Chapter 26
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“You look stunning, by the way. Not sure if I told you that, Wonder Woman.” Finn’s husky voice, and him playfully calling her Wonder Woman as he held her in his arms on the dance floor, had Julia nearly collapsing against him with relief that he didn’t appear angry anymore.
They’d arrived at the costume party thirty minutes ago, and this was the first time he’d spoken to her.
She lifted her eyes and flicked the wide brim of his fedora with her finger to better see his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her shoulders sagging under the weight of his brilliant green gaze.
Shakespeare had certainly gotten it right when he’d said the eyes are the window to the soul because Finn’s were overflowing with emotion.
“I don’t want you mad at me.” Julia dropped her eyes to his chest and drew her body closer to his.
“I had no right to be upset with you on the beach, especially after everything you’ve done for me.
It was a knee-jerk reaction to you wanting to send me away. I’m sorry.”
He brought his forehead to hers, as if exhausted or troubled, maybe both. She didn’t blame him after the day he’d had.
His mission had become about the very enemy that had stolen his brother from him. Pills. And the guilt that he was to blame for Jaden’s death was most likely bubbling back up inside of him.
“I’m mad at myself, not you.” He placed his warm palm on her back and slowly slid it up beneath her mass of hair to cup the nape of her neck. Leaning back to find her eyes, he admitted, “I’m scared I’m going to lose you, so I guess I tried to push you away before it happens.”
She blinked in surprise at his confession.
When was the last time someone was so straightforward and honest with her, so real?
“I can understand that.” But could she tell him with certainty that she wouldn’t leave him? Did she trust herself not to run when she was swimming in a sea of fear, terrified she’d lose him each time he was off fighting bad guys? How would she be able to survive that?
He didn’t need to know about the war of indecision waging in her head. The push and pull of emotions that had been yanking her all over the place since the moment their bodies had connected inside that tent.
She knew in her heart that she wanted Finn, but she’d been running for so long, and old habits were hard to break, as he knew. Before she made a commitment to him, she needed to get her head on straight, or they’d both suffer the consequences.
“Tango One and Two are here now.” The voice in her ear reminded her of the fancy wireless comm Harper had provided her before the party. Fortunately, Finn’s teammates would only hear them if she tapped the comm to unmute it.
I didn’t accidentally tap it, did I?
Finn stepped back and released her, then discreetly touched his ear. “This is Five. I see them.”
Earlier, Julia had learned that his call sign was Echo Five and gotten a rundown of the call signs for each team member who’d be in her ear tonight.
Finn kept his attention on Kaira and Tariq as they made their way to the hosts, Joan and Jack.
Tariq wasn’t dressed up, of course. He was wearing jeans and a solid black tee, and his black hair was gelled and a little spiky.
Kaira’s costume was a simple pink dress and heels, which could have been from any one of the many ’80s dance-themed movies. Dirty Dancing or Footloose, maybe?
Tariq kept hold of Kaira’s arm as they made their way through the room, but tonight he seemed to be the protective brother, unlike the other times Julia had witnessed him with his sister when he’d given off an angry vibe that made her concerned for Kaira’s safety.
His eyes kept darting around the room as if searching for possible threats.
What was that all about? Did he suspect someone knew the truth about him?
And why didn’t a woman like Kaira have a bodyguard in the first place?
For that matter, why didn’t Tariq have one?
Unless they did but felt they weren’t needed at the resort?
Julia looked around for Jessica and Asher, and despite being in a large event room surrounded by men and women in costumes, they stuck out. Well, Asher did.
A.J. was stationed at the bar to keep tabs on the hosts.
And with Tariq now joining the party, Jessica was supposed to stop dancing with her husband and do her best to garner Tariq’s attention.
But would he let his sister out of his sights, even for a gorgeous woman?
The way he held on to his sister had Julia growing worried their plan and their backup plan might fail.
It was all hands on deck, though. Wyatt and the others not at the party were still working on putting the puzzle pieces together and tracking leads behind the scenes, so she hoped by the end of the night, they found some answers and a resolution.
A way to stop Tariq and free Oliver before it was too late.
“One and Two are sitting at their assigned table,” A.J. announced over comms as Tariq pulled out the chair for Kaira. “Wait, he’s leaving her and heading to the bar.”
