in a tuxedo. Looks like a business casual deal tonight.”
“Do I look like a tux guy?”
“You could pull off the look,” Brody teased.
“No, thanks. Everything still a go?”
“That’s the word. It’s up to you now.”
“Keep me updated. Anything changes, I want to know.”
“Copy that. Owen, if the water’s too hot, get out. Clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Watch your back. I don’t want to face your brothers if something happens to you and your lady.”
“Yep. Later.” He ended the call and blew out a breath.
“I understood about half of that conversation,” Gigi said, her tone wry. “What’s going on, Owen?”
“The alphabet agencies are involved now, and the boss wasn’t able to call them off.”
“That’s a problem?”
“Anytime they’re involved, missions go south. We have plans in place, ones they don’t care about and won’t follow. Makes things dicier for us.”
“What did Brody mean when he talked about hot water?”
“The feds have their own agenda and timetable. If they jump too soon, we’ll be caught in the line of fire. If the op goes south, Brody wants us to bail, even if it means our part in the mission goes unfinished.” Leaving the drone program in Gonzalez’s hands didn’t sit well with Owen. However, if he had to choose between protecting his bride-to-be or the program, Gigi’s safety won out every time, hands down.
“We can’t go home without doing what we came here to do.”
“I’m not risking you, G. That’s not negotiable. If we have to bail early, we’ll find another way.” Even if that meant Owen returned for a second mission to erase the program from Gonzalez’s computer.
“We’ll make this work.” She clasped his hand. “Finishing this is the only way to protect Toni, Ellis, and their baby.”
He threaded his fingers through hers, pressing their palms together. One way or another, Owen was getting Gigi out of Mexico tonight. With the feds involved, things were sure to blow up in their faces. If Gonzalez escaped the coming firefight, he’d be relentless in searching for the culprit who set him up. Owen and Gigi were the unknowns in this equation, making them targets as well as Toni and Ellis.
He scowled. This possibility was the reason Owen hadn’t wanted Gigi involved in this mission. He could kick himself for letting Maddox and Gigi talk him into allowing her to act as Owen’s wife. She should be at home, safe. Instead, he was taking her to a pit of vipers where the snakes could turn and strike at any moment.
As they neared the estate, Owen handed Gigi a small comm device to slip into her ear. “Tap it once. Remember, everything you say will be heard by the entire team. The team will also be able to communicate with you.” If anything happened to him, Shadow and Texas would direct her to safety and get her out of Mexico.
He slipped a second comm device into his own ear and tapped it to connect him to his teammates. “It’s Owen. Gigi and I will arrive at the estate in two minutes.”
“Copy,” Brody acknowledged. “Mission status is still green, but the party crashers are antsy.”
At least they hadn’t moved in on their target yet, but how long would they hold off? Owen prayed they waited until Gigi was out of danger. “Do they know about me and Gigi?”
“Yep. They said to stay out of their way.”
Terrific. Owen drove to the estate entrance. Two guards brandishing AK-47s stood in front of the closed gates. “Keep your hands visible, G.”
“What kind of guns are they carrying?”
“The kind that spits out 600 rounds per minute.” He hoped the guards didn’t have itchy trigger fingers.
She twisted in her seat to look at him. “Isn’t that overkill? After all, I’m your arm candy, not a gun-toting motorcycle mama.”
Soft laughter came through the earpiece.
Owen chuckled. “After spending five minutes with you, a wise man would realize you’re a beautiful, intelligent woman with a spine of steel.”
“Nice save,” Brody murmured through the earpiece.
One of the gate guards stepped forward and motioned for Owen to lower the window. “Identification,” he snapped in heavily accented English.
Owen grabbed his ID and Gigi’s from the console, and handed them to the man.
The guard took his time examining their identification, long enough that Owen began to worry that Zane’s work hadn’t stood up to close scrutiny. Finally, the guard returned their identification. “You will be met. Do not exit the vehicle until your escort arrives. If you do, you will be considered a threat and shot.” With that, he signaled his partner