going to fill the place with bullets,” Dominic, Kincaid’s older brother, says as he steps forward. “We’ve gathered some intel from a couple guys we know in that area and according to them, there aren’t many people on the property. Other than three guys and some house staff, the place is practically deserted.”
“One of my guys was able to get a travel restriction placed on Petrovich so he can’t leave the US right now, so if his guys have her, they’re working with a skeleton crew,” I add.
“This mission is voluntary due to the risk,” Kincaid tells the guys, and every eye in the room turns to me.
I can see them sizing me up, trying to determine if it’s worth the trouble.
“By a show of hands,” Kincaid says.
“Seems like a good day to die,” Tug says and raises his hand first.
“Fuck yeah,” Grinch says with an insane smile on his face.
“You can still kill ‘em with a plastic bullet if you hit them right,” another guy adds as he lifts his arm.
Before long, every man, and the new female member have a hand in the air.
Kincaid slaps me on the back after dismissing them. He’s smiling while I’m still standing there with shock all over my face.
I know my guys would do this for me, but I had my reservations about the Cerberus team being so willing to put their lives on the line for Dani.
“I’d say they’re all fucking crazy,” the president says, “but we have a very thorough vetting process including psychological testing.”
“Have a couple of beers with the guys. We’re heading out at four in the morning,” Shadow says as he walks around the computer equipment to join Kincaid and I at the front of the room.
***
“Is it like this every night?” I ask as I lift my beer to my lips.
“Not really,” Tug answers. “We work a lot.”
“Seems distracting,” I mutter, watching women walk around with happy smiles on their faces and dirty thoughts in their eyes.
“I’m not distracted,” Shadow assures me, and when I look, I see his eyes locked across the room on Misty. I was introduced to his wife an hour or so ago, and even though there’s thirty feet separating them, they are somehow right here with each other.
“Yeah?” I prod. “You and Misty? Even after all this time?”
Tug told me they have two grown children, but this man is looking at Misty like she’s a snack that’s about to get eaten. I can’t help but smile. Some fuckers have all the luck.
“All this time.” He taps the side of my beer bottle with his own. “Maybe you and Dani can make up once we get her back home.”
I snort a laugh. “Yeah. That ship sailed a long time ago.”
Tug nudges my shoulder and indicates a guy walking across the room toward Rivet, the female member.
“Is he Cerberus?” The predatory look in his eyes doesn’t reflect the disposition I’ve seen from the guys.
“That’s my stupid-ass son,” Shadow says, disapproval in his voice.
“Kid doesn’t have a fucking chance,” Tug whispers as the others in the room grow quiet and watch him approach her.
Shadow snorts a laugh. “I hope she embarrasses the shit out of him.”
“He seems pretty sure of himself,” I observe.
“That kid gets more ass than any guy I know,” Tug interjects.
“My kid, remember,” Shadow grumbles.
The blond guy, bearing an insanely striking resemblance to the man sitting beside me, spits out a beyond stupid pickup line. No one around him laughs, and after a cursory glance, Rivet goes back to the conversation she was having with Grinch.
“Idiot doesn’t know when to quit.” I can feel Shadow’s irritation growing by the second. “If he touches her, I’m going to kill him.”
Just as the words leave his mouth, Shadow’s son reaches his hand out and trails a finger down Rivet’s arm.
Faster than lightning, she spins, and in a combination of moves I’ve not seen outside of a kung fu movie, she has him on his back on the floor. Like a bug she had to scrape off her windshield, Rivet takes a step to the side. The guy on the floor says one last thing to her, but she ignores him and picks up her conversation with Grinch as though they weren’t interrupted.
“I knew we made a good choice with her,” Shadow says proudly before taking a long sip of his beer.
It takes several long minutes before the kid picks himself up off the floor. He doesn’t even look in Rivet’s direction when he