“False alarm. Braxton Hicks contractions. They’re sending her home now.”
She expelled a hard breath, shoulders slumping in relief. “Thank God.” There was still time. She hadn’t missed it.
But as soon as this mission was over, so was this lifestyle. No more ops. No more danger. She was ready to put their child first, above everyone and everything else.
“We’re still okay.”
She put on a smile. “Yes. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Hoped it would ease your mind. You ready?”
As ready as she would ever be. “Yeah. Have to go silent now.”
“Okay.” An awkward pause followed, and it felt wrong on so many levels not to be able to tell him what was going on. But for the sake of his career, reputation and security clearance, he needed to have plausible deniability about all this. “Talk to you later?”
“For sure. Love you.” Turning off her phone, she tucked it away and faced her open laptop, flipping the mental switch that put her into op mode. Eden and Zack were leaving the flat. The clock was officially running on this first phase of the op.
They’d done all they could to prepare. All she could do now was wait.
****
“Annnd, one last deep breath. Innnn…and…ouuuut.”
Lying stretched out on her back on the yoga mat, Eden did as the instructor said, but for the past hour’s class her mind had been on what she needed to do a few minutes from now. Heaver was out there right now, waiting for her to appear.
“Namaste,” the instructor murmured, ending the hour-long class.
Energized after the gentle exercise and peaceful atmosphere, Eden rolled her mat and popped up to cross the hardwood floor before any of the other students had moved. The studio had a great vibe, especially since it was full of healthy, potted plants soaking up the natural light coming through all the tall windows.
She put on her socks and shoes, slid on her jacket and secretively activated the camera as she did up the zipper. Her mind was focused, her pulse calm. She was ready.
“Looks good, Eden,” Trinity’s voice said through her earpiece. “I’m muting my mic now, but Zack and I’ve both got you.”
Having worked alone for most of her career, hearing those words was such a revelation. It was so nice to be working with a team again. Having backup made things so much easier and safer.
The timeline on this had moved quickly. Tarasov’s goons had officially marked her as a target during her walk home from this same yoga studio the other night. Amber had intercepted their messages, as well as the confirmation call between Heaver and Tarasov last night, stating that they were planning to take her right after this class.
The whole thing was so messed up, and pissed her off. None of the captured women had been found yet. This was her chance to do her part to bring this ring down, and also hopefully expose whoever was behind the messages sent to Amber.
Show time.
Just before she hit the door she reached up and tapped the tiny earpiece hidden in her left ear to signal the others. “I’m in position,” Zack answered quietly, his deep voice giving her another measure of calm.
It had been a while since she’d been operational, and damn it felt good to be back. Even better, she had Zack as a teammate on this one, and there was no one she trusted more. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
Head up, senses on alert, she stepped out of the yoga studio into the warm summer sunshine flooding the sidewalk and took everything in. This street was busy with foot and vehicle traffic.
When she turned the corner at the end of the block in another couple minutes, things would get a lot quieter. It was somewhere along that stretch that the “kidnapping” was likely going to happen.
“I’ve got eyes on you, sweetness,” Zack said, “just at the corner behind you. Heaver’s halfway up the street on the other side, and the van’s a couple blocks away.”
She kept looking straight ahead and didn’t respond as she started up the sidewalk, her fingers wrapped around the strap of the bag resting on her shoulder. It was decorated with metal trading pins, their points having been dosed with a custom-made sedative she’d mixed up before leaving Laidlaw Hall yesterday.
In addition to them, a thin, deadly blade also covered in sedative was hidden in a pocket she’d sewn into her jacket sleeve. If things got dicey all she had to do was break the skin with either weapon and her victim would be unconscious in a matter of seconds.
Turning slightly to let an elderly man with a walker pass her, she spotted Heaver across the street, dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt, leaning casually against the exterior of the florist part way up the block. A pair of dark shades covered his eyes, but she felt the moment his gaze locked on her, a telltale prickle at the back of her neck alerting her.
She lowered her gaze and kept walking up the sidewalk at a sedate pace, aware of him pushing away from the wall out of the corner of her eye and heading up the street with her.
Eden suppressed a smile, a tremor of excitement running through her. That’s right. Come and get me, sweetheart.
They thought she was just another helpless victim. Another payment for their bank accounts.
These assholes were about to get the shock of their lives.
Chapter Twelve
There she was.
Will spotted her the instant she came out of the yoga studio.
She was hard to miss. He’d captured some hot women before, but this bird was lush and he completely understood why the client had insisted upon her.
Clear, creamy brown skin, dark spiral curls that fell to her shoulders. Curvy, but fit, and those tight yoga leggings hugged her ass and long legs perfectly.
Target located, he messaged the two guys waiting in the van, and watched her walk toward him. She was on the other side of the street and hadn’t noticed him. He’d make sure she didn’t until the very last moment, and by then…it would be too late for her.
He pushed away from the wall he’d been leaning against and followed her. This order had been rushed, but the client had been insistent. Out of the list Will had provided Tarasov, the client had chosen this target personally, and paid nearly double the usual fee to make it happen. She was going to be the biggest payday yet.
There were too many people around here, however. He would have to follow her for a bit until they came to a less crowded spot. The guys would track his position and stay close until he gave the signal for them to approach just prior to his attack.
She was nearing the end of the street now. Where you going, sweetheart?
Her flat was to the right. If she headed home, taking her on the way there would be harder, especially at this time of day because of the number of people around. The area to the left was far quieter, lined with mostly attached terraced houses and a few small businesses.
Luck was running with him, because she turned left.
He sped up a bit, still holding his phone as he turned the corner. She was halfway up the block, but as expected this street was far less busy. There were several alleys up ahead that he could drag her into out of sight, places the CCTVs couldn’t see into. Only the occasional vehicle passed by on the narrow, two-lane road.
But this was London. After this he was going to have to lay low for a while to stay off the radar.