by Jaclyn Hardy
And now here they were on a flight to Hungary. Hunter smiled, but it quickly turned to a grimace as the airplane began to move.
Ready or not, they were on their way.
Hunter could have kissed the ground once they left the airport and headed for the taxi. The flight had been rough, and even though Dani had been there to help calm him down, Hunter swore he’d never fly again. Maybe a boat was the way to get home after this was all done.
Hunter gave the taxi driver the name of their hotel and leaned his head back against the headrest.
Dani rested her cheek on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Hunter wrapped an arm around her and forced himself to stay awake. Getting hit with jet lag wasn’t the best way to stay alert and he was determined to make sure he was alert at all times.
By the time they got to their hotel, his resolve had weakened. Sleep sounded better and better as the time passed.
They checked in and headed up to their room. Hunter shook his head at the extravagance of the hotel. It was a far cry from the dingy room they’d had in California. Lush carpets lined the hallways, chandeliers lit the hallways, and he was pretty sure he’d spotted a pool on one of the floors.
The door opened before they had time to use their key.
Dee stood there grinning. “Isn’t it gorgeous here?”
Dani hugged her. “Oh, my word. It’s better than anything I could have imagined. And I don’t just mean Hungary. This hotel is fantastic. How’d you find this place?”
“I didn’t. Hunter gave Ben the name and we booked it.” Dee dropped to one of the couches. “Your room is over there. Hunter, yours is with Ben over there. He’s off grabbing some food for us.”
“Did he say when Carlie and Braden would be here?” Hunter set his laptop bag down at the nearest table. He caught Dani’s look, but didn’t want to talk about how he found the room until they were alone. Explaining that it was his dad who told him to come here wasn’t going to be easy.
“I think they have a few more hours.” Dee yawned. “I may not make it until they get here.”
Hunter laughed. “You can go rest if you’d like. I’ll be up trying to find the blueprints.”
Dee shot Dani a look. “Does he ever do anything but work?”
“Nope.” Dani took her stuff into the room and came back out a moment later. “These rooms are massive!”
“Yeah, did you catch the view yet?” Dee pulled open the curtains. The windows looked out on the whole city.
Dani gasped. “I don’t think I’m going to sleep the entire time I’m here. There’s too much to go see.”
Hunter smiled to himself while they went off on the different places they were going to visit. Chances were he’d be dragged to most of them. For now, he had to figure out how he was going to get the scepter and appease his dad at the same time.
Ben sat next to him and glanced over his shoulder. “What are you working on?”
“Blueprints. I’m trying to figure out how to get in and get out without being noticed.”
“That’s where I come in. Well, that’s where you’ll come in, but I’ll help get things ready.” Ben set a large briefcase on the table and opened it. Inside sat several objects and cameras.
“How’d you get that through airport security?” Hunter picked up a shoe and examined it. “Let me guess, a phone?”
Ben chuckled. “I didn’t have it on the plane. Let’s just say I have people here who owed me a favor. And no, this isn’t a phone. We use ear buds for that. This has a smoke bomb in the heel. If you need to make a quick getaway, you push here and here, and then the bomb releases. And then you’d better run.”
Hunter ran his finger along the small latch on the side. “And you’re not afraid someone will set it off accidentally?”
“You have to hit both levers or it won’t move.” Ben put the shoe back and pulled out two small earplugs. “These are the phones. We’ll talk to you through these. The girls will have earrings with small cameras in them. Braden and I will have tie tacks. You’ll monitor those feeds through here.” He opened his laptop and typed a code. Four feeds appeared on the screen.
“Okay, now this I can handle.” Hunter pointed at the box. “That’s the part I’m worried about.”
Ben brushed away his concern. “I’ll still help with this stuff. I won’t actually go on missions unless they absolutely need me.”
Dee wrapped her arms around his neck. “Which will be all the time.”
“We’ll see.” Ben kissed her hand. “Were you able to get ahold of the cathedral?”