“I’ll move his way now, then,” Jessica responded.
Julia held her breath as she watched Jessica pull away from Asher and cut across the crowded dance floor, maneuvering between the framed movie posters that were fixed around the room.
The band was off to the side of the event space on a raised platform, which would also double as the auction stage when the fundraising part of the evening began.
The auction wouldn’t happen until later, not that they’d still be there for it, but auctions always reminded her of how her brother met his wife.
She still felt bad about sending Michael off the way she had, but there were Navy SEALs and former CIA officers working the case, and Michael belonged back home with his family.
“I hate this,” Asher hissed in a low voice over his comm. Julia detected a note of bitterness in his tone, and she was still a bit surprised he’d finally agreed to the plan.
“Targets Three and Four are talking to someone now,” A.J. said, moving away from the bar when Jessica approached, making room to allow her to try and chat with Tariq. “Almost time to move in.”
Targets Three and Four were Joan and Jack, who’d dressed as the couple from Top Gun, another one of Julia’s favorite films. But what woman born in the ’80s didn’t love that movie?
Or Dirty Dancing for that matter? How many times had she written she loved Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze in her diary as a kid?
Julia blinked back to reality and focused on Finn, who had his gaze riveted toward targets Three and Four.
“Ah, another Indiana Jones,” Julia said softly at the sight of a man dressed similarly to Finn except with a button-down shirt beneath his jacket instead of a black tee. He was talking to Joan and Jack, nodding at whatever they were saying, but his eyes were set on Kaira.
“Guys, we, uh, may need to change our plans,” Finn said, and Julia turned to find him staring straight at the other Indiana, who was now laser-focused on Finn.
Did they know each other?
“I see him, too,” A.J. responded in a low voice. “What the hell is he doing here, and why is he talking to them?”
Julia turned into Finn and tugged at his shirt. “Mind telling me what’s going on?”
Finn lowered his gaze to Julia. “I-I need to talk to him,” he said instead, which was unsettling. Whoever the other Indiana was, his sudden appearance had clearly shaken Finn. But Finn wanted to talk to him, which meant . . . was this guy on their side? Team Good Guys?
Julia watched Finn walk away, debating on whether or not she ought to go with him for the sake of appearances. Before she had a chance to move, she spied A.J. heading her way. Maybe he’d have answers.
It appeared that Jessica had managed to strike up a conversation with Tariq, and when Julia searched out Asher, she couldn’t find him. Knowing him, he wouldn’t simply leave the room with his wife talking to a man like Tariq, though.
“Who is Finn talking to? What if he gives away our identities in front of Joan and Jack?” she whispered when A.J. was at her side.
“He won’t.” A.J. stroked his beard, and he peered around the room before putting his attention on Julia.
“How can you be so sure?” she asked, as Finn started their way with not just the other Indiana at his side but Joan and Jack, too.
“What’s going on?” Julia asked A.J. in a low voice, more insistent this time. But before he could answer, the band kicked off a new song that had Finn stopping in his tracks.
Bryan Adams.
The songs by that particular musician were Finn’s kryptonite, it would seem. A reminder of Jaden and the pain Finn still carried because of his death.
She wanted to wrap her arms around him and ease that pain. But they were on a mission, and when Finn found her face, he seemed to pull himself out of whatever spell he’d fallen under.
A.J. gently reached for Julia’s elbow and brought his mouth to her ear. “That Indiana is Carter Dominick. Former CIA officer who went rogue. Both a pain in the ass as well as a badass.”
Rogue CIA? “Why would he be with Joan and Jack?”
A.J. let go of Julia when this badass Carter arrived alongside Finn. “I guess we’re about to find out,” he huffed under his breath.
“This was not the plan,” Julia hissed as she and Finn stepped out of the golf cart outside their villa. “Are we sure everything will be okay? And you’re positive we can trust this Carter guy?”
“Yes, we’ve worked together before. Well, he sort of kidnapped Chris and Rory, and Harper and Roman . . .” Finn shook his head as if deciding that information was irrelevant. “He says he’s here to help Kaira at Joan and Jack’s request.”
“Help her?” Julia peered over at the other golf cart as it rolled to a stop.