Morgan’s message came from a different number just like he’d warned her, and as she carefully read the instructions he’d given her, she couldn’t help but gape.
Wow. Talk about...what? Overkill? Overpreparedness?
But although it seemed a tad excessive, she refused to let it curb the excitement swirling inside her. All she needed now was an excuse for leaving the estate, a solid reason that her grandfather would never, ever question. Sure, James Morgan had just made the task a million times harder, but she was confident she’d be able to work around his crazy instructions.
With a little outside assistance, of course.
Sighing, she minimized the text window and pulled up her contacts list, which was pathetically meager seeing as she could literally count all of her friends using not one hand, but half a hand.
Gabriel picked up on the first ring, his deep voice tickling her ear. “Hey, Cate.”
“Gabriel, hey...so listen...I need your help again.”
Chapter 20
Jet lag fucked with a man’s head. Or at least that was what Liam had decided to blame his confusion on. Jet lag. Because there was no way Morgan had just announced that tomorrow’s mission involved meeting the guy’s daughter.
As in, a child sired from the loins of one Jim Morgan.
“Dude...” Liam gaped at his boss. “That’s not the kind of bomb you want to drop five seconds after someone walks through the door.”
Next to him, Sullivan sounded equally bewildered. “For realsies. Can I at least take a piss first? Or maybe an antipsychotic? Because clearly I hallucinated when I heard you tell us that you’re meeting your daughter tomorrow.”
Ash, who had just carted their gear into the penthouse, looked at his teammates, then the boss, then his teammates again. “Wait—why didn’t I know that the boss has a daughter?”
“Because he bloody doesn’t!” Sullivan burst out.
“At least not one we were aware of,” Liam said dryly.
“Our boss likes to keep his secrets, lads. Haven’t you figured that out by now?”
When he heard the Irish brogue, Liam turned around to find a familiar face. Sean Reilly leaned against the living room doorway, his green eyes dancing with amusement.
“Irish!” Sully said with genuine delight. “Whatcha doing in Paris?”
“And what do you mean, our boss?” Liam demanded.
“He didn’t fill you in? See, I told you he likes secrets.”
Sean strode toward them, his long legs encased in green fatigues, while a faded gray T-shirt stretched across his lean, muscular chest. His blond hair had grown out since they’d last seen him, no longer a buzz cut, but shaggy and mussed up.
Morgan, who hadn’t said a word during the exchange, turned to his men with a sigh. “Reilly’s part of the team now. Guess that makes him the new rookie.”
Ash’s expression brightened. “Fuck yeah! I’ve been promoted.”
“You wish,” Sullivan said. “Reilly’s run missions with us before, so technically, he’s an old pro. You, on the other hand”—he jabbed a finger at Ash—“still the rookie.”
Liam glanced back at Morgan. “Are you being serious here? Do you really have a kid you didn’t tell us about?”
“I didn’t know about her either until tonight.” Morgan’s voice was gruff, a tad embarrassed even. He sighed again. “C’mon. I need a drink.”
With that, the boss stalked off.
Liam had to admire the spacious penthouse as he trailed after Morgan. It was a nice place, a lot bigger than he’d expected. The low-rise building hadn’t looked like much from the outside, but it was pretty damn elegant inside.
They walked into a living room with a cathedral ceiling and an entire wall of windows. Liam immediately noticed the pretty, dark-haired woman sitting on a stool in front of the bar. She was facing out toward them, her elbows resting backward on the granite bar top.
“Why, hello there,” Sullivan said, his ladies’ man instincts kicking in, as usual. “And who might you be?”
The woman rolled her eyes. They were dark gray, Liam noticed. Big and doelike, but he got the feeling there was nothing fragile about her.
“I might be Bailey.” She didn’t get up to greet them. “And you guys must be Morgan’s A-Team.”
“Damn straight,” Sully answered, wasting no time striding toward her.
