure.” Finn smiled and shook his head. Leave it to A.J. to lift his mood with talk about mummy curses.
Finn glanced at his watch, growing a bit anxious.
He was awaiting a call from Jessica, who was cooking their backstory as Evie and Richard O’Connell from the hotel where she and the rest of Bravo were staying.
Hopefully, the movie was old enough that no one they encountered tonight had seen it or remembered the character’s names.
In the meantime, Chris was at the stables at the resort to keep an eye on Kaira before Finn and Julia, or rather Evie and Richard arrived.
“I wonder who this American couple is and how they’re connected to Kaira,” Finn said, trying to pull his focus back to the mission. “What are their names again?”
“Joan Wilder and Jack Colton. I guess she didn’t change her name when they married,” A.J. answered.
“Why do those names sound familiar?” Finn had the distinct feeling there was something off about it, but he dropped his thoughts and stood at the sight of everyone exiting the store with bags in hand a moment later.
Julia caught his eyes, and a small smile touched her lips before she made her way to his side. “I need a diamond. A big one. Then costumes.”
“Costumes.” A.J. grunted. “Maybe I don’t need to dress up. I’m your bodyguard, after all.”
“No, I would make you dress up if I were Evie.” Julia winked A.J.’s way, a glow rising on her cheeks, and Finn’s knees went damn near weak. Where’d that come from?
“Why don’t we divide and conquer? The guys need dinner clothes, and uh, safari clothes, too. You two go get the ring, and I’ll pick out clothes with these guys.” Harper offered her elbow, and Roman hooked their arms. “Can you find a diamond in fifteen minutes?”
Julia smiled. “Probably five since it’s not like I’m actually saying I do.”
“Perfect.” Harper motioned for A.J. and Roman to head to the men’s store two windows down, and Julia turned back to Finn.
“So, ready to get married?” she asked as easily as if inquiring whether he wanted an ice cream cone. Finn laughed, but his attention was suddenly pulled to the sound of live music drifting up from the level below. He walked away from Julia and toward the railing.
“You recognize the song?” She eased up next to him to view the band singing on a small raised platform in a courtyard area.
“A Bryan Adams song. I guess we’re really having an eighties weekend.”
Finn had a death grip on the railing, and his knuckles were probably turning white, but he couldn’t let go. Or remove his gaze from the singers.
“Is that Everything I Do?” At the touch of her hand on his back, his muscles flexed, and he tensed.
“My brother used to sing his songs all of the time.” Finn swallowed, trying to force down the lump of emotion as he remembered his brother playing the piano and singing into a microphone in their living room back in Mass when Jaden was twelve years old.
“He did it for my mom. Bryan Adams was her favorite singer.” His voice broke a little because that damn lump wouldn’t move.
“Your brother was a musician? Hobby?”
“Professional. We moved to LA when I was fifteen because my mom hoped he’d be signed by a major record label.” Why am I sharing this? Why, damn it?
“Does he still perform? Would I have heard of him?”
“No.” A quick gutshot answer, and now he needed to change subjects.
When the song ended, Finn released his grip and faced her. The brilliant blue of her eyes was overshadowed by her dilated pupils. She was worried about him, and that was the last thing he wanted. She had enough on her plate.
“Let’s get the ring.” He smiled, trying to replace whatever dark cloud had briefly hung over his head and rained all over him.
“Oh, okay. Um.” Julia glimpsed Finn as they started for the nearest jewelry store. “Tell me about this ‘short straw’ thing.”
Was she trying to help him override? Distract him from the darkness threatening to overwhelm him? “I, um.”
“You didn’t want the gig, huh? And that was before I was evil to you.”
His phone began vibrating in his pocket. Annnd saved by the boss. “It’s Jessica.” Thank God. Hopefully, Julia would forget her question if he spent enough time on the phone. “Are we all set?” he asked upon answering.
“Yes and no. Your cover story should hold up. But Asher called and said Tariq left his sister’s house and is now at the resort.
Chris saw Tariq and Kaira at the stables, and he didn’t look happy.
Tariq escorted her to her villa from there,” Jessica explained.
“Luke and Wyatt have decided it’d be best if Asher and I also go to the resort this weekend now that Tariq is staying there as well. ”
“And he’s not going to make her leave?”
“I just checked, and his name was added as a guest to the party.”
“Well, I guess it makes sense that more of us are there. We may need to divide and conquer,” Finn agreed. “We’ll get you both something to wear to the party Saturday if we can pull off tickets for everyone. And don’t worry, I’ll pick out something ridiculous for the Big Guy to wear.”
“You know me so well. The crazier the outfit for Asher, the better,” Jessica responded with a laugh. “We’ll meet you there.”
“Roger that,” Finn returned in a low voice. “Any word from, uh, you know who, about Julia being here?” he asked, not wanting to mention the President’s name.
“He’s . . . not happy. We’ve dealt with worse situations, though,” Jessica said, an uncharacteristic hesitancy to her tone. “We’ll deal. We always do. See you soon.”
Finn ended the call and pocketed his phone, then gently urged Julia off to the side of the flow of traffic and near a storefront window to talk.
“Tariq is at the resort. He was pissed that his sister was there from the looks of it. And now he’s on the guest list for the party.
” He shook his head. “We need to figure out who the hell this Joan Wilder and Jack Colton really are.”
“Wait, who?” Julia blinked a few times. What had he said? “Joan and Jack are characters from Romancing the Stone. An eighties movie I loved as a kid.”
The fucking ’80s again, and now the Bryan Adams song was back in his head along with the painful memories of his past, too. “Coincidence?”
“We’re Evie and Richard, remember?” Julia lifted a challenging brow. “What if this couple picked out names for themselves from one of their favorite movies? And that’s why their past is such a mystery?”
“Yeah, it’s weird our facial recognition software couldn’t ID them.”
“I think this couple is as real as Evie and Richard.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose as if a painful or alarming thought had filled her mind. “And I have a guess as to who a couple might have gone to if they needed a face change.”
“Giorgio Fucking Ferrari,” Finn said under his breath.