“Yep. We’re on for Saturday.” Dee beamed. “It’s perfect.”
Hunter frowned. “You planned the wedding the day after the auction? Aren’t you worried that having it here after we grab the scepter will make us prime targets?”
Dee nodded. “That’s what’s so perfect. We have the perfect reason to be here, so no one will suspect anything.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Except for the fact that you happen to be here getting married instead of in the United States where you’re from.”
“Stop raining on her parade.” Dani stood and brought Dee a magazine. “This one. It’s perfect.”
“A new dress?” Hunter asked.
Dani sat next to Hunter and handed him her phone. “Dee figured since we were here for her wedding, she should follow their traditions. She picked out the wedding dress while we were in California, but this dress will symbolize her moving from being single to being a married woman.”
Hunter scanned the rest of the list. “Some of these aren’t too different from ours. That’s pretty cool.”
“As long as we can pull it off by Saturday.” Dani leaned back in her chair. “Some of things might be hard to find before then.”
“I think people will forgive you if it’s not exactly right.” Hunter handed the phone back. I’m going to be working for a while if you want to head out shopping.”
Dani yawned. “As tempting as that is, I think I’ll sleep.”
The door rattled, and Ben was up instantly, gun in his hand. He crept over and peeked into the hallway. His hand relaxed and he pulled it open.
A very tired-looking Carlie stumbled in with Calvin in a baby carrier. Braden was right behind them holding all of the luggage.
“You made it!” Dani scooped Calvin out of the carrier. “How was the flight?”
Carlie flopped onto a couch. “Calvin screamed almost the entire way. I was pretty sure the other passengers were ready to throw us out of the plane somewhere over the Atlantic.”
“Aw, poor baby.” Dani rocked him. “You two go sleep. I’ll watch him for a bit.”
“I thought you were exhausted.” Hunter helped grab the bags.
Dani shrugged. “I think Carlie could use sleep more than me.”
Carlie rolled over and curled up in a ball. “If anyone needs me, tell them to leave me alone.”
Braden came back into the room with a blanket that he laid over Carlie. “Thank you for watching him. There are bottles and formula in the diaper bag.”
“Got it. Go sleep.” Dani picked up the diaper bag and took him over to another chair to change him.
Hunter smiled as she talked to the tiny newborn. Just for a moment he allowed himself to think about what it would be like if they had one of their own. Then he caught Ben watching him with a smirk. Hunter cleared his throat and went back to looking for the blueprints.
Ben stood up. “I think I’m going to follow their lead and go take a nap. I’ll probably regret it later, but I don’t care. Wake me in an hour.”
“Got it.”
Dee left shortly after, leaving Dani and Hunter alone. Well, alone with a baby. Dani hummed softly, caressing Calvin’s cheeks and chin.
“What is that song?” Hunter stood and went over to sit next to Dani.
“It’s a lullaby my mom used to hum to me. I don’t know the words.” Dani rested her head against Hunter’s shoulder. “Hunter? Why did you go with the hotel your dad
suggested?”
Hunter cringed. He knew it would come sooner or later, but he’d hoped he’d have a plan in place before she asked. “He’s still set on me getting the scepter for him. He’ll pay for the suite and this entire trip if we get it for him.”
Dani pulled away and met his eyes. “And you’re going to go along with it?”
“No. But my dad is not someone you mess with. So, I have to figure out how to get it without him actually getting his hands on it.”
“And then he’ll pay for everything? That’s what this is about?” Dani’s voice rose, and Calvin stirred in her arms.
Hunter sighed. “That’s not it at all. He’s . . . well known in this world for paying top dollar for whatever they have to sell. I figure using him as a front is the best chance we’ve got to pull this off.”
Dani was silent for a moment before finally nodding. “I guess I can see that. So, how do we trick him?”
“That’s . . . the part I don’t know yet.”
