16. Chapter Fifteen Laurent
Chapter Fifteen: Laurent
On the flight to Istanbul, something inside me shifts.
My normal devil-may-care attitude vanishes and I've transformed into full-blown protector mode, determined to rescue Savannah from that prick Adam Voss. The only person I’ve ever felt the need to guard or shield before was my mother.
There was nothing I could do to save ma mère, but I dragged Savvy into this, and I’m going to get her out.
I’ve never worked with a partner or depended on anyone, but I can’t deny I’m beyond grateful Addie and her team have agreed to help me.
We’ve had our ups and downs over the years, as rivals in our industry do, but I’d like to put all that behind us.
Apologize for whenever I intentionally chose to be a pain in the ass.
Start over. Or end things on a positive note.
Because after we save Savvy and find the sapphire, I’m officially done. Laurent is retiring, and Rhys is going to follow Savannah back to Coronado. I’m not sure what my plan is yet exactly, but if I have to get down on my knees and beg to win her back, I will.
I’m gazing out the window, lost in my thoughts, when Bella—I mean, Delaney—sits down next to me. I probably owe her an apology, too. You know, for that whole incident in Austria.
“Thinking about the sapphire?” she asks.
I shake my head, turning toward her. “Non. I’m actually thinking I should tell you I’m sorry.”
Her blue-green eyes widen a fraction. “Oh?”
She used to be a master of disguise, always wearing a different wig and colored contacts. But now she looks completely comfortable as herself, no longer hiding her true identity. Something I really need to work on.
“I’m sorry I stole the Phantom Orchid from you and Ryder.” I glance over to see him hovering nearby, paying close attention to our conversation.
She arches a brow. “And?”
“And I’m sorry I locked you in that secret room.”
“And?” she presses.
“And I’m sorry I couldn’t catch you when you fell. I did try,” I add quickly.
“You’re forgiven.” She’s studying me far too closely. “You care about her, don’t you?”
“More than I wanted to admit,” I say in a low voice. “Savannah caught me by surprise. And now…”
“Now what?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “Now I’d like nothing more than to be the man she deserves.” I frown. “How did you shed the person everyone thought you were and go back to the person you used to be?”
“It wasn’t easy, especially at first. I’d been Bella Diamond for so long, I didn’t think it was possible to go back to being Delaney Marquette.
But Ryder helped me. They all did.” She motions to Addie and her crew.
“They accepted me for who I am, not who I thought I had to be. We’d do the same for you, Laurent. If you want.”
“Rhys,” I say, voice low. “It’s Rhys Laurent.”
“Good to know.” She pats my arm. “Don’t worry, we’re going to get Savannah back from Voss.”
Nodding, I offer her a small smile of gratitude.
I know she’s right, because there is no alternative.
The group coming with me is strong and smart, and I have full faith in them.
Seven of us will be on the ground in Istanbul—me, Delaney, Ryder, Addie, Brighton, Knox and Hunter.
Linc and Cole stayed at A-Squared to run ops from there and keep an eye on things.
None of us trust Adam Voss to confine his treachery to Istanbul.
Addie called Ryland and Harper, too, so would I be surprised if his entire team of former assassins show up in Turkey? No, not one little bit. They’re a tight circle and have each other’s backs. And, well, that’s pretty damn nice. Something a one-man show like me could really use at the moment.
Halfway through the flight, I’m about to jump out of my skin. I can’t stop pacing up and down the aisle, torturing myself with what-ifs. What if Voss hurt Savannah? What if I don’t get to her in time? What if she wants nothing to do with me after this is over?
Raking my hands through my already mussed up hair, I stop when Addie holds an arm out, blocking my obsessive marching. “Sit,” she commands, nodding to the empty seat next to her. Heaving out a sigh, I drop down.
“I’m going out of my mind with worry.” I scrub a hand over my face, noticing how much stubble has grown in and itching for a razor.
“I get it. I’ve been there. But you have to lock it down and keep your head on straight.”
I know she’s right, but easier said than done. “Sorry for being a first-class asshole at times,” I murmur. “I never meant any harm. I just liked teasing you.”
“I know. And all is forgiven.” She sits back, a smile lifting her lips. “So, I hear you’re going by Rhys now?”
“Figure I’ll give it a whirl.”
“Anything else you’re going to give a whirl?”
“Yeah. Savannah Grant, if she’ll let me.”
“You two are adorable together!” Brighton declares from the seat behind us, clearly eavesdropping.
Addie chuckles. “They are,” she agrees with Brighton as I roll my eyes. “And,” she continues, fixing me with a steady gaze, “I believe I’m the one who told you to go to her after you were injured.”
