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“Wait, why would she do that?” Diana asked instead of following my orders to listen to her music. “Is she changing her mind? Not coming?”
“No, she’s giving us a heads-up she’s about to drop in,” Easton told her before I could.
I waved my hand, reminding her to put on the headphones.
“Why?” Diana’s curiosity could get her killed one day. What if I couldn’t be there to save her next time?
While I froze for the briefest second, reflecting how I could never let that happen, Easton informed her, “Because she knows not to fuck with Carter unless she wants this to turn into a slaughter fest.”
I waited for the phone to ring once more as Diana finally did as I instructed, then I placed the call on speaker. “Alyona. Are you checking that the mission was a success this morning? I’d have assumed you would’ve already heard we acquired the package.”
Diana must not have hit play, because she shivered the moment she heard the reference to herself. Had I really expected her to jam out to Nickelback’s, “How You Remind Me,” the first song on the playlist, instead?
“I did hear it was mission success.” Alyona’s tone was a few decibels above necessary.
“Then what’s going on? Sounds like you’re on a helo. Going somewhere?” I asked, playing a part I wasn’t in the mood to play. Not when the package was involved and staring at me, wide-eyed behind her glasses.
“We need to talk. I’m dropping in now.” Alyona was never one to waste time, I’d give her that. Plus, the familiar whomp! whomp! of the blades chopping the air filtered through the cottage, leaving her zero room to fuck around with her so-called pleasantries and stall.
“Order your men on the perimeter to stand down,” she issued the command.
“You know I’d never shoot first when it comes to you, but if you walk in here with your weapons pointed, I may change my mind,” I warned. “The lack of heads-up about your visit is testing my patience, Alyona.”
“We won’t draw our weapons if you don’t,” she responded, the line going dead before I could reply.
I pocketed my phone and glanced at Diana before turning to Griffin. “Stand down,” I ordered my guys over the comm in my left ear, then tipped my chin toward Diana, a silent order for Griffin to be on guard alongside her chair.
With her safely positioned between my two best friends, I swiveled my focus to the doorway, waiting alongside Easton for Alyona’s arrival.
“They’re on the property now. Four tangos plus the Lioness,” Teddy said in my ear. We didn’t use our usual call signs. No need. This wasn’t a mission. It was a trap.
I counted back from ten, knowing it’d take her no longer than that to make her way through the small cottage to get to us.
Two men entered first. All black military clothes, same as us. Rifles slung across their chests, but not in hand. Alyona walked into the room behind them in her standard operational clothes. Jeans, boots, and a fitted leather jacket.
“Carter.” Alyona may have been addressing me as she waved her two men off to the sides of the room into readied positions, but her eyes were pointed intensely at Diana.
Dallas wasn’t amused. He sat up and snarled, showing his teeth.
“Down, boy,” I ordered. He gave me a hesitant look before stilling his snarl, but maintained his guarded posture. I know, damnit. I know. I pivoted to the side so I could face Alyona while keeping Diana in my peripheral view. “Why the unexpected visit? You have your three million, and you clearly gave the Serbians the heads-up we were coming. I assume you wanted to wash your hands free of any involvement in our op.” No point in sugarcoating.
Alyona stopped before me, setting her hand on my chest, and her brows slanted in surprise, discovering the crucifix there. My shirt was the only barrier preventing it from branding her skin.
I gripped her wrist and removed her hand, surprised she didn’t shoot me a coy look or one of her standard playful smiles.
“What are you doing here?” I asked again, more bite to my tone that time. I wasn’t in the mood to play games.
“New information surfaced, and I’m here to make a deal.” There was a slight quiver in Alyona’s voice, the only curveball of the evening so far.
“What kind of deal?” Stop looking at Diana, damnit. “And eyes on me,” I barked out a bit aggressively even for me.
“You rocked the boat by taking her,” she said while peering at me, “and because I helped you, so did I.”
I tensed, waiting for her to get to her point.
“Someone discovered I helped you,” she continued. “Despite my efforts to put space between us, they found out.”
“Me, specifically? Or helped the masked men at the port they still can’t identify?”
