Gina’s cell phone blared then and she jumped. Jack’s heart rate shot up. Her eyes were wide as she snatched the phone from the table where she’d put it.
“I don’t recognize the number.”
“Answer it, Gina. Be calm. Keep them on the phone and find out what they want. Ask for proof of life—shit, don’t phrase it that way or they’ll know you’ve got someone on your side. Just ask for proof they didn’t harm him.”
She nodded. He could see the pulse thrumming in her neck as she slid the answer bar. “Hello.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at him, and she nodded hard. Her eyes were glassy as tears welled. “I’ll do anything you want. But you have to give me proof you didn’t hurt him. I want to know my baby is okay.”
Jack wanted to hear what they were saying but they’d agreed earlier that she shouldn’t put it on speaker. That was a sure sign she had help, and people could always tell when speaker mode was enabled. They couldn’t take the chance. But Billy had tapped her phone and the guys were listening in the other room. He had faith they’d get something.
“Baby,” Gina cried out. “Sweetheart, don’t be scared. Mommy’s coming. Mommy’s coming.”
She put a shaky hand to her lips and tried to hold in the sob that he knew was threatening. The kidnappers must have taken Eli away from the phone.
“Yes,” she said. “I understand. Vegas. The Venetian. I’ll be there.”
*
“Couldn’t get a lock on them,” Billy Blake said. “Fuck!”
He slammed a hand on the table. Olivia stood behind him and put her arms around his neck.
Jack’s gut rolled with fear and anger. “Do we even know if they’re really in Vegas?”
Gina had said the postmarks on the vilest of the letters she’d gotten had often been from Vegas. It was too strong a coincidence to completely ignore, but that still didn’t mean whoever had done this was really in Sin City.
He’d brought Gina next door as soon as they’d gotten off the phone. She’d been shaking and on the verge of hyperventilating when he’d taken her hand and pulled her with him. No way in hell was he leaving her while he went to check in with the guys.
Jack glanced at Gina. Her eyes were glassy and her hands were over her mouth as if she were trying to hold all her feelings inside. He knew what that felt like. He’d been just where she was when his CO and the Red Cross came to inform him that Hayley was dead—trying to hold it all in and knowing he was going to blow at any moment.
He put his arm around her and pulled her against him. She didn’t try to move away, which told him she was feeling it pretty hard.
“I can’t say for certain,” Billy said.
Matt swore. “We can’t take military transport to get there.”
Jack knew that. It wasn’t a military operation and they weren’t authorized. And while they weren’t precisely authorized to do this either, it didn’t involve commandeering a government asset as large as an airplane.
“Can’t you call Mendez?” Evie asked. Her eyes were filled with tears too. Jack knew this must bring up bad memories for her considering that her sister had been kidnapped last summer.
“It’s not official use,” Jack said.
“Fuck that,” Lucky MacDonald said. “There’s got to be a way.”
Gina stirred against his side. He got the feeling she’d zoned out there for a bit, but she was trying to work her way back to the conversation. “I have a plane,” she said, her voice scratchy and soft.
Jack’s stomach fell. Not in a bad way, but in a holy-shit-they-weren’t-fucked way. He tipped her chin up and forced her to look at him. A tear slid from her eye and rolled down her cheek. He had a strong desire to kiss it away. He swallowed the urge.
“You have a plane, babe? A plane big enough for all of us?”
“It’s a 737.”
“If it’s a charter, you’ll have to—”
“It’s mine.”
Holy shit. He was reeling here. Just fucking reeling. This woman owned a goddamned Boeing 737. The rest of the guys whooped.
“That’s it. We’re breaking it down and getting on that fucking plane,” Matt said.
“Shit yeah,” Big Mac added.
Relief threatened to make Jack’s legs buckle. She had a plane and they weren’t dead in the water. There was still a chance to save their son.
