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“You handled yourself like the professional you are. I couldn’t have asked for more, but a lot has been thrown at you in a short amount of time.”
Ash continued to terrify her in how very well he read her. “Then why—”
“Because I need to know you can do this. Not only might this be our only chance to take Lang down, we’re dealing with some extremely dangerous people. I need everyone at the top of their game. If things turn sour…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. These people, including Omar, would kill without a second thought. This wasn’t about her ego. This was about bringing down a man who wanted to kill hundreds of innocents. Her employer was asking if she was up to the task.
“I can do the job, Ash.”
He nodded and stood, apparently satisfied with her answer. “All right. Then let’s head to the conference room and brief the rest of the team.”
They walked together out the door. “So Omar has recovered from his wound?”
“He said he has. My sources have told me that the injury is healing much faster than Omar’s mental state.”
“How so?”
“Apparently, he was more than a little shocked and upset than what he let on.”
“Is he blaming us?”
“No. From his perspective, we saved his life. Believe it or not, that was the first time he’s ever been injured on the job.”
“That doesn’t seem quite fair.”
“Yeah.” Ash threw her a wry grin. “A weapons broker should experience firsthand pain from all the products he’s responsible for putting on the market.”
Trying to ignore the way his smile affected her was almost impossible. For years, she had wondered if she was too screwed up to actually ever have strong feelings for a man. Her unimpressive dating life certainly bore that out. So why was it that the one man she couldn’t have was the one she found herself wanting more than anything in the world?
This was just another example that confirmed her opinion that fairness was nothing more than a fairy tale.
The conference room was already full when they arrived. Jazz and Xavier were engaged in a private conversation in a corner. Sean was talking to Liam Stryker, who still had a nasty bruise on his jaw. Rose and Serena were sitting beside each other, reading something on a laptop.
When Ash closed the door, every one of them stopped what they were doing and went on alert. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen the OZ team react to their leader this way, but it again reinforced her opinion that Asher Drake not only had their respect, but also their loyalty.
“Sorry for the short notice. Everyone take a seat, and we’ll get started. Schrader called. He’s got the auction scheduled for two weeks from today. That’ll give us time to put all our covers into place and run through several scenarios.”
“Did he name names…say who will be at the auction?” Liam asked.
“He didn’t mention any specific players, but I anticipate talking with him again to see if I can wheedle out a name or two. He’s throwing a slight wrench into the plan, but it may end up working to our advantage. He’s holding some kind of gala the same night. So while everyone is enjoying the party in one part of the house, there will be a party of another kind in another section.”
“You think the invited guests will have any idea what he’s up to?” Jazz asked.
“Some probably will. A few will likely attend both. I doubt that will include Carl Lang, but who the hell knows with Omar?”
“I’ll get our people to start digging,” Serena said. “Check the usual suspects. Somebody has got to have access to a guest list.”
“Do that. I doubt Omar is going to be so forthcoming as to share every name with me, but I’ll do my best to get some of the main players.” His eyes continued to focus on Serena. “Also, be on the lookout for chatter. Any kind of talk about either the auction or the party would give us a leg up.
“Dig deep on the dark web. Look out for anything about possible big events. All these people, both famous and infamous, in one place will make it a prime target for their rivals. An uninvited guest, or even one who plans to attend, might take this as an opportunity to take down their competition.”
Serena nodded. “Will do.”
“So not only are we going to nab Lang, there’s a possibility of getting caught in the crossfire of rivals?” Jules said.
“Exactly. That’s why this will involve everyone. Whatever special projects any of you have pending need to be put on hold until this is over. If you’ve got one that’s coming to a head, see me after the meeting, and let’s talk.”
“Will Eve and Gideon be back in time?” Serena asked.
