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Niall and I had gone out multiple times over the last week, always to places where we were unlikely to run into many people we knew. We both played our roles, and though I knew he hated it, Niall had done an excellent job. Sadly, no amount of innuendo or encouragement had gotten him to agree to come home with me for some private practice. The only other times we talked, we simply confirmed plans for the mission, often while meeting with X—always by phone—Giorgio, and Leo.
Once we were on the island, we wouldn’t have any backup. I didn’t like to admit how uneasy that made me. At least we had a plan to get out if we had to, and the Marchesis had men on alert on St. Croix.
I’d done a decent job of ignoring my apprehension about the mission, but when I woke up the morning of our departure, my stomach was unsettled, and I had a pounding headache. No matter how bad I felt, I wasn’t about to let Niall know how scared I was.
As I got dressed and double-checked my bags, I ran through all the things I’d done to prepare. I had people taking care of the shop, both its legal and illegal businesses. The Marchesis would step in if there was any trouble, but they’d make sure they weren’t seen. I had to appear to have broken contact with them since I was claiming my family’s legacy. That was the only part of my role I hadn’t practiced, and just thinking about being in with my family again made me feel sick.
Focus on the end game. I would do whatever it took to smash this organization to pieces once and for all.
The sun hadn’t even started to rise when a large town car pulled up in front of my shop. X had sent his driver to pick up Niall and me.
This was it. Once I’d gotten the invitation to Arlington’s house party, I’d known I couldn’t back out, but now it seemed more real than ever. I could do this. I could play my part, and I would do my best to enjoy every moment of downtime I had. Why not take advantage of a luxury vacation when I could? How many people got to say they were working while on an all-expenses paid trip to a private island. The way I looked at life, I believed in taking all I could from it.
I grabbed my bags. I was bringing far more than I would normally pack. Typically if I was traveling, I was either visiting my mom in Florida—we’d reconciled after I’d been disowned—or on an assignment for Lucien where getting in and out as fast as possible was the objective. Sometimes on those trips I didn’t even take a change of clothes. But to look the part for this mission I had to overpack, so I’d filled two large suitcases and a duffel bag.
X had hired a car to take us to the airport, and when I exited my shop, the driver opened the door for me and told me he would take care of my bags. I thanked him and settled in the back seat next to Niall.
He looked distressingly awake. “Don’t tell me you always get up at this hour. Are you the type who goes for a run at fucking five in the morning?”
Niall shook his head. “I’ve learned that it’s best to sleep whenever I can because I never know when something’s going to fuck up my chance to sleep the next night.”
“I like that philosophy.”
He snorted. “Finally something we agree on.”
I didn’t have the energy to start an argument this early. I needed way more coffee. “I’ve got a question.”
“Okay.”
“What if someone recognizes the plane as belonging to X? I’m guessing some of these people know him by his real-world identity.”
“They do. Our story is we borrowed a friend’s plane. If someone identifies the plane as belonging to X, we joke about how he had no idea what kind of party we were going to and laugh about how he might be smart, but he has no common sense.”
“Are there people that actually believe that about him?”
“I’ve only seen him in action a few times in that persona, but he does a damn fine job of acting. I don’t know how he keeps up the double life.”
“Me either. This week will be enough pretending for me. Having to act like I want to be around these men is going to turn my stomach.”
“Niall looked worried like he thought I might back out.”
“I’ll do it,” I insisted. “But I couldn’t live like that all the time.”
“Fortunately, most of the people X has to deal with are just conceited or annoying, not actual fucking monsters.”
We didn’t say much else as we rode to the airport. The flight was luxurious and uneventful. I slept for a good bit of it. Once we started our final descent, one of the crew members woke us.