CHAPTER TEN
THE VENETIAN SAT ON the Vegas strip, a large copy of all the best of Venice in the middle of a desert, but without the timeworn feel or unique charm of the Italian city itself. Gina was impatient to get there. Jack’s team had played back the conversation she’d had with the gruff-voiced man who’d told her that she’d better get out to Vegas or she’d never see her child again. They’d gleaned nothing new from it, unfortunately.
Her heart twisted as she remembered Eli’s voice. He’d been crying, and that had broken her heart and pissed her off all at the same time. Bastards. She would kill them if she ever got her hands on them.
Jack sat beside her in the limo that raced them from the airport to the city. He was quiet and focused, and she wished she could reach out and grab his hand for comfort. He’d been with her every step of the way. And his miraculous band of military badasses was there too, going ahead of them in a van loaded with equipment. The women—except for Lucky—had stayed behind in DC. Gina kind of wished they’d come along too. She didn’t make friends easily, and while she wouldn’t call them her friends just yet, she liked how strong and no-nonsense they all were.
Those women were close and she envied the bond. Lucky was the only one who seemed to be on the outside of that circle, but that seemed to be more her doing than the other women’s. They accepted her as she was. Gina didn’t pretend to know why that was difficult for Lucky, but she understood it. When you were accustomed to being a loner, you didn’t easily become a part of a group.
The tall facade of the Venetian loomed ahead. Nerves spiked in her belly. What would they find there? Those men surely weren’t holding Eli in a major hotel, were they? Would her baby be there, safe and happy and waiting?
Except they hadn’t asked her for anything yet, and she knew they had to. No one went to that kind of trouble without wanting money.
The nerves in her belly fluttered like a million hummingbird wings. Gina swallowed against the nausea threatening her. And then she reached out and took Jack’s hand because she had to, because she needed his strength and calmness more than she needed to be a rock standing firm on her own.
Jack turned to look at her, but he didn’t pull his hand away. He simply wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed. It was every bit as comforting as she’d hoped. His skin was warm, and he was strong and solid beside her. He was the rock, and she could be the wave ebbing and flowing for a change.
In all the hours on the plane, he hadn’t spoken much. He’d sat with his team for the longest time, never far from her, but engrossed in everything they were planning. He hadn’t left her side, but he’d somehow obtained a long case that she recognized. He’d had one similar on the island, and she knew it contained his guns.
“What do you think’s going to happen when we get there?” she asked, because she needed to say something.
Jack was looking at their twined fingers. “I don’t honestly know,” he told her. “Whoever is doing this derives pleasure out of making you do what they want. It’s a power play as much as a money grab. Which means it could be personal.”
Gina’s belly took a dive. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that tonight, but it was the first time anyone had said it to her. She’d overheard the guys talking about it, but when they thought she might hear them, they’d lowered their voices.
“I don’t know who would be so angry with me they’d use Eli against me. It’s a crime, for God’s sake. Who would risk that?”
“Have you jilted anyone recently?”
Her face heated. “I’ve not been with anyone seriously, but I did date a congressman for a bit
. I broke it off when I felt his life was too complicated for me. But he wouldn’t risk his career just to hurt me. He wasn’t that invested in me. Besides, it was months ago.”
Jack was looking at her with new interest. “A congressman? Which one?”
“DeWitt.”
“He’s on the subcommittee for intelligence, emerging threats, and capabilities.”
Gina gaped. “How do you know that?”
“It’s the branch of the House Armed Services Committee that oversees anything to do with my job. Believe me, we all know who they are.”
She shook her head. “But what’s that got to do with me and Eli?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why did you ask?”
He shrugged. “Because I wanted to know. You never told anyone about what happened on St. Margarethe, did you?” he added.
Her heart thumped. “Which part?”
“Any of it.”
“No. I told you I wouldn’t. I didn’t want anyone to know I was there when…” She swallowed. “That day.”
“That’s good. The less your name is associated with Metaxas, the better.”