“You did.”
“I think that means you owe me—twice.” Her blue eyes sparkle with mischief. “For hooking you up with, and helping you save, the love of your life.”
Love of my life. Shit. I knew I was falling for Savannah, but I think my little Addie-Baddie is right. Savannah is so much more than some passing fancy. She’s…everything.
“Once Savvy is safely back in my arms, I’m going to owe you for the rest of my life, Tootsie Pop.”
She laughs softly, and I begin to relax.
Crossing my arms, I close my eyes, lulled into a sense of false relaxation by the incessant drone of the plane’s engine.
But my mind still spins, working through possible scenarios and trying to figure out where we’ll be meeting Voss.
And how I’m going to outsmart him and win my girl.
The moment we land in Istanbul, I’m firing on all cylinders and ready to go. Voss hasn’t texted me yet with the meeting location, so we get a rental and drive to a nearby hotel to wait it out. Everyone is hungry and we grab some food at a café next door to the hotel.
Istanbul is an amazing city of contradictions—old versus new, east meets west. A place where different cultures and religions come together.
I’ve always enjoyed my time here, but right now, I just want to get this meeting over with, get my girl and leave.
If I can manage to obtain the sapphire, too, then great.
But I’m not risking anyone’s life to do it.
I’m coming to understand I don’t need it.
I’m not that same little boy with dirt under his fingernails who snuck into the museum and got yelled at.
You have nothing to prove, Rhys. Not to yourself or anyone else.
I’ve come so far, done so many things twelve-year-old me never thought possible.
I can still keep doing amazing things, but I realize I don’t want to do them alone anymore.
I want someone by my side to share the adventure. And not just anyone—I want Savannah.
I just hope and pray she wants me, too.
We’ve just finished eating when my phone beeps with a text. Finally. Thank fuck. I open the message and read it aloud. “Meeting will take place at the Basilica Cistern. Tonight at eight pm.” I look over at Addie. “He moved it up from tomorrow at noon.”
“He must’ve figured something out,” Addie murmurs.
“That’s a strange place to choose. It’s a tourist hotspot,” Hunter states.
“I think I read it’s closed.” Delaney types away on her phone. “Yep, it’s temporarily shut down while the management transitions to the government.”
“Okay, what do we need to know about this place?” Addie asks.
“I’ve never been there.” I look around the table and it appears no one else has either. “Where is it?”
Ryder’s fingers fly over his laptop’s keyboard. “It lies beneath the city, southwest of the HagiaSophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu.”
“Under the city?” Brighton echoes. “Like a tunnel?”
“No, it’s much bigger, thank God. I am officially done with tunnels.” Delaney shares a look with Ryder. “I had my fill when we were in Africa.”
“And Austria,” Ryder adds, taking her hand and squeezing. “But, don’t worry, guys. This is a cistern.”
“Don’t cisterns hold water?” Knox asks warily. “Are we talking underwater tunnels? Because that shit does not sound fun.”
Ryder shakes his head. “There’s only a little water kept in there now, so people can get the feel for what it was used for. They’ve mostly drained it to allow public access. But like Delaney said, it’s not open.”
“I’m still not understanding what this place is exactly,” Brighton says, brow furrowing.
“Give us the history lesson, McKay.” Knox steals an olive from Hunter’s salad and pops it in his mouth.
“The Basilica Cistern was built during the Byzantine era in the sixth century,” Ryder tells us, “and is the largest surviving cistern in the city. It was used to store water for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other local buildings. Damn, it can hold up to one hundred thousand tons of water.”
“And how much is it currently holding?” Addie asks.
“Only a shallow layer—allowing visitors to safely walk along raised platforms.”
“Maybe Voss chose it because it’s closed to the public,” Brighton suggests.
“Or maybe he thinks the sapphire is hidden there somewhere,” I conclude.
“Maybe.” Addie pushes her chair back. “Let’s go back up to my room, call Cole and Linc, and come up with a gameplan. We’ve got less than two hours until the meeting.”
Shit. I wipe my sweaty hands on my linen trousers. It’s almost time for the heist of my life. The question is, can I get the girl and the sapphire? That would be ideal. But if it comes down to making a choice, the answer is obvious.
And it’s not a hidden gemstone.
“No, we need to get there before Voss,” I tell everyone. “We need to go now and figure out the plan on the way.”
Addie shakes her head. “You always did fly by the seat of your pants.”
“Not always, but today? Hell, yes. I need every last second to make this rescue happen.”
Because the sooner I can get to Savannah, the better.