by Lea Hart
“No need to wait,” she responded.
“Sara, I need you to cooperate with me until we are flying back home tonight. If I say stop, you stop. If I say duck, you duck. That is the only way I’m going to get through this with any sanity. The success of any mission depends on each person following orders without hesitation or question. Everything can be debated up until the CO tells the team that the plan is in place. I need that from you today.”
“Okay. I can do that.” Squeezing his hand, she nodded. “I get it, Grady. Everyone is risking their lives today to allow me the opportunity to get my life back. I’m not taking any of this lightly. I will listen and follow directions. I want this thing to go down without anyone getting a scratch. So know that I’m going to do everything I can to make this go as smoothly as possible.”
“Thanks, honey.”
“All you have to do is ask. I’m easy that way.” Laughing, she patted his arm. “You should know that better than anyone. Just let your mind slip back to last night and remember how well it turned out for you when you said please.”
When the hatch opened and the stairs unfolded, Sara sashayed her behind up them and disappeared inside. A loud bark of laughter escaped as he remembered last night. “I deserved that,” he said to himself. Damn woman always got him good.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Friday
One PM
The team was ready and had gone over the plan one more time. The vehicles were loaded, and they had about thirty minutes before they needed to leave. Sara strolled down the stairs of the plane and smiled shyly.
“Sweet Lord, woman!” Grady exclaimed. “What are you trying to do to me?”
Stopping at the bottom, she slid her hand over her leather dress and shrugged. “Ivy helped me pick this out. We’re calling it mafia princess chic. Does it work?” Twirling around, she slid her hand on her hip. “I want to look like I mean business, and I think this sends the message.”
“It’s a message, all right.” He watched her face fall and her hand lift to her chest. Shit, he’d made her feel bad. “Honey, you are too fucking beautiful to be around any of those men. I don’t want their eyes on you.”
Her face smoothed out and she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I was worried that I looked silly.”
“Silly is not what’s happening. Too freaking hot for anyone’s eyes but mine is the problem.”
“Oh, Grady, that’s never a problem. I may never look this good again, and I’m going to enjoy it while I go face off with the mobsters who want me dead.”
“I can’t wait until we go back home and the woman I fell in love with returns. I like your crazy hair, shorts, and T-shirts.”
The stunned look on her face surprised him. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You used the L-word.”
“Oh, yeah. I was planning on saving that until you felt safe. I thought telling you that now would be lousy. So it’s a good thing I didn’t.”
“You so did.”
Crossing his arms, he stared across the airfield and closed his eyes. When he heard her foot tapping, time had run out. “I did, but I want you to put that thought in the back of your mind. Because when I tell you it’s going to be special and romantic…” Sweeping his arm up, he grimaced. “This is none of those things, so I would never say it in these circumstances.”
“All right. But I would like to go on record as saying, back at you.”
Moving around him, she walked toward the group. Her heart-shaped ass swung away from him as her killer heels clacked against the concrete. Had they not been about to go into a tough situation, he would’ve picked her up and carried her into the plane to show her how much he liked her new shoes. When they got back to Miami, he was going to talk to Joel about offering Ivy a bonus. Sara’s new shoe wardrobe was worthy of a massive one.
***
The SUV quietly rumbled through the streets as they made their way across town. It was Hank at the wheel with Dane riding shotgun and Sara and Grady in the back. Staring out at the streets, Grady wondered if he would ever want to come back here. He didn’t have anything against the Windy City, but it would forever be associated with the Sara’s threat. The next couple of hours would determine how he and Sara lived for the next couple of years. As far as he was concerned, they could have a drone drop a little gift on the lot of them and be done with it. But that’s not how things worked, so, God willing, what they did today would free Sara from the assholes who thought she had anything of value.
The plan was solid, and he knew that he could protect her. That wasn’t the question. The issue was whether the Outfit would be satisfied with what they had to offer. He’d read all the material that Lucky had gathered on the top five guys, and he knew who he was dealing with. They had a good shot at walking away once the Outfit understood who Sara had in her corner. The FBI was one thing, but SEALs were another story altogether. He figured these men would understand who they were dealing with and act accordingly. Grady wasn’t interested in bringing the Outfit down. He was interested in making Sara safe. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to achieve that end. The goal today was making Solly D understand that too.
***
Sara crossed her legs and admired her four-inch black pumps that had small studs decorating the heels. These were mafia ass-kicking shoes. At least, that’s what she and Ivy had decided when they were sitting in the shoe department of Saks half-drunk. Good times…good times.
Grady’s hand rested securely on top of hers, and she knew this was perhaps more difficult for him than it was for her. Little was expected from her, but Grady held the weight of her safety on his massive shoulders. Sliding her eyes over, she knew he was running through the op as he stared out the window. At least this meeting would tell her where she stood, and that held a lot of value, because she was exhausted from waiting. Gladys and Agnes had both told her that some kind of answer was better than none. And today was the today to get that.
The car slid to a slow stop in front of the restaurant, and Sara heard Hank check in with both teams. While that happened, Sara pulled on Grady’s hand and waited for him to look over. When he did, she winked. “Thank you.”