“It’s so strange to be here,” she said, looking out the window at the neon strip. “Barry wants me to sign a contract that will have me performing here regularly, but I’m just not sure that’s the direction I want to go. Still, it’s a lot of money.”
Beside her, Jack had stiffened. “Why didn’t you mention this before?”
She whipped her head around to find him staring at her. Her heart thumped. “What? The contract?”
“Yes. The fact your manager wants you to sign a contract that brings you to Vegas, the fact you haven’t done it, the fact some of the letters have Vegas postmarks—when do they arrive? When Barry is conveniently out of town?”
Gina gasped. “Barry has nothing to do with this! Why would he? That’s ridiculous—I’ve known him for years; I love him and he loves me. We fight sometimes, but he’d never do such a thing!”
Jack looked furious. “Gina, we needed to know this. We can’t leave any angle unexplored—”
“No!” She jabbed a finger in his chest. “Barry is off-limits. He would never, never hurt Eli. Barry loves him, and he’s upset about this too. You saw him when you arrived—he was crying with me.”
“He didn’t seem too broken up after the concert.”
She wanted to scream. Yes, Barry had turned into his usual bulldog self, but he cared. And she wouldn’t have this man trying to make Barry into some kind of monster just because there was a tenuous connection between him and Las Vegas.
“It’s not Barry. There’s no way it’s Barry. You will not, under any circumstances, upset him with accusations. Investigate him and you’ll find out I’m right.”
Jack still looked angry, but he nodded. “We damn sure will investigate. But I won’t upset precious Barry until we know something.”
“You won’t upset him at all.”
Jack didn’t reply. The car slowed and turned into the hotel drive. Gina’s pulse thrummed. This was it.
The man on the phone had told her to go to the Venetian, check in, and wait. He hadn’t told her to come by herself, so Jack was her bodyguard for the trip since it wasn’t unusual for her to have one. And while she might be ticked off at him right now, she was glad he was here.
A uniformed man opened the car door, and Jack stepped out first before holding a hand out for her. She’d changed into a modest black tuxedo pantsuit and low heels. Her hair was twisted into a bun on her head, and she popped on a pair of big sunglasses even though it was the middle of the night. She should be exhausted after the concert earlier, but she was running on adrenaline and fear. There was plenty of time to collapse later.
Jack still wore jeans and a T-shirt, but he’d put a sport coat over the shirt so he could wear his shoulder holster. It comforted her to know he was armed. And she knew his team was already here. She’d had her assistant book her suite along with the one beside it, so the guys would be setting up equipment and preparing for any contingencies.
She and Jack strode into the grand foyer with the painted dome ceiling and the gold ring sculpture at the center. The hotel was over-the-top ornate, gleaming and perfect in a way that the real Venice was not. She preferred the real Venice.
The staff bent over backward to accommodate her, checking her in and sending her luggage up to her room. A personal concierge was assigned to her, though she protested she might not stay long, and a butler would be at her disposal should she need anything.
Finally, Jack ushered her into the elevator and punched the buttons for their floor. It was late, but people were still awake. She’d managed not to get recognized so far, except by the staff, and she breathed out a sigh of relief as the doors closed and she was alone in the elevator with Jack.
He didn’t speak and she didn’t either. She was still annoyed with him for suggesting Barry could be involved. When they reached their floor, he took her to the suite and made her stand outside the door while he checked the rooms for signs of intruders. When he was satisfied, he let her inside. Then he took out his phone and made a call.
“We’re in … Yeah, copy.”
He ended the call and a few moments later someone knocked on the door. He went and looked out the peephole before answering. One of his teammates—a guy they called Iceman—came inside with something that looked like a handheld radio. He swept the room and then moved into the next one. When he returned, he shook his head.
“It’s clean.”
“What’s clean?” she asked.
“Bugs,” Jack said.
“You’re worried about bugs? Really? At a time like this?”
“Not insects, babe. Listening devices.”
