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Chapter Twenty-Six
Allie
Nick takesmy hand and guides me toward the exit of the club, pausing at the door to pull my jacket up. “It’s cold out there. Stay close to me,” he says, kissing me gently on the lips.
My hand reaches for the handle of the door as he breaks our kiss, but he stops me. “Not yet, love. It’s not safe.” The parking lot is empty except for another couple who are making their way across the lot. The sun has long since gone down, but the street light casts a shadow across the otherwise dark parking lot.
I look up at him not fully understanding, but before my question can formulate a shrill shot permeates the calm of the night. The woman in the parking lot falls to the ground, and the man drops to his knees as he leans over her.
“Take the son of a bitch out.” Nick’s voice is quiet and deadly as he prevents me from going to the woman’s assistance. I notice the small earpiece he has in place. “She’s fine, Allie. I’ll explain everything to you later.”
“Roger that. Nice shot,” Nick says. He opens the door letting the chill of winter blow in. We walk toward the couple and watch as the man assists the woman from the ground and holds her steady as she stands. The guy turns and gives us a thumbs-up. Mason from the bar. “What the hell?” The woman looks oddly like me, and is dressed exactly like me. They walk to an SUV parked at the back of the parking lot like nothing happened at all.
“We had to flush out the last guy.”
My heart is still racing, and I’m just now starting to track what really happened. “You mean the partner? And he was after me? I thought we had him?”
“We had a look-alike. Picking up his partner just hanging around the very docks he’s supposed to be at was just too convenient and easy. Tommy’s boys leaned on the guy from the park, and he eventually told us what we needed to know. In this life, nothing is as it seems, especially if you’re dealing with one of the partners of the best chameleon we’ve ever chased, and that was Darwin. This guy knew we would eventually get a face match and be looking for him. He got a double and put him at the docks where we’d be expecting him or one of his guys to be. He hoped with his capture that we’d let down our guard so he could find you and Lexie.
“Lexie, oh my God. Is she okay?”
“She’s fine, love. They’re back at the condo. The scene you just saw was us making a spur of the moment situation too tempting for him not to show his hand.”
Nick puts up a finger as he uses another to adjust his earpiece. “Roger that, Trent. Great job, guys. Give Tommy a call. He can deal with him the same way he does the others,” Nick says, looking down at me. “Time to go home.”
Nick pulls upto the valet and hands the man his keys before walking around to my side. He has the door open by the time I’ve gotten unbuckled and have my bag in hand. He lifts me by the waist and sets me onto the ground. “We need to get ready.”
I smile up at his obvious amusement. “Ready for what? What about your blowjob?”
He’s trying to keep that smile of his under wraps, but the slightly upturned tilt to his lips gives him away. “The celebration, and that will come later.”
“I didn’t realize you guys ended these assignments with a party. I’m game.”
The minute we reach the condo Lexie pulls the door open. “Oh my God, Allie. Sheldon was giving me a play by play while Nick and the others were getting that bomb diffused.” She levels a gaze at Nick. “I tried to get her to go with us. She wasn’t hearing it.”
“So I heard,” he states flatly, as Lexie pulls me into the living room. “You sutured all those women. How can you deal with that blood, day in and day out?”
I squeeze my friend hard. “I only sutured a few. Liam and Nick took care of the more difficult ones, but I helped. It breaks my heart that they were in that position, but we freed them, Lexie. Every single one of them is going to live to tell their story. Many may have deep emotional scars and other stuff to deal with over time, but at least it’s over. And thanks to the security team, they’re alive and will have the chance to heal.”
Lexie nods, her eyes glistening with emotion. “I’m so happy that it turned out so well for them considering what could have happened. And that you guys are in one piece and didn’t get blown to smithereens.” She slaps Nick playfully on the shoulder. “Great job, but next time can you work a little faster? We were all dying every minute you were in that truck.”
Nicks smiles down at her. “I’ll make a note of that.”
She turns to me. “The guys are taking us to Donovan’s.”
I spin, and Nick blasts me with a full-on megawatt smile and those shiny blue eyes.
“Come on; I have something to show you.” Lexie pulls me by the hand through the living room and down the hall to the bedroom that Nick and I were supposed to share. The door closes with a click. “I can’t wait for you to see this dress,” she gushes.
A black garment bag scrolled in gold lettering with the name of one New York City’s top designers lays on the bed, and by its side a red and white box from an exclusive lingerie shop on Fifth Avenue, and another large shoe box from a shop just down the street.
“You went shopping for me?”
She shakes her head, and her blonde curls bounce with the movement. “Not me. Nick ordered them and had them delivered.” Her eyes dance with excitement. “Open it before I die.”
I breathe in deep, and my arms snake around my frame. “And you’ll find some of your personal stuff already unpacked and in the bathroom. Makeup, hygiene, blow dryer and curling iron. I thought you might want to get ready quick,” she tells me.
“You did, huh?”
