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He had yet to even see a glimpse of the man, but Lucas knew in his bones that he was there. Union Terminal was a huge edifice, sprawling thousands of square feet to include multiple museums, a theater, the Cincinnati Historical Society Library, and even the working train platform at the lower level. The classic Art Deco design and grand murals were breathtaking, particularly now that they’d recently completed their renovations.
The police were covering all the entrances and Rowe’s staff were liberally sprinkled throughout the buildings and crowds. But it was still too much ground to cover. Jagger would have little problem sneaking in, and they were sure that he wouldn’t attempt to sneak out again until he’d taken at least one of their lives.
Lifting his glass up again to hide his mouth, Lucas murmured, “Everyone report in.”
“Peter and Wendy by the entrance to the Children’s Museum. All clear,” Ian immediately said.
“Hook at the edge of the dance floor,” Jude chimed in softly, sounding amused. “Slightly is dancing with my mother.” Lucas watched Snow carefully twirl Anna around on the floor in her sparkling silver dress, a wide smile on her lips as she laughed at something he said. Snow also had an earpiece so he could hear everything that was happening. His goal of the night was to make an appearance of support for Lucas, then after a few hours, accompany Anna and Jude back to her house along with two other guards. Snow wasn’t a fan of being left out of the action, but right now, his main focus was keeping the woman in his arms safe for the love of his life.
“Tiger Lily returning from the food staging area,” Andrei said, though his voice sounded a little muffled as if he’d placed his hand over his mouth. “All clear.”
“Smee moving west from the train platform,” Noah reported. “PD has it locked down tight. Moving to sweep the library.”
Lucas waited. They were still missing one.
“Fuck you all,” Rowe grumbled. He heard a snort and looked up to see Jude’s shoulders moving as if he were struggling to hold in a laugh. Even Snow’s smile had gotten wider.
“Sorry. Didn’t get that,” Lucas said before taking another sip of champagne.
“Fuck you, Nibs,” Rowe snapped a little louder, trying to get a rise out of Lucas by using his code name. “Why am I the fairy AGAIN?”
“Peter designed the plan. He got to pick the names,” Lucas replied. “Report in.”
“Tinker-fucking-bell here,” Rowe replied. “The exits to the theater are locked down and hooked up to a silent alarm my guys are watching. Checking the aisles now.”
Lucas nodded to some acquaintances as they passed by, accepting their congratulations, though he didn’t know whether it was for the gala or his engagement. The response to his upcoming nuptials had been largely positive so far. Candace had passed along the news that some business connections were turning cold due to his choice of fiancé, but he didn’t care. If they were going to judge him based on the person he loved, then he was happy not to continue doing business with them. There were plenty of other people around the globe who’d enjoy working with him.
Rowe grumbled something else, this time spouting about how he at least didn’t have to wear a tie. After some careful discussion, they’d decided that Noah and Rowe were better off free and hidden from view. While Rowe’s own people knew that he was lurking around, they’d not bothered to clue the cops in that two former Army Rangers were prowling Union Terminal dressed all in black and carrying enough weapons to take down a small nation. The hope was that Rowe or Noah would spot Jagger first, so he could either be captured quietly or at least corralled directly into the hands of the cops.
A familiar laugh rose above the din and Lucas turned in time see Andrei stepping away from Thomas Lynton, shaking his hand while accepting a kiss on the cheek from Thomas’s wife Marilyn. Since he and Andrei had first started dating, they’d gotten into the habit of meeting the Lyntons for brunch at least once a month. They were the first within Lucas’s social circle beyond his family to meet Andrei as more than his friend or bodyguard. It was fitting that they were at the gala to help them celebrate their engagement. He prayed they stayed safe tonight. On two separate occasions, the older couple had been caught up in his troubles that all ended up tying back to Jagger. He’d hate for them to get accidentally tangled up yet again.
As Andrei turned to continue to Lucas, he lifted his left hand to check his bow tie and the titanium band on his ring finger winked at him as it caught the light, speeding up his heart a little bit. The rings had arrived that morning and they celebrated in bed after slipping them onto each other’s fingers. Even now, hours later, Lucas found his thumb constantly straying to his ring finger, rubbing along the smooth metal, reassuring himself. They were close to having it all finally concluded, Jagger gone, and their lives free from that toxic specter. It wasn’t going to fall apart now.
