look at a clock to know it was late. He stood in the bathroom, his hair still wet from the shower he’d taken, and wondered why he even cared about time. Somehow the realization that it was dark outside and they were alone in the building made his heart thud in his chest.
She was no more than a few feet away. All he would have to do was open the two doors that separated them and he could be in the same room. She would have changed into the pajamas provided for her and she would look soft and sweet, and her breasts would press against the T-shirt, her nipples outlined by the thin cotton.
Not that it would matter. Not that she would look at him.
It had been more than an hour since the light had come on above the door, letting them know the club had closed for the evening and Rene had locked the place up. Nothing was stopping them from going downstairs, picking an apparatus, and testing it out.
Nothing except the fact that he was a massive ass who couldn’t control his anger. He stared at himself in the mirror and wondered if his brother would even recognize him now. The real Ezra Fain had been better. He would never have dismissed his wife, would have found some way to forgive her. His brother had been the generous one, the one who could find a reason to like everyone he met. Beck had been the hard-ass, stubborn one, the righteous, judgmental one. He’d taken on his brother’s name in an attempt to find some of his brother’s grace, but he was failing at that, too.
The burner phone that had been in his go-bag buzzed against the small sink where he was supposed to be shaving. The scruff would have to wait. He picked up the cell and answered it. “Yes?”
He wasn’t giving a name or asking for one. If he didn’t recognize the voice on the other end, he would hang up and destroy the phone.
“Are you settled in?” Ian Taggart’s voice came over the line.
He’d thought it would be Damon. “Yes. I’m surprised to hear from you. I thought you would be on a plane. Rene told me you would be here in the morning.”
“I am on a plane. I borrowed it from Mia. I’ll be there in the morning and I’ll be cranky as fuck because the time difference sucks, but I need to get in and get out as soon as possible. It’s freaking eight p.m. my time. If I get a couple of hours of sleep, I’ll count it a win. At least the girls are sleeping.”
“You’re bringing the girls? You’re bringing your six-year-old girls to a Parisian BDSM club when the Agency is likely to be all over this place?”
“I have my reasons. The girls can totally handle it, and I wasn’t about to leave them home to help their mother who is currently taking care of their newest brother. I’d have Seth with me if Mia and Case hadn’t offered to take care of him. The good news is I’m bringing Chelsea, too. If anyone knows how to deal with Agency dickheads, it’s my sister-in-law. Look, I’m coming in on a different project, but it’ll be good cover. I wanted to warn you that Levi’s already looking. Chelsea’s been on the Deep Web.”
Kim had been on the web all night, barely looking up from the laptop. “If you’re talking about the bounty on her head, we know.”
The fact that she’d barely registered an emotion on finding out Levi had put her in the crosshairs of all kinds of unethical hunters was a real problem. She’d shut down. Kim was an emotional woman and she’d always needed an outlet.
He was worried she wouldn’t cry in front of him.
“Good, then you understand that he’s not playing around this time,” Big Tag replied. “Solo’s in serious trouble. Damon sent me a copy of his report. Tell me you understand this is all bullshit and that Levi plays a long, very convincing game. And again, it’s all bullshit.”
“I know she didn’t betray her country. But we have to prove it.”
A snort came over the line. “Did you not understand the word convincing? I’m already trying to give her an alibi, but the very nature of her job is working against us. I’ve got about two hours tomorrow, and Chelsea and I will go over all of this with Solo. If we can prove even one