and get the truth from her instead of the vague excuses she’d given him earlier.
What he was going to do was sit here until he got bored enough to leave and go up to his hotel room. A crowd wasn’t his thing, but it was a damn sight better than going to his room and staring at four walls.
“I can’t decide who’s the most miserable of us. You won’t go after what you want, and I can’t have what I want.”
Aidan Thorne was slouched in a seat across from him. The usual good humor spark gone from his eyes. Thorne was one of the few people who knew what Justin felt for Riley. And as far as he knew, Justin was the only one who knew what Aidan wanted but wouldn’t allow himself to have.
“I vote you,” Justin said. “At least I have an excuse.”
“You work with the woman every day. Spend hours alone with her, and she has no idea how you feel about her. How is that an excuse?”
“She’s not interested in me. At least not in that way. You think I’m going to jeopardize our partnership by telling her?”
“You’re sure about that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just think Ingram might not be as immune to you as you think.”
Whether it was because of his training or an innate gift, Aidan Thorne saw things others missed. He was a perceptive man with a strong tendency to see beyond bullshit, one of the reasons he was such a good interrogator.
So, was what he’d said the truth? Had Justin been so caught up in his own doubt that he hadn’t seen that she felt something, too? He rubbed his chin and debated with himself, all the while aware of Thorne’s amusement across from him. He ignored that, accustomed to the man’s twisted sense of humor. So maybe things weren’t as hopeless as he’d thought. Could he get her to admit feeling something for him? And if he could, would that strengthen their partnership or damage it for good?
His peripheral vision caught sight of McCall headed their way. The man’s too-serious expression in the midst of happy wedding guests was a warning that something major was up. Positioning himself between their two chairs, he took in both men’s gazes. “We got a location on Taylor Vaughn.”
“Where is she?” Justin asked.
“Italy.”
“Where in Italy?” Aidan asked.
McCall’s mouth twisted in a grimace. “Good question. I’ll brief you on the plane. Grab your gear. We take off in thirty.”
Chapter Six
Mother Nature was putting on quite a show for them as they rose higher in the sky. If time hadn’t been of the essence, they probably would have waited till the storm quieted before taking off. Unfortunately, Taylor Vaughn was living on borrowed time. The longer it took to get to her, the less chance of her surviving.
“Let’s get started,” Noah called out loudly to be heard over the loud rumble of thunder and the drone of the plane.
Unbuckling her seat belt, Riley followed the other operatives to the large conference table in the middle of the plane. As she settled into her seat, she thought this had to be the most overdressed LCR meeting she’d ever attended. No one had taken the time to change. Though they might be dressed in fancy duds, all of them shared the same determined expressions.
“Here’s what we’ve got. We know Russo has houses and hideouts all over the world. A dozen or more. Our intel has narrowed down the three most likely places he’s got her stashed. All in Italy.
“We’re fairly certain she’s still alive. He’s going to want to find out how much she knows, who she’s told what.” His voice went darker “He’s going to want to talk to her.”
They all knew exactly what this meant. Russo was known for his cruelty to his enemies. On occasion, he’d have someone killed, but more often, especially if he felt he’d been betrayed, he liked to mete out punishment personally. His methods were a clear indication that the man was a sadist. Riley shivered at the image in her mind, only it wasn’t Mateo Russo she
What he was going to do was sit here until he got bored enough to leave and go up to his hotel room. A crowd wasn’t his thing, but it was a damn sight better than going to his room and staring at four walls.
“I can’t decide who’s the most miserable of us. You won’t go after what you want, and I can’t have what I want.”
Aidan Thorne was slouched in a seat across from him. The usual good humor spark gone from his eyes. Thorne was one of the few people who knew what Justin felt for Riley. And as far as he knew, Justin was the only one who knew what Aidan wanted but wouldn’t allow himself to have.
“I vote you,” Justin said. “At least I have an excuse.”
“You work with the woman every day. Spend hours alone with her, and she has no idea how you feel about her. How is that an excuse?”
“She’s not interested in me. At least not in that way. You think I’m going to jeopardize our partnership by telling her?”
“You’re sure about that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just think Ingram might not be as immune to you as you think.”
Whether it was because of his training or an innate gift, Aidan Thorne saw things others missed. He was a perceptive man with a strong tendency to see beyond bullshit, one of the reasons he was such a good interrogator.
So, was what he’d said the truth? Had Justin been so caught up in his own doubt that he hadn’t seen that she felt something, too? He rubbed his chin and debated with himself, all the while aware of Thorne’s amusement across from him. He ignored that, accustomed to the man’s twisted sense of humor. So maybe things weren’t as hopeless as he’d thought. Could he get her to admit feeling something for him? And if he could, would that strengthen their partnership or damage it for good?
His peripheral vision caught sight of McCall headed their way. The man’s too-serious expression in the midst of happy wedding guests was a warning that something major was up. Positioning himself between their two chairs, he took in both men’s gazes. “We got a location on Taylor Vaughn.”
“Where is she?” Justin asked.
“Italy.”
“Where in Italy?” Aidan asked.
McCall’s mouth twisted in a grimace. “Good question. I’ll brief you on the plane. Grab your gear. We take off in thirty.”
Chapter Six
Mother Nature was putting on quite a show for them as they rose higher in the sky. If time hadn’t been of the essence, they probably would have waited till the storm quieted before taking off. Unfortunately, Taylor Vaughn was living on borrowed time. The longer it took to get to her, the less chance of her surviving.
“Let’s get started,” Noah called out loudly to be heard over the loud rumble of thunder and the drone of the plane.
Unbuckling her seat belt, Riley followed the other operatives to the large conference table in the middle of the plane. As she settled into her seat, she thought this had to be the most overdressed LCR meeting she’d ever attended. No one had taken the time to change. Though they might be dressed in fancy duds, all of them shared the same determined expressions.
“Here’s what we’ve got. We know Russo has houses and hideouts all over the world. A dozen or more. Our intel has narrowed down the three most likely places he’s got her stashed. All in Italy.
“We’re fairly certain she’s still alive. He’s going to want to find out how much she knows, who she’s told what.” His voice went darker “He’s going to want to talk to her.”
They all knew exactly what this meant. Russo was known for his cruelty to his enemies. On occasion, he’d have someone killed, but more often, especially if he felt he’d been betrayed, he liked to mete out punishment personally. His methods were a clear indication that the man was a sadist. Riley shivered at the image in her mind, only it wasn’t Mateo Russo she
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