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Ivie nods in agreement.
We spend the rest of the flight in relative quiet. We check weapons for the fifth time, just in case. With a face made of stone, Ivie tucks her sidearm into the holster at the small of her back after checking the magazine.
She’s not shaky. She’s not upset.
She’s on a mission.
I glance at Curt and see him nod. He’s thinking the same thing I am. She needs this. No matter how much I want to protect her from it, to shelter her, she needs it.
And we’ll be here for her through it.
Shortly after landing in Dallas, we climb into a large, black SUV, and Rocco drives us to a suburb, while a guard drives my father and Igor to another location.
They didn’t tell us where they were going, just that they had someone to pay a visit to.
I hope they’re not going to see the Dallas syndicate without us. I know that our fathers are powerful men, but they shouldn’t go in alone. This isn’t the time.
But I’m not the boss. They are. And what they say goes. I have to block that out, secure in the knowledge that they’re not currently in danger, and focus entirely on Ivie and the mission ahead.
“That’s his,” Rocco says, pointing to a small house as we drive past. The curtains are drawn in the front, but not the sides. The blue paint is peeling as if the person living there hasn’t had the money or inclination to keep it painted.
“Bastard is living better than he ever did when I was a kid,” Ivie mutters. “Why aren’t you stopping?”
“Because we need to make sure nothing is going on,” I reply and take her hand in mine. To my relief, she doesn’t pull away. “Rocco will circle the block, just to be sure that everything is calm, and then we’ll park a few houses down so we don’t draw attention.”
“Right.” She blows out a breath. “Sorry, I’m impatient. And I’m so damn mad.”
“Impatience will get you killed,” Curt says from behind her. “Slow your body down, Ivie. Take a deep breath, then another. Calm your mind. If you rush, if you let your anger lead, you’ll fail.”
“I won’t fail,” she vows softly and follows Curt’s orders by taking a deep breath.
When we’ve parked several houses down from Pavlov, I reach for the door handle, but Ivie stops me.
“I’m going in alone.”
“Ivie—”
“I know you want to protect me.” She takes my hand and gazes up at me with those intense blue eyes. “I know that. It’s who you are, Shane, and I appreciate you so much. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. But like I said earlier, I’m no damsel in distress here. You made sure of that. I’ve been training for this for weeks, and I didn’t even realize it. I need time with him. I have things to say.”
“You have fifteen minutes,” I reply reluctantly. “And then we’re coming in. This isn’t up for negotiation.”
“I’d take that offer,” Carmine says. “It’s the best you’ll get from us.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.” She nods once and then, without hesitation, steps from the vehicle, looks both ways, and crosses the street. She walks up the sidewalk and then up the steps to the front porch.
She doesn’t bother knocking, just walks right inside. My gut twists.
“Jesus.” I pull my hand down my face in frustration. “I never would have thought I’d let her do this.”
“She needs it,” Curt says. “And I know how she feels.”
After everything Curt’s been through, he would understand perfectly.
“Yeah, well, she’s not a trained operative.”
“But she’s trained with her weapon and hand-to-hand. Her father is an old man now. She can protect herself.”
“It’s different when it’s blood,” Nadia says, her voice hollow as she stares at the door Ivie just walked through.
Nadia killed her brother earlier this year after discovering he was behind a plot to double-cross his family.
I can’t imagine the bad moments she’s had since then, even knowing that what she did was the right thing.
Carmine wraps his arm around her shoulders and whispers something in her ear.
We’re quiet for a long moment, and then Rocco says quietly, “Is the hair standing up on anyone else’s neck?”
“Something isn’t right,” Carmine agrees.
The air is too still.
It’s too quiet.
“Let’s go.” I pull my weapon from its holster. “Nadia and Carmine, take the right side of the house. Curt and I will take the left. Rocco—”
“I’m going up,” my brother says with a hard voice.
We can’t see the roof of the house from here. I don’t know how Rocco intends to do what he has planned, but he’s more than capable.
With weapons drawn, we move silently across the street to the house. My heart is pounding harder than it ever has on any other mission. I’m usually like stone, perfectly calm. But I’ve never faced the possibility of losing someone I love on a mission before. This is new territory.