“How closely does he examine the items before he buys them?” She readjusted Calvin in her arms.
Hunter laughed. “He has three people inspect them before he’ll even look at it.”
“So . . . what if we swap it after he gets his hands on it?” Dani nodded toward Carlie. “She’s seen her share of fakes in her life. I bet she could come up with a pretty good one. And, hello, I’ve worked at the antique shop for how long? Between all of us, we could probably fake him out long enough to get away.”
Hunter tapped his fingers on the armrest. Tricking his dad wouldn’t be easy, but she had a point. They had the picture his dad sent and with the skills Ben had to make things for them to use . . . “How much time would we need?”
Dani shrugged. “However long it takes to get the supplies.”
“Guess I’d better start looking for them then.” But Hunter didn’t want to move. The baby was sleeping, and Dani was just so comfortable next to him. He slumped down on the cushion, careful not to jostle them. “Later.”
Dani laid her head back on his shoulder. “Later sounds good.”
Hunter twisted the scepter slowly in his hands, checking to make sure everything looked perfect. To be honest, he didn’t think they’d be able to pull something off that was anywhere near this good. He’d underestimated them.
“Three days. You have three days and you managed to make it look this good.” He shook his head.
“I can’t believe you doubted us. I’m insulted.” Carlie leaned back in her chair. “The big question is, will it fool your dad?”
Hunter set the scepter on the table. “He won’t see it until it’s back in the States. I think we’ll be good until it’s resting next to the crown and the rest of the exhibit in New York City.”
Dani leaned forward. “You’re sure about that?”
“He sent me to get it. He wouldn’t have done that if he was planning to come himself.” Hunter glanced at the clock. “You should all be getting ready. The auction is in a couple of hours.”
Dani stood. “He’s right. I’ll help you two get ready while Braden does the tech stuff with Ben and Hunter.”
The women left the room, and the men turned to the computer. Ben pulled up the blueprints that Hunter had finally tracked down.
Ben grabbed his laser pointer and indicated the front entrance. “Okay, so we’ll enter here, and the auction is just down the hall. We’ll blend in and wait for the signal from Hunter before heading for the vault where the items are kept.”
Hunter pointed at another spot. “If my dad does the same thing as usual, he’ll have inspectors hanging out in corners. Avoid them at all costs. The only one who should talk to them is me. Got it?”
“You really should be the one going in there, not me.” Ben sighed. “I prefer to be behind the scenes.”
“Considering the fact that last time we were on a job Dani almost blew up a house, you don’t want us to be there.”
“I heard that.” Dani glared. “Ben, do you have those earrings with the cameras?”
Ben opened the suitcase and pulled them out. “Careful. Make sure each of them get the right pair.”
Dani took them from him and headed back to Carlie’s room. She stopped and turned. “The only reason I went for the bomb was because it was the only way to save her.”
“I know. But that doesn’t change the fact that it happened.” Hunter dodged the pillow she threw at him. “I’ll check the rest of this stuff. You should go get ready as well.”
Ben stood. “You’re sure you’re good?”
Hunter ran through all of the instructions like he had several times before. “We’ll be fine. Go.”
His phone buzzed after Ben left and Hunter cringed when he saw his dad’s number. “Hello?”
“Hey, son. Are you all set?”
“Yes, Dad.” Hunter really wished everyone would stop asking him that question.
“And you have the money ready?”
Hunter ground his teeth. “Yes, Dad. Look, I need to get going or I’ll be late for the auction. I’ll let you know when I have it in hand.”
“All right, son. Good luck. I’m counting on you. Don’t make me regret having you do this for me.” The line went dead.
So dramatic. But then, Hunter was going to do exactly what his dad told him not to, so maybe he had a point.
D ani finished the last curl in Dee’s hair and stepped back. “There you go. All set.”
Dee checked her hair in the mirror and smiled. “Perfection as always. Thank you for doing this. My hair is never quite so happy as when you do it.”