Gina colored. Right. She’d forgotten who she was dealing with for a second. Or the exhaustion and stress were catching up with her. “I see.”
“Thanks, Ice,” Jack said.
“Sure thing.”
“Hey, why are you called Iceman?” Gina asked. “Isn’t that kind of a cliché?”
Iceman looked at her and grinned. “Yeah, it is. Everyone’s seen Top Gun. But maybe I’m just that cool under pressure.”
Jack snorted. “Or maybe he got drunk one time when he first joined the team and kept asking if anyone had some ice, man. It kinda stuck.”
Iceman laughed. “Yeah, that’d be the real reason. But you can call me Garrett, ma’am, if you prefer.”
“Garrett, then. I’ll be different. And thanks for helping me. I really appreciate it.”
He gave her a wink and a salute and left. Gina crossed her arms over her middle and turned to look out at the bright lights of the Strip. There was so much happiness here. So much life and sin. And she was outside it, existing from minute to minute as she waited for news of her baby. She hated this place suddenly. Hated all those happy people.
She whirled away from the window and stalked into the bedroom. Her luggage was laid out on racks, unzipped and waiting for her to select something. But what? Did she go to sleep for a few hours? Stay awake and will the phone to ring?
She heard Jack talking and she knew he was probably telling his team to investigate Barry’s connection to Vegas. She understood why he was suspicious, she really did, but it hurt anyway. Barry was one of her best friends in the world, and she refused to believe he could be so diabolical.
A few minutes later Jack came into the bedroom. She thought she should tell him to knock first or something, but she didn’t have the energy. The barriers that would normally be there between her and a man just weren’t there with Jack.
“You didn’t eat enough on the plane. I ordered room service.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Gina.” He walked into the room and stopped in front of her. His blue eyes roamed her face while her heart kicked up. When he met her eyes again, her breath hitched. “You have to rest and you have to eat. We don’t know what’s going to happen, and you need to be strong. That’s one of
the rules on a mission. Take care of yourself or you’re no good to your team.”
“I’m not part of your team. I’m just me.”
“You aren’t alone on this. We’re here, and that makes you part of the team. I’m ordering you to eat, same as I’d order my spotter or anyone else under my authority, and then I’m ordering you to rest.”
“I’m not under your authority.” Maybe she should be angry at the way he was talking to her, but she was oddly touched. God, just blame it on stress and a situation outside her control. She needed to push this man away, but she couldn’t seem to do it.
“Think of this like the island. I’m the one with the experience. I know what I’m doing. I got you out of there, didn’t I?”
She nodded.
“Trust me to get you out of here too, okay?”
“All right.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You gonna eat when the food gets here?”
“Depends on what you ordered. I hate squash, for instance.”
“Then I’ll call and cancel the squash sandwich.”
She couldn’t help but laugh even though it had an edge that could turn into panic at any moment. “You didn’t order anything of the sort.”
“No.” He backed away and reached for the door handle. “Put on your pajamas. Get comfortable.”
“I don’t wear pajamas. I don’t wear anything.”
He stopped in mid-swing and she wanted to laugh again. She did wear pajamas, but she’d wanted to rattle him. Just because.
“Well, honey, you can come out here in nothing if you want, but it’ll probably be embarrassing for you and the delivery person both. Still, you can tip him good and I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
He shot her a grin before shutting the door behind him. Gina stood there with her heart pounding and her pulse skipping and wondered just what it was about him that made her want to get beneath his skin.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
JACK WAS STARTLED AWAKE in the gray light before dawn. He had always been an early riser, and even though he hadn’t had much sleep the night before, old habits had him awake as usual. He blinked a few moments until he remembered where he was. And then he pushed himself upright on one elbow and gazed out at the glowing Vegas Strip arrayed below the expensive suite perched at the top of the hotel. The couch hadn’t been half-bad, he decided, as he pushed himself the rest of the way up.
Hot Shot (A Hostile Operations Team Novel)(#5) Page 8
