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Russian mafia? Her head spun. Victor had been terrifying when she thought he was just a wacked-out businessman. Knowing he associated with hardened criminals made her want to retch again. There were so many times he could have killed her. So many ways someone with those kinds of connections could make a body disappear.
Visions of the dead woman flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes, trying to push away the image, but she couldn’t push away the reality. Victor was not only a monster. He was a monster with serious mob connections. Instead of dynamite, he was a full-on nuclear bomb.
She’d barely finished another couple sips when Graham turned, dropping her phone on the floor with a clatter. It was still skidding when he crushed it with a booted heel.
“Hey!” she protested, lunging at him. “You can’t just––”
“Relax. I cloned the info. I’ll get you a secure device by the end of the day.” Clearly unbothered by her distress, he tipped his chin at the clock over the stove. “You best get your things together. Our ride’ll be here any minute.” He stared her down as if she were some raw Marine recruit. “We’re leaving the second they touch down whether you’re packed or not.”
She shook her head, struggling to process his demands. “We can’t drive in this, right? I mean, how far would we get?”
“This little flurry?” He scoffed. “That Jeep outside’ll drive us straight up a tree if need be. Besides, we’re not driving.”
It was her turn to ratchet up the sarcasm. “Are we going with snowmobile, or jet pack?”
He pressed his mug to his lips, hiding his expression. “We’re flying.”
“Okay, but the snow?—”
“Not gonna be a problem. Trust me.”
Suddenly the coffee tasted bitter. She hadn’t signed on for this. “Just wait. I need to think.”
“No time.” Graham set down his mug and headed past her. “I’ll get your stuff.”
Fury ignited. “Stop! You can’t just–– We have to talk about this!”
Graham speared her with a look. “One crazed psycho, I can handle, but a paramilitary terrorist cell? Not so much.”
He closed in on her, cupping her shoulders with his hard palms. “I can’t guarantee I can keep you safe. Not against that kind of firepower. We can’t assume this guy’s going to come alone.”
She had to think. “Give me a minute.”
“Baby Girl, I’m telling you, we don’t have a minute. If you’ve got a better option for handling the Russian mob I’m all ears.”
Chastened, Tenaya shut her mouth. The man was right. She was out of her depth. And from what he said, the longer she delayed, the more she put both of them at risk. “But the snow…”
“Not gonna be a problem,” he repeated.
As if on cue, the throaty thwack of helicopter blades split the air.
Adrenaline spiking, Tenaya glanced outside. Snow swirled, reducing visibility to mere feet. The sound grew louder, blades beating so hard the house shook.
Graham winked. “Told you a little weather wouldn’t stop my guys.”
Apprehension bitter in her mouth, Tenaya followed him onto the deck. A sleek helicopter burst through the low clouds, sending a wash of stinging snow into her eyes.
She ducked her head against the stinging backwash. What had she gotten herself into?
7
Tai stared into the swirling snow as Bridger aimed the helicopter toward the clearing surrounding the remote mountain cabin. The squall was nothing but a tiny taste of the winter to come. Blue sky already peeked out between the parting clouds. This little dusting would melt before nightfall. But the rotor blades now stirred up their own version of a ground-based blizzard.
Bridger leaned forward, as if putting his nose a few inches closer to the windshield might improve the visibility. “I can’t believe Graham reached out after all these years.”
“No kidding.” Tai grinned, anticipation rising. “Man, I’ve missed him.”
Their former shooting instructor had been like a father to Tai. Taught him everything he knew about shooting, and life, for that matter. Then Graham had been persuaded to hook up with BlackOut Squadron, helping hone the team’s self-defense skills. His chemistry with the team was fantastic, but the old Marine had been on his way toward retirement just as BlackOut Squadron was ramping up for action.
