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“No idea. The person they were guarding is dead, as is his closest associate. Most of the guests were running for cover, and I eliminated more than half of the security force. They’re going to be too busy cleaning up the mess to come after me.” She hoped. She preferred to deal in absolutes, but a scorched-earth policy required razing the entire villa, and she hadn’t the time to set charges everywhere.
“Excellent. Have a Gulfstream waiting for us. We’ll be on board in twenty minutes.”
Oh, hell no. “Just get me to the airport, I’ll take care of everything from there.”
“No can do, m’lady. You’re coming with me.”
As a reminder, she pointed the Glock at him. “The name is Addison or Ms. Leeds, to you.”
“I thought it was Lady Addison, or m’lady.” It wasn’t a question, but she hadn’t been Lady Addison in too long to remember or care. The family’s peerage had gone up in smoke, along with their parents. She’d run away to MI6 while Clark went off to save the world. Yet, they managed to end up in the same place. It really didn’t matter anymore.
“I’m not joking with you, Sam. I have a job to do. I appreciate your assistance in extracting me. Consider this a partial payment on the debt you owe me.”
“Only a payment? Are we doing this in installments now? I thought the two bullets you put in me were payment enough.”
An edge of hostility scored his words, but Addison ignored it. He deserved the bullets and more. She should’ve put a round into his head. At the time, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Seeing him on the ground bleeding—it had to have been enough. Friend, mentor, and lover at one point, he remained the only man she’d ever fallen in love with. The one man she actually imagined herself marrying, if he’d ever gotten around to asking.
“The debt’s paid when I say it’s paid.” She kept her tone as even as possible. No need to open the old wounds any further than they already had been. Plus, she was still on the clock.
“Your negotiating skills need work,” he said, even as he brought the helicopter lower. Fortunately, no one appeared to be waiting for them at the airport.
“I don’t negotiate.”
They touched down, and he began securing the helicopter, even as she reached for the door. He caught her arm, pushing the gun wielding hand down and away. “I’m not a terrorist, Addy, and you contacted me. What are you into?”
Before she could answer, shouts reached them from outside and a bullet whizzed through the open front glass of the helicopter and into the back.
“New plan,” he said, even as he released her, then reach for a gun of his own. “We’ll talk about it on the plane.”
She had no choice at this point. She needed to go with him because a vehicle loaded with men and weaponry sped toward them. They weren’t on the private island anymore, so whomever these guys were, they’d reacted lightning fast or they got a phone call.
She and Sam moved together like a well-oiled machine. She knew, without a doubt, he wouldn’t let her go down. He had her back. They both took out the front tires on the Jeep, and as it spun out of control and began to flip, men spilled out, hitting the ground and rolling. Not waiting to see if they got back up, she followed Sam as he led the way toward a Gulfstream. The engines on it were already running, so either they were stealing someone’s plane, or Sam had really moved up in the world.
He pivoted, catching her arm to urge her up the steps first.How chivalrous. She let him take the heat while she ducked inside. He joined her, then pulled the doors closed before he hurried up into the cockpit. A man wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt, a five o’clock shadow, and aviator glasses sat in the co-pilot’s seat.
She dropped into a seat behind them. “Who’s this?”
“He’s not here,” Sam said as he settled into the pilot’s seat. “Ignore him.”
Ignore him?“So, we’re hijacking his plane now?”
“If he were here, it would be hijacking. Since he isn’t, why don’t we steal it?” he said with a grin. “Fun, right?”
No, it wasn’t fun. Even if the corner of her mouth twitched at his amusement. Some of their targets were back on their feet.
“We should go now. Preferably before they take out one of the engines.” She didn’t have to tell him twice, he had the headset on to contact the tower and was already taxiing the plane toward the runway. Unfortunately, the people shooting at them were in the way, but they had to move or run the risk of being hit. He wasn’t slowing down. She didn’t even hear confirmation of his permission to take off before the plane hit max acceleration, and they began lifting.
Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the seat and waited. She’d never been terrifically fond of flying. For the most part, having some metal between her and the ground as they were flung miles into the air didn’t do it for her. She had flown with Sam before and knew he was an expert pilot. She’d also seen him dead stick land a large aircraft before, when he had no other choice.
Also not on the list of experiences she ever wanted to repeat.
Five minutes after takeoff, Sam said something into the headset then pulled it off. “Where are we going?”
“The States.”
Wasn’t really her planned destination, not when her target was in England. She needed to track down the Earl of Bonneville, so she could have a really long conversation with the right dishonorable Robert Carlisle.
“Try that again,” he said
