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33
Smoke
Within seconds, Byrne was dead, and so were the three men with him. I walked over and put my hand on Siren’s back and knelt down beside her. “It’s over,” I said, easing her body from Gene’s.
Casper untied him, and I pulled Siren into my arms.
“What happened?” she asked.
“They’re all dead,” I answered, knowing full well that wasn’t what she meant.
“You got this?” Decker asked Hughes. When he gave a thumbs up, I escorted Siren out while Casper and Deck helped Gene.
“Hughes said there’s a safe house close.”
“There is,” said Siren. “I can get us there.”
While Byrne had been neutralized, there was still the question of the men he’d been working with. Until we knew exactly who they were, we weren’t in any position to let our guard down.
I had, and that was what had let Byrne get the upper hand.
“Let it go for now,” said Decker as I got in the back of the SUV behind Siren.
I knew I had to. If I didn’t focus on the here and now, we could wind up in a worse situation than the one I’d landed Gene and I in. That didn’t mean I could stop the mistakes I’d made from lingering in the back of my mind.
Siren sat between Gene and I and held his hand. Apart from her giving Casper directions to the safe house, we were all quiet on the drive. Each of us had our own experiences to process through before the hotwash that would eventually come.
“How’s your pain?” Siren whispered.
“Too much adrenaline to feel much of anything,” I muttered without looking at her. She squeezed my thigh with her hand and rested her head on my shoulder. Was she trying to give me comfort, knowing that I recognized my fuck up as much or more than anyone else in the vehicle? Even Gene knew that because of me, he had almost lost his life. I’d been distracted; my head wasn’t in the game; I didn’t protect my asset.
We approached the safe house, waited while the garage door opened, and then pulled inside. Like when we’d left Siren’s place, Decker and Casper helped Gene.
“Wait,” said Siren, stopping me before we followed the others inside. She put her arms around me and rested her cheek on my chest. “I’ve never been so frightened in my life. Thank God you’re okay.”
Her words were meant to bring me comfort, but they did the opposite. She’d been frightened and worried because of me. Her head hadn’t been in the right place, not that she’d done a single thing wrong. She’d handled herself like the professional she was—unlike me.
“Smoke?”
“Yeah,” I mumbled, looking down at her.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” I removed her hands from around my waist. “Let’s get inside.”
“Casper is working on Kim’s and Antonov’s twenty,” said Decker. “Hughes is on his way here now.” He looked at Siren. “The two of you will need to do an assessment of IMI agents.” Deck turned to me. “We’ll get a medic over here to assess your condition as well as Mr. O’Brien’s.”
“Not necessary. I’m fine.”
Decker nodded.
“Both Kim and Antonov have been located. Kim is in his office at Interpol. Antonov is back in Moscow.”
“Stay on them,” said Deck. Casper nodded.
“What about the box?” asked Siren.
“You know what he was talking about?” Deck asked.