He bent over and kissed her head. “I’ll be glad when this over and we have a resolution.”
Hank turned around and grinned. “Looks like we’re ready. Stay frosty and let’s go have some fun.”
Dane got out first and scanned the immediate area, and Hank followed. They stood on the sidewalk and faced in opposite directions as Grady slid out and held out his hand for Sara. Heart beating like a drum, she stepped out and straightened her dress. Nodding, she watched Dane enter the restaurant as Grady moved her close to the brick wall. He stood in front of her with his arms loosely hanging at his sides. If someone drove by, all they would see was a large man dressed in black hanging out, relaxing. Sara regulated her breathing and prepared herself. Before she knew it, Grady was leading her inside. Hank stood with his back against the wall and gave her a thumbs-up as she stepped inside.
The interior of the restaurant was dim and seemed like any other Italian family restaurant anywhere in the country. Once her eyes adjusted, she noticed Dane standing toward the back with another man who must have been a soldier from the Outfit. “Showtime,” she mumbled.
Grady tipped his head at Dane, and they wove their way through the tables toward a door that had Banquet lettered boldly across the middle. As soon as Grady opened the door, a wave of cigar smoke floated over them. She tried to peek around his big frame, but he moved, making that impossible.
“So, you decided to bring some muscle to our little get-together?” a gravelly voice barked out.
Sara pushed around Grady and stared at a round table filled with four men. The one in the middle stared at them with dark, cold eyes that sent shivers down her back. Never before had she seen such a soulless stare. She recognized every man except one. The reporters who interviewed her had brought photographs of Solly D, Louie Tomatoes, and Pudgy
Matassa. All of them were sitting in front of her. The fourth man might have been a capo. “Hello. I’m Sara Montgomery, and I understand you’ve been looking for me?”
Pudgy snorted. “Yeah, we figured Sal might’ve given you something.”
Squaring her shoulders, she stood up straight. “The only thing Sal gave me was a locket belonging to his mother.”
Grady addressed the room. “Sara has the locket that Sal gave her, and she might be willing to hand it over. It depends how the next couple of minutes go.”
“Who the fuck are you?” Louie Tomatoes shouted.
Sara slid her hand on her hip and shook her head. “Now, that’s just rude. This is my partner, and he’s here to make sure that you don’t put a bullet in me. You’ve already met another associate, and he’s standing outside the door. We also have someone else out front. And those are just the ones I know about.”
“Your own little army,” Solly D remarked.
“Actually, Navy.” She could see that they were trying to figure it out, and she didn’t feel like waiting. “So, I’m sure you’ve seen the news coverage. I had several interviews this week, and I plan on continuing to do that until we come to an agreement.”
“Yeah, we saw it. That was a ballsy move and one we don’t appreciate,” Pudgy spit out.
“I don’t appreciate being on a hit list. I had a meal with Sal, and then I saw him gunned down in front of me. Talk about lousy luck.”
Solly D stood, and Grady tensed. His hand was on his weapon as the older man moved toward them. “Not so close,” Grady commanded.
Putting his hands up, Solly laughed. “I’m not going to hurt her.” He took one more step, and Grady started to move. “I just want to see her. You have those green eyes all the Marinos have. You remind me so much of Sal’s younger sister, Carolina. I didn’t really believe that you were his kid, but seeing you in person confirms it’s true.”
“I never knew about him until my parents passed away and I got curious. I decided I wanted to meet him, so I came up here and asked. He was surprised, but not as much as I thought he would be. Maybe he never believed my mom and figured he had a kid somewhere in the world. Anyway, he was nice enough during the meal, but it was too late for both of us to forge a real relationship. I never planned on seeing him again, and that was taken care of when he was killed within a foot of me.”
“Sal wasn’t loyal to the family. Some people were unhappy about it, and you stepped into the middle of it,” Pudgy said.
Slipping the locket out of her purse, she handed it to Grady. “I don’t have the passcode to the account, and I’m giving this to you as a good-faith gesture. I’m going to return to my life, and I don’t ever expect to cross paths with anyone from the family again.”
Grady looped his arms around Sara and stared at each man in the group. “This ends today. Sara will not do any more interviews on the condition that the contract you have out is canceled. If that isn’t agreeable to you, then know that I will bring my team in and rain holy hell on all of you. I’ve got years of experience, so know that it will happen. I know you have to save face, and we have no intention of discussing the subject outside this room unless it becomes necessary. Sara can keep the spotlight on the organization or she can turn it off. It’s up to you.”
Solly D returned to the other side of the table and slowly sat down. “We will consider what you’ve said, and we’ll let you know.”
Sara shifted and realized her beautiful new shoes were not meant for standing. Her toes were numb, and there was a sharp pain in the balls of her feet. “I get you need to save face and all of that, but let’s be real. You sent two low-level guys after me when crazy Ang called and informed you all of my whereabouts. Maybe you’ve already figured out that I don’t have info, or you’ve discovered the password on your own. I’m no longer on the top of your list, and we all know it. Today is just an exercise in fake civility. I’m telling you that I’ve got something, and you’re telling me the same. I’d like to walk out of here today with a handshake agreement that we leave one another alone. A mutual no-destruction policy.”
“You don’t mince your words, do ya?” Louie Tomatoes asked.
“Grady is getting impatient, and I, for one, do not need to see what that looks like. Also, my feet are killing me, and I want nothing more than to be done with this little chitchat. You now know that I have someone who has a vested interested in my safety. I’m sure that you’ve figured out he has a team of men who will join him at a second’s notice to ensure that his goals are met. So let’s cut to the chase. Are you in or are you out?”
“I don’t know why you women always insist on buying those stupid shoes. My wife loves them, and then she complains when she has ’em on. It makes no sense to me. Those shoes with the damn red soles are all she wants,” Pudgy said.
“I hope you didn’t just call my shoes stupid. Because if you did, then I’m going to be really offended,” Sara bit out.
Grady leaned over and whispered, “Honey, that’s not the point.”
“I know, but my shoes are not stupid.”
Solly D stood, and his men sat up straight. “I will make sure people understand that we are no longer interested in Sal’s daughter.”
“I will not give any more interviews.”
Grady slid his gaze over the men and nodded. He stepped forward and pushed the locket across the table. “We’re done here.”
The door opened behind them, and Dane stood with his hand on his weapon. “We are clear for exfil.”
Grady moved in front of Sara and walked out of the restaurant as Dane covered their six. As they walked out the front doors, the bright sunlight almost blinded Sara. It felt like they had been in there for hours. Checking her watch, she realized it had been less than thirty minutes. A year in hiding and twenty minutes for it to end. How in the hell was that possible? When she got home, she was going to take some time to figure it out.
Hank had the car running. Grady hustled her inside and stood with his gun in his hand as Hank and Dane climbed into the car. Then he slid inside and closed the door. “Let’s get the hell out of here,” he said, as he grabbed Sara’s hand. “Just an old-fashioned pissing contest.”
“That was the scariest ‘I’ll show you mine and you show me yours’ that I’ve ever seen,” Sara commented.
Hank drove them out of the neighborhood and laughed. “You did good in there, Sara.”
“Thanks. I have no idea what I said. Adrenaline was rushing through my veins, and it felt like I was outside my body. It was so weird. Is that what combat feels like?”
“In a way,” Grady responded.
“I liked when you told them that you were going to rain holy hell down on them. That was great.” Sara laughed. “So badass.”
“I enjoyed when you told them your feet hurt and you wanted to be done with the conversation. I’ll bet that’s not something that they hear every day.”
Leaning over, she slid off her shoes. “I wasn’t kidding. I can’t feel my feet.”
“The price of looking fierce is not for everyone,” Dane commented from the front.
“You got that right.” Sara leaned over and placed her head in Grady’s lap. “I’m going to rest.”
She felt Grady stroke her cheek and run his hand through her hair. It felt so good that before she knew it, her eyes had drifted shut.
***
The group was assembled in the hangar, and they had just demolished several large pizzas. Grady glanced over at Sara and grinned. They had taken a big step toward their future today, and he couldn’t have been happier. It was far from over, but at least each side knew what the other was capable of. The best outcome would be that no one pulled the trigger. The Outfit had a lot to lose if Sara continued to make her story public. The last thing they wanted was their faces plastered all over the news. It made them look weak, and as far as he could tell, that’s the last thing they wanted.
Grady whistled loudly and lifted his bottle of water. “I
just want to thank everyone for helping us out. We had a good day, and every person here made that possible. Thank you.”
“Hooyah!” Dane, Hank, and Ed shouted.
Sara blew Grady a kiss from across the table and then got up. He watched her move from person to person, and he guessed that she was expressing her gratitude. They had an amazing future in front of them, and he could hardly wait to get started.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Two Weeks Later
Grady walked into the conference room and grabbed a seat. He took a slug of water as he waited for Dane and Joel. He checked his phone and noted that Sara had not left the house. That had pretty much been the case for the last two weeks. When they got home from Chicago, she went to bed and stayed there for almost two days. It was like she had finally given herself permission to fall apart. It made complete sense, but he was beginning to get worried. It might be time to talk to a professional. He’d seen enough PTSD over the years to recognize what Sara was battling.
It wasn’t possible to lose your parents, then see your father gunned down in front of you, and then go on the run for over a year and not have some heavy shit to deal with. His thoughts were interrupted when Dane strolled in and Joel followed. “Let’s get this meeting started. I have a ton of reports to plow through for the Argentinian government. They wanted a full proposal for their refineries.”
Joel slid into a chair and laid down a big stack of folders. “We have two more requests.”
“Shit, we’re going to spend the next year in South America. We need some more people if we want a chance at these contracts,” Dane said.
“I’ve spoken with Rorke, and we’re going to work together on these. It’s the only way to manage the influx of requests,” Joel answered. “Ivy is going to coordinate for us, so it should work.”
“I’m not going to be able to take any assignments out of state for a while. I need to stick close to home,” Grady said. He didn’t want to take himself out of the field, but he had no choice right now.