Liam didn’t miss the way his teammate’s biceps bulged as he leaned in and shook Bailey’s hand. Dude had great arms. And he wore way too many tight T-shirts for Liam’s comfort.
Wrenching his gaze off Sullivan’s arms, he went over to greet Noelle’s latest chameleon. And damn, he really liked what he saw. She wore faded blue jeans that hugged a pair of long legs and a V-neck tank top that outlined her perky tits.
“Where’s your boss?” Liam asked.
“Right here.”
Noelle appeared behind them without warning, and Liam hid a grin when he saw Ash’s eyes glaze over a little.
Yup, that was usually the response Noelle elicited from men. While her operative looked casual from head to toe, Noelle exuded pure carnal sex, from her ass-hugging leggings to the black halter top that emphasized her full breasts. Her long golden hair streamed down her back, and her red-painted fingernails tapped the side of the wineglass she held. She was drinking red wine, of course. Dark as blood and probably expensive as shit.
Noelle glanced at Bailey. “I see you’ve met the Hardy Boys.” She smirked at Sully and Liam, and then her pale blue eyes shifted to Ash. “But this one is new.” She tossed a look in Morgan’s direction. “You didn’t tell me you had a new recruit.”
Morgan looked annoyed as he made the introductions. “Ash, Noelle. Noelle, Ash.”
Ash suddenly blinked as if he’d been snapped back to reality, but his green eyes remained glued on Noelle. “Nice to meet you,” he said in his faint drawl.
“A southern boy, huh?” She looked him up and down, and must have liked what she saw, because her eyes gleamed seductively. “What do you say you leave Jim’s band of merry men and come work for me?”
Ash’s tongue was all but hanging out, which was probably the proper reaction to have when a woman as gorgeous as this one was devouring you with her eyes.
“Ash isn’t going anywhere,” Morgan said coldly, before turning to address his men. “Put away your gear. I’ll debrief you in five.”
At the bar, Bailey hopped off her stool and gestured to their duffels. “Come on, I’ll show you to your rooms. Only two are available, so you boys will have to double up.”
“I’ll bunk with Reilly,” Sullivan offered. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
Sean grinned at him. “Hell yeah. Slumber party.”
Liam knew the two men had hit it off when Sean had helped the team out in Monte Carlo a while back, but for some reason, the easy camaraderie between them made his jaw tense. He forced himself not to overthink the unwelcome response as he followed the others toward the back corridor.
After they’d deposited their gear in their rooms, everyone took a few minutes to wash up and regroup after the long flight, and then they reconvened in the living room, where Morgan and Bailey were huddled together on the couch.
The two of them were studying Morgan’s cell phone, while Noelle stood at the bar, sipping her wine.
“I can work with this,” Bailey was saying. “How tall is she again?”
“Five-seven. Three inches taller than you,” Morgan said grimly.
“Don’t worry. The shoes I’ve got can give me at least two more inches.”
After the men wandered into the living room, Liam noted with interest that Reilly had made a beeline for the couch and plopped down right next to Bailey. There was no mistaking the way she stiffened, or the dark look she flashed Sean before refocusing her attention on Morgan.
; Ash and Sullivan settled on the other couch, but Liam headed for the bar, leaning against it as he looked at his boss. “So. How about you tell us about this kid of yours.”
Morgan’s eyes stayed glued to his phone. “I don’t know much more than you do.”
“Are those pictures of her?” Liam asked, gesturing to the cell.
The boss nodded absently.
Liam would’ve given his left nut to sneak a peek at the photos, but the boss didn’t seem inclined to share. His dark blue eyes didn’t leave the screen, his expression holding a tinge of wonder, as if he couldn’t believe the person in the photographs was real.
“So are you ever going to tell us about her or are we just going to sit here in silence?” Reilly said sarcastically.
Morgan finally glanced up. “Look, I wasn’t kidding. I just found out about her. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I always knew there was a chance she existed, but it wasn’t confirmed until earlier today.”
“So who’s the baby mama?” Sully piped up.
Every person’s gaze, including Liam’s, traveled to Noelle.
Who balked.
“Hey, don’t look at me,” she muttered.
“Her mother’s name is Ariana Dietrich,” Morgan said gruffly. “I hooked up with her seventeen years ago in Berlin.”
Noelle snorted. “Gee, that’s a nice way of rewriting history.”
Liam glanced from his boss to the blonde. As usual, the ever-present sexual tension between them was setting the air on fire.
Morgan’s jaw was so rigid it was a miracle he could even speak. “I hooked up with her during an op,” he amended. “I was sent in to get close to her father.” He glanced at Liam. “During your stint in the DEA, did you ever hear about Walther Dietrich? He didn’t run drugs, but he was a major player in the arms game.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I’ve heard of him. German kingpin, had the reputation for slicing the throat of anyone who crossed him. Didn’t he die during an arrest attempt by the ATF?”
“ATF and military Special Forces. It was a joint task force.” Morgan paused. “But he didn’t die during the ambush. He got away, and so did his daughter—Ariana.”
Sullivan shot their boss a knowing look. “Ah, I see. You set a honey trap. Screw the daughter to get to the father.”
Morgan nodded, his features pained.
“But she got pregnant.”
Another nod. “And then she disappeared. Both of them did. I spent years trying to track them down, but Dietrich was richer than Midas—he had enough money to completely take himself off the grid. I’ve been keeping tabs on every major arms deal that’s gone down over the past two decades, had PIs investigating every arms dealer operating on the globe. But I couldn’t find squat.”
Morgan sighed. “I thought I got close last year. Remember when I went AWOL after the compound was attacked? I was in Pakistan chasing down a lead. Dietrich’s name had come up in regards to a big weapons deal, but it was a dead end. If they were talking about him, he was long gone before I got there. I know that a deal did go through, but I couldn’t get any intel about the seller.”
When he went quiet, Noelle picked up where he’d left off. “Dietrich is going by the name Maurice Durand now. He owns a pharmaceutical company on paper, but what he does off the books is still a mystery. I’m guessing he’s back to his old tricks, though.”
“So Dietrich is the one who hired you to kill Morgan?” Liam asked Noelle.
“That’s what we think.”
“Where does the daughter—Ariana—fit in?” Ash spoke up.
“She gave birth to my baby,” Morgan said roughly. “Or at least someone is claiming she did. Catarina Durand.” His gaze softened as it lowered back to his phone. “She e-mailed me today saying she thinks I might be her father. She wants to meet me.”
“Trap,” Sullivan and Reilly said in unison, then glanced at each other and grinned.
“Trust me, I’ve considered that,” the boss muttered. “But in the event that she’s for real, I can’t ignore this.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Sully asked.
“We’ve arranged to meet at the Eiffel Tower.”
Liam let out an incredulous groan. “Are you serious? The place is crawling with tourists. It’ll be impossible to vet everyone in the area.”
“I had another site in mind, but she insisted on a public place, and she said it had to be a ‘believable’ one, whatever that means,” Morgan said wearily. “The Eiffel Tower was her idea, which means we have to play the hand we’ve been dealt.” He gestured to the map stretched out on the glass coffee table. “Here’s what I’m thinking.”
Liam moved away from the bar and sat down in the armchair across from the sectional, leaning in for a better look.
Morgan’s finger pointed out various locations on the map. “I want snipers positioned here, here, here, and here. All four corners need to be covered. That means Boston, Ash, Reilly, and Noelle.”
Noelle wandered over to the couch. “I’m on sniper duty?”
Morgan gave her a brisk nod. “I want you out of sight in case Cate’s guards recognize you from the party at the Durand estate.”
“Cate?” Liam echoed.
“Guards?” Sully chimed in.
“Catarina. She goes by Cate. She travels with bodyguards, according to her text.” He tapped the map again. “Sully, I want you on the ground. Blend in with the crowd, keep an eye on anyone going in and out of the tower.”
“Where are you meeting her?” Sullivan asked. “Inside?”
“Top floor.”
“Might be a better idea to stay outside where it’s more crowded. It’ll be easier to lose the guards if you have to.”
“Don’t worry. The guards won’t be looking at us. They’ll be focused on our decoy.” Morgan gestured to Bailey.
“Bloody hell!”
Sean Reilly’s outburst came out of nowhere and had everyone glancing over in surprise.
The Irishman’s green eyes glittered with disapproval as he focused them on Bailey. “You’re the decoy?”
She looked annoyed. “Of course. Who else?”
“This is too risky,” Reilly muttered, his accent becoming more pronounced in his anger. “How many guards does Catarina travel with?”
“She said usually no more than two,” Morgan answered.
“Two. That means two pairs of eyes on you,” Reilly told Bailey. “If those assholes get a close enough look and realize you’re not their charge, they’ll shoot you down.”
Morgan spoke up confidently. “They won’t get close. Cate is going to make sure of it.”
Reilly’s gaze never left Bailey. “You’re willing to put your life in the hands of a teenager?”
“I’ve done riskier things,” she said coldly. “And you’re not running this op, nor do you run my life, so how about you chill the fuck out, Sean?”
Liam raised his eyebrows. Well. Clearly those two had a history.
If he had to choose sides, he’d probably go with Bailey on this one, though. The woman worked for Noelle—of course she was capable of getting the job done.
“Bailey will be outside.” Morgan’s sharp voice invited no argument. “She’ll keep the guards’ attention on her while I meet with Cate.”
“For how long?” Reilly demanded.
“Hopefully no more than thirty minutes. Barring any unforeseen hitches, we should be able to fool the bodyguards and leave without them ever knowing I met with Cate.”
“And if there is no meeting?” Noelle countered. “If this is Dietrich launching an ambush?”
“He’s not going to shoot up the Eiffel Tower,” Morgan said assertively. “If anything, he’ll try to apprehend me, or maybe he’ll have a sniper waiting. But we’ll stake out the entire area before we go in. If we sense anything f
ishy, we abort. But I don’t think it’s a trap. I think this is real.”
“You think it is, or you want it to be?”
Noelle had voiced what they were all thinking, but Morgan didn’t answer. He just stood up and dismissed them all by walking away, while Noelle marched after him in irritation.
With that, the briefing was over.
Liam lingered in the living room, unhappy about the plan that had been outlined. It contained too many unknowns. Too many variables. They could stake out the area, sure, but it was a large enough perimeter that a sniper could easily slip through.
Shit. He really hoped the boss knew what he was doing.
The other men stood up, Ash heading for the doorway.
“I’m turning in,” the rookie announced. “I’m way too tired right now to think about what a clusterfuck tomorrow is gonna be.”
After Ash had disappeared in the corridor, Liam noticed Bailey trying to make a discreet exit herself, moving in a slow glide toward the front hall.
“Where are you going?” Sean demanded.
Her back stiffened. “I’m going to the bar down the street to grab a drink.”
Sean pointed to the bar. “There’re drinks right over there.”
“Noelle doesn’t keep tequila in the house.”
“Bloody hell, Bailey, it’s one in the morning.”
“And I want a drink.” Her tone went razor sharp. “I didn’t realize I needed to ask your permission.”
Sean took a step forward. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”
“No, thank you. I don’t want your company.”
“Tough shit.”
They stood there glaring at each other for so long that Liam felt compelled to step in. The look in Bailey’s eyes made it clear she didn’t want to spend a single additional second with Reilly, but Liam knew an alpha male when he saw one, and there was no way in hell Sean was letting the woman roam the streets alone at one o’clock in the morning.
“How about if I join you instead?” he suggested, seeking out Bailey’s annoyed gaze. “I could totally go for a shot of tequila before bed.”