Iron Willed Warrior (Last Refuge Protectors #5)

24. Cole

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Cole

Sunlight peeked around the curtains of our hotel room.

“Want a cigarette?” Brynn asked.

She was still lying naked beside me, legs tangled with mine beneath the covers. Her hair splayed over the pillow in a debauched mess. She looked sexy enough that I wished I was twenty years younger and could take her again right now. Maybe from behind. Get her moaning and desperate the way I liked.

But I’d had more sex in the last twenty-four hours than I’d had in a very long time. I didn’t have another round in me yet.

“Excellent idea.” A few minutes ago, I would’ve said that nothing could drag me away from this bed. But a smoke was just the thing, especially if Brynn wanted to share it with me. Not like we were getting to sleep anyway. We were due at breakfast in less than two hours.

We could sleep when this was over. In fact, I had several ideas about what we should do once this was over. More sex was high on that agenda.

Brynn and I got out of bed, threw on clothes, and went onto the tiny patio behind our room. It was chilly, so Brynn grabbed a blanket. We sat on the small bench, her in my lap and the blanket around us both. I cast a cautious glance around, still wary after last night and the knowledge that someone had been poking around in our room. But there was no activity here except for the usual sights and sounds of the desert greeting the morning.

I lit the cigarette with my lighter, inhaling, and then held it out to her. She fit her lips around it. Took a drag while not taking her eyes off mine.

There were a few stringy clouds near the horizon, and they glowed in the sunrise. I had no doubt that workers were busy nearby, getting the resort ready for another day. But on this side, everything was quiet.

Today was going to be difficult, and there were a million ways our plans could go wrong. Yet I had never felt more alive. Because of her.

Damn. If things kept going in the same direction, I’d be falling for her before I knew it. Might not end well , I thought. So few things did. But I didn’t want to stop.

Smoke exhaled through my nose, disappearing into the sky. “You should come see me in Mexico when this is over. I have a place in the city, but my favorite is my little house near the beach.”

“Tell me about it?”

Brynn settled against me, sharing my cigarette as I told her about the small, picturesque town on the coast. The kind people I’d come to know there. The peace I felt whenever I got to hang around for a while and forget about my past sorrows, forget about work. Just be.

“We could take some time off,” I said. “Do nothing but…well, each other.” I squeezed her side affectionately. “What do you think?”

Brynn and I hadn’t discussed much about her plans for after this mission. Where she might go next in her career. And I had no intention of pushing. She could do her own thing. But I wanted to make sure she knew where I stood.

She smiled and tilted her chin to kiss me. “I like the sound of that.” Then she blinked, uncertainty showing in the way her eyes narrowed, before it was gone. “I hope we can. We’re good together.”

“We are, B. We’re fucking great together.” The hint of emotion in my voice caught me by surprise. I’d been trying to keep things simple with her, but that just wasn’t possible. I was invested.

Even when my ex-wife had left me, the blow had been worse to my ego than my heart. Shelley had accused me of never opening up. Never putting her first, never mind that I was struggling to get my life back together after losing my leg and the career I’d built in one fell swoop. But Shelley had been right that I’d refused to let my stoic exterior break.

After just a few days with Brynn, she’d already gotten beneath my skin. Those slender fingers of hers were wrapped around my heart. If we went our separate ways after this and she forgot about me, it was going to hurt like hell.

But for now, we had a mission to accomplish. We sat together and watched the sun come up. Our last day at this resort. No offense to the place, but I had no interest in ever making a return visit.

Whatever happened today, we would be leaving this place together. We’d have to figure out the rest from