Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The yellow Lamborghini was like a flash of lightning, roaring down the road along the French Riviera as they headed to Monte Carlo.
Eva kept her gaze cast out the window and on the Mediterranean Sea, even though it was too dark outside to see anything other than blips of lights from the houses that dotted the landscape built up into the craggy hills.
“We’ll be there in ten minutes,” he said and tightened his grip on the wheel.
“Quick drive,” she responded in a soft voice without looking his way.
A weird fluttering sensation rolled around in the pit of his stomach. Nerves?
His cell was mounted on the dashboard, and his gaze flicked to it when Jessica’s number popped on-screen.
He decided to put it on speaker, even though he risked Eva hearing something classified.
He had to focus on not crashing the sports car his sister had arranged for them to rent.
Not that he minded driving the beast, but he was more comfortable in a Humvee—something that could handle a battery of enemy fire.
“Do you like my surprise?” Jessica asked when he answered.
“I know this ride isn’t courtesy of Uncle Sam, which means it’s from our own pocket.” He whistled out a breath.
“You’re going to Hotel de Paris.” She said the name with a French accent. “It’s right alongside the Monte Carlo Casino. You’ll need to look the part since I checked out a few of the largest suites.”
“Are we paying for those, too?”
“We have the cash from the business. Don’t get your tighty-whities in such a twist.”
His sister’s jab induced a small laugh from Eva, and the little sound tapped at his heart. He’d let his sister knock him around any day of the week if it made Eva laugh—even if he shouldn’t be concerning himself with such pleasures.
“So, why are you so damn happy?” he asked. “Tell me we have good news.”
He could almost hear Jessica’s smile through the phone when she said, “I have great news, actually.”
“Finally.” He waited for her to talk, and when she didn’t say anything, he added, “You and the suspense-building. Tell me already. We’re almost there.”
“Our hotel rooms are directly above the two suites Malik checked in to.”
“So, we have him.”
“Yup. Harper found him. She positioned a camera in the hall light outside his room, so we officially have eyes on his door. We’ll know when he comes and goes.”
“You know where he is, and you’re not grabbing him?” Eva asked, her eyes now sharp on Luke.
He looked back at the road, spotting the lights of the Monte Carlo Casino off in the distance. “Doesn’t work that way.”
“Why not?”
“Because this isn’t your TV show. We can’t go busting down a hotel door in the middle of a foreign country and get into a gun battle,” Luke explained, but then wondered if he came across as a dick.
“We’ll talk about this more when you get in,” Jessica said. “And don’t worry, Eva, we have multiple suites. We’ll work out the logistics of your sleepover once you’ve checked in.”
He clutched the wheel and shifted gears a little more forcefully than necessary, the car nearly veering off the road. “See you in five.” He ended the call, his stomach squeezing.
When Eva didn’t say anything else, he realized he probably had been an asshole. And so, when they rolled up to the valet in front of the hotel, Luke turned toward her, his mouth set in a hard line as he thought about what to say.
She cast him a veiled glance before reaching for the handle, even though the hotel staff would open it for her.
“Eva.” He let her name sit between them, baking in the silence that captured the small space.
“Let’s not keep your team waiting,” she said quickly and allowed the valet to help her out before he could apologize—not just for his remark, but for his aloofness on the second half of their flight.
After checking in, he turned to Eva. She was off to the side of the concierge desk, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. “Something wrong? Aside from the obvious, I mean?”
“Remembering my last time in Monte Carlo,” she said softly.
“Good or bad?”
“Good or bad what?”
“Your memories from then.”
“Oh.” A tight smile met her lips. “Still deciding.”
“Hm. Well, you ready?”
“Guess so,” she said, her voice far too grave sounding.
As they started for the elevators, he wondered if the change in her demeanor meant she was attempting the distance dance, the one where you guard your heart like your life depended on it. Perhaps she realized how dangerous it was to even know a man like Luke.
He had hoped for a little more time with her before they had to carve a harsh line in the sand between them. Maybe she was right to pull away? Everything had happened so fast between them; it might as well end fast.
It’s for the better. He’d have to force-feed that line down his throat probably a hundred times before tomorrow, though.
Jessica was in the hall outside the suite when they stepped out of the elevator, the awkward sting of silence still enveloping Eva and Luke.
“Hey.” Jessica flicked her wrist and motioned for them to enter the neighboring suite.
