Page 68 of Her Defiant Warrior

“He’s the muscle who keeps them in line. He’s also a pain in my ass because he wants money.”

“Fucking right I do,” Ryker bellowed in his Affrikaans accent. He spit blood onto the shiny dining room table. “These two won’t take a shit unless I tell them to.”

Ely laughed. “We’re the ones with the guns. We kill you and they’ll do what I say.”

“Doesn’t work like that, old man. Me and my bras back at the camp hold on to their passports. We know where their families are. My brothers won’t hesitate to have their families killed if something happens to me. These two know it. You’re stuck with me,” Ryker gave a lopsided grin from his swollen mouth.

Ely looked upward as if he were looking for divine intervention.

“Fine. I need the three of you.”

“And I need my money. A half million USD, transferred to my bank. I want it before they start doing working on the Museum of the Future.”

“Teach him to show me some manners.” Ely commanded Spider. “But don’t kill him.”

Spider went for his gun.

Braxton pulled out his knife and punched it into Ryker’s upper thigh before Spider had a chance to pull out his gun from his holster.

Ryker screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

What was he going for, an Oscar?

Now came the tears.

Jase looked at Braxton’s knife. Only a half inch of the tip was bloody. He wiped it off on the sleeve of Ryker’s shirt before anybody else could notice.

“You’re going to regret this!” Ryker shouted in between sobs.

“Does he even have balls?” Amanda asked Ely.

“I don’t know. Do you want to check, darling?”

“You fucks still owe me money,” Ryker gasped. “Now the price just went up.”

Amanda and Ely laughed. “Maybe he has one ball,” Ely said.

“Want me to cut off a finger?” Braxton asked.

“We don’t have time. I want to find out where the switchgears are so we can come up with a plan on how to get to them,” Ely explained. “You two,” he nodded to Gideon and Jase. “You’re going to help figure out how to get by the security and get to wherever the switchgears are. Meanwhile, we’ll keep your boss here as an incentive for you to do what we require. Got it?”

Jase and Gideon both nodded.

“Bull? Rob? You will go with them. Get them suited up so they blend in. I want you to make sure that the four of you can bypass security and make it to the switchgears. And for God’s sake, while you’re suiting them up, find yourselves something to wear, something that will blend in!”

“Got it, boss.”

“What about me?” Braxton asked.

“We have another project that you should be able to help us with.” Ely smiled.

12

The Museum of the Future was huge. There was no need to ask Kostya what was going on. It was perfectly clear. Signs were up everywhere. The youngest and most popular Prince of the Dubai royal family was going to be giving a speech about a new exhibit opening up. The speech would be the next evening. He was bringing his wife and three children.

Were the Kraken out of their mind? Scratch that. It was fifty million dollars. They were just greedy. But did they really think they’d make it out of the country alive?

“I don’t know how to get to the switchgears. Normally they would be outside of the building for cooler airflow, but not in this desert heat,” Gideon whispered to Jase as they followed tourists through the Oman Across the Ages display. “It has to be in the basement.”