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I carefully slip from his hold, tiptoeing around in the dim morning light. Silently, I get dressed, throwing my hair up before circling to his side of the bed. I sit on the edge of the mattress and take in the sight of him one last time. I’m not at all surprised when his eyes open, just a crack.
As much as it hurts, I manage a small smile. He takes my hand, threading his fingers between mine. It’s a silent request to stay, to hold on to me, but we both know that’s not going to happen. I lean forward and kiss him one last time. The kiss lasts forever but ends in no time at all.
“Thank you,” I whisper, barely audible to even my own ears.
“Be safe,” he tells me.
“You too.”
I slip my hand out of his and turn slowly, pausing at the door to give him one last look before walking away for good.
Chapter 35
Gabriel
There’s no time to feel sorry for myself. I want to mourn what we could have been, but I understand her reasons for leaving, too. Right now, I need to focus. Following the coordinates that Favreaux texted me, I make my way through Montpellier.
I’m restless the entire way there, practically itching and ready for a fight. I’ve never known Favreaux to be an honorable man. Just because he says he’ll exchange Odette for the codes doesn’t mean I’m going to willingly take him at his word. He’s probably spent the last two decades plotting against me while he was behind bars. A million different scenarios race through my mind.
He could shoot me in the back of the head the moment I let my guard down. There’s a good chance he’ll swipe the USB and refuse to give Odette back to me. Favreaux knows he’s got the advantage as long as he has my daughter in his custody. What’s to stop him from continuing to use her as leverage against me? Favreaux could easily choose to use Odette as my pressure point indefinitely, getting me to do all sorts of dirty work.
I grind my teeth as I consider the possibility. It’d be Hell on Earth, my own personal torture.
As I approach an apartment building on the nicer side of town, I shake my head to clear my mind. I can’t afford to go in with my mind clouded. I need to be alert, ready for when shit hits the fan. My only goal today is to save my daughter, no matter the cost. Favreaux can take the codes, he can have the thirty million stashed away in Chet’s offshore accounts. Fuck it, he can kill me if he wants to —as long as my daughter gets to walk away unscathed.
I barely make it two steps into the building before I’m stopped by a team of large, suited men. They all have a serious case of resting bitch face, especially the man at the head of the group, who I now recognize by his broken nose and particularly disdainful sneer. It’s the man who attacked Raquel at the library.
“Monsieur Favreaux has been expecting you,” he says.
“Then you’d better move the fuck out of the way,” I snap.
“Arms up. I need to search you for weapons.”
I clench my jaw. Well, shit. I should have known better. Favreaux’s being cautious, either because he’s learned his lesson or because he’s scared. As the guards remove my pistol, my knife, the garrote wire tucked in my back pocket, and the collapsible baton stashed away on my person, I silently size them all up.
I’m out numbered here, and in unknown territory. Not to mention I have my daughter’s safety to worry about. In every sense of the word, I’m unprepared —but I remain determined. If it comes down to a fight, and I have a sneaking suspicion it will, I’ll fight these fuckers with my bare hands if I have to.
Once they’re convinced I’m no longer an immediate threat, the thug with the broken nose grunts at me. “This way. Move it.”
They form a sort of circle around me, ushering me toward the elevator at the end of the hall. I scan the area quickly, taking note of any windows or doors I can use in case I need to make a hasty escape. If Raquel were here, she’d probably already have at least ten different routes secured. She was always really good at thinking on her feet, thinking outside of the box. I’ve always been one to favor a brute force approach, but if I want any hope of rescuing Odette, I need to think like Raquel.
Think, think, think…
What would she do if she had to walk into the lion’s den? How would she handle being outnumbered, overpowered? She has a penchant for disguises, for avoiding confrontation if she can.
The elevator dings when we reach the top floor, the doors sliding open directly into the penthouse suite. There’s no more time to think.
Now it’s do or die.
“Papa!”
My daughter’s voice sends relief lancing through me. My little girl, my baby… I’ve missed her so much, but now that I’m finally able to lay my eyes on her, my heart can barely take it. Favreaux has a tight grip on her shoulder, standing on the other side of the room with his other hand behind his back. I’d bet a hundred bucks he’s got his finger wrapped around the trigger of a gun, ready to shoot me full of holes if I take a single step out of line.
I concentrate on Odette. All things considered, she looks well. Fed and clean and not a scratch on her.
Thank God.
“Ma chérie,” I say gently.