Eva walked past Luke and followed Jessica.
“We didn’t do formal introductions back in the States,” Jessica said once they were in the hotel room. “I’m Jessica.” She extended her palm. Eva forced a small smile, and Luke dropped their bags. “I’m the big guy’s sister.”
He caught sight of Eva’s mouth rounding in surprise when she released Jessica’s hand. “I didn’t see that one coming.”
“Most don’t.” Jessica turned her attention to some of the team crowding the room: Liam, Asher, Owen, and Knox.
Owen was at the desk, and Knox was looking at the screen from over his shoulder.
Asher and Liam were in their civvies, seated on the couch abutting the expansive window. They both wore the same identical amused look on their faces. It was as if they could see plain as day that he and Eva had hooked up last night, and they were rearing to give him a hard time.
Luke lifted his chin in their direction, a silent message to back off and focus on the mission.
“These guys”—Jessica jerked a thumb their way—“work with us. I’m sure you gathered as much before we poked you in the neck a couple nights ago.” Jessica shoved her hands in her black jeans pockets. “Sorry about that, by the way.”
“Oh, um, yeah—you all saved me, so . . .” Eva shrugged.
“And we also got you into this mess.” Knox strode across the room and reached for her palm, his eyes pinned to Eva’s mouth. His own lips twitched into a brief smile. “I’m Knox.”
“You uncuffed and drugged me.”
“Mm-hm.” He released her hand and scratched at the back of his head as he eyed Luke.
“Owen over there was the one who was supposed to rescue you in the woods, had you not been captured.” Jessica pointed to him, but when he didn’t look up, Jessica added, “Don’t mind him. He tends to zone everyone out when he’s in the middle of something.”
“I think we can skip the introductions, anyway,” Luke said dryly and crossed the fancy room now littered with duffel bags.
He shifted the blinds out of the way and glimpsed out the window at the pool down below and the yacht-lined shore.
“Where is Harper and everyone else?” He faced the room and folded his arms, trying not to stare at Eva as she stood close to the door, her gaze darting among everyone in the room.
“Once we arrived, Harper took some of the boys back to the safe house in Nice to load up on artillery and other fun tools,” Knox said, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets.
“I’m surprised Will’s okay with us teaming up with a spook,” Asher said from the couch while looking directly at Jessica, the spook-jab meant for her as well.
Jessica stepped over one of the duffel bags and grabbed a computer off the coffee table. “We didn’t have an option. Harper was the best choice, and she’s worked with Will and me in the past. I trust her.”
“Isn’t Harper a little curious about what you’re doing working this op when you’re supposed to be a civilian now?” Luke shook his head at his own question and dropped his eyes to the floor, avoiding the angry look he’d surely be getting from his sister at his choice of words in front of Eva.
Eva was smart enough to figure out Luke wasn’t some retired government contract employee, though. But, did it really matter at this point?
Protocol was protocol, but she’d either spill the news about him and the team or not.
“Harper’s not going to prod,” Jessica said.
Luke came up next to Jessica to view her computer, which showed the camera feed of Malik’s room. “Has he left his room since you’ve been here?”
“Yeah. He’s at the hotel bar now.” Jessica switched screens. “We hacked into the hotel’s feeds. This is live footage. He’s been there for the last twenty minutes.”
“I still don’t get why you don’t grab him.” Everyone directed their focus to Eva, and it had her signature red creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. “I know you can’t make a scene, but isn’t getting the safe more important? Isn’t it too risky to wait?”
“How much does she know?” Jessica set the computer back on the table, and her hands settled on her hips.
“Enough,” Eva answered for him, a pinch of confidence in her tone.
And why did it make him proud—the way her shoulders squared back and she eyed his sister as if she belonged on the op, too?
“You guys might have saved me, but you did drag me into this whole thing. So, I know what I know, and you’ll need to trust that your secrets are safe with me. ”
Luke noticed Knox fighting a grin, but no one in the room seemed to know what the hell to say. They were probably waiting for guidance on the matter from Luke.
In five years, this had never happened before. A civilian had never been privy to a mission. Civilians had been saved, but they’d never known by whom.
“If a certain someone didn’t drop the ball back in the States, we wouldn’t even be here right now,” Asher said.
Luke noticed Eva staring at Asher’s tatted arms, in sort of a trance.