“I do my best.” Dani laughed and turned to Carlie. “You sure you don’t want me to do yours? Apparently, I achieve perfection.”
“As much as I agree with that, no, not this time. I have to feed Calvin before we go.” Carlie pulled her hair into a bun and added a few bobby pins. “See? It works.”
Dani exchanged glances with Dee. “Nope. We’re doing this the right way. You feed Calvin and I’ll do your hair.”
Carlie sighed. “Fine. Just don’t add as many curls. We don’t have the time and we all know they don’t stay in my hair for more than five minutes anyway.”
“I have something else in mind for you.” Dani started with the front and braided Carlie’s hair into a crown. “See? Quick, easy, and your hair will be out of the way.”
Carlie sighed. “No hair in my face. Now that is perfection.”
Once they were ready, Dani took Calvin from Carlie and they went out to find Braden and Ben. The computers and supplies were packed up in their cases. They double checked the locks to the suite, then headed down to the rental. The SUV they’d gotten had shaded windows to keep them hidden, and Dani hoped that would be enough.
The trip to the auction was silent as they each went through what they were supposed to be doing. Dani had to admit she was a little bummed not to be going into the building with everyone else, but someone had to stay there to watch the baby. Besides, what was she going to do? She wasn’t trained for this.
Hunter dropped off everyone at the entrance, then drove a block away so they were still somewhat close, but far enough away not to cause suspicion. He climbed into the back and pulled a window shut that separated the driver’s seat from the back.
Dani stared out at the busy street. “I guess we sit and wait now.”
“Yep.” Hunter quickly set up his computers and put his headphones around his neck for easy access. “All this from one little package sent to your doorstep.”
Dani laughed. “One little package that contained a priceless crown.”
“Details.”
“Oh, hey, they’ve turned on their cameras.” Dani pointed to the monitors. “We’ll be able to hear them, right?”
Hunter handed her an ear bud. “We’ll talk to them through this. Testing.”
Static came back through the computer for a moment before Dee’s voice broke through. “We can hear you, can you hear me?”
“Yep, everything i
s set.” Hunter turned to Dani. “There we go.”
The mansion was massive, and the architecture was enough to make Dani drool. As much as she loved the hotel where they were staying, it was nothing compared to this place. The cameras split off in different directions as everyone took their places.
Dani watched for anything suspicious, but kept getting caught up in the decor of the house and all of the fancy dresses the women wore.
“Everything seems fine from here.” Dee’s voice was low. “I’ll start heading toward the back room now.”
“Clear here as well.” Carlie moved through the crowd. “How’s the baby?”
Dani smiled. Typical mother worried about her baby. “He’s fine. He’s just sleeping right now.”
Braden cursed into his microphone. “There are more guards than we expected. They’re clearly expecting something to happen tonight.”
“Just stay calm. My guess is they’re all from different people here tonight. Just stay clear if you can.” Ben was clearly used to being in charge.
Dani looked over at Hunter and squeezed his hand. She took her ear bud out and leaned close. “You’ll get this. Someday he’ll loosen the reins and let you take over.”
He squeezed her hand back. “Thanks.”
His face dropped, and he zoomed in to one of the screens. “Dee, I need you to get closer to that man in the gray suit. No, not him. The bald guy.”
Dani recognized the face because a younger version was sitting right next to her. “I thought your dad wasn’t coming.”
“He wasn’t supposed to be here.” Hunter ran his hand over his face. “Of course, he wouldn’t trust me. Guys, we’re going to have to move faster than we’d expected.”
Ben turned away from the entrance to the auction. “But we’re not into place. If we move, we could jeopardize the whole thing.”
“Look, I love my dad. He’s a pretty good guy. But if something gets in between him and what he wants, he turns nasty. We need to get that scepter traded out now or we’re not going to have the chance.”
“I’m coming back out.” Ben’s camera headed back toward the front entrance, and Dee came back as well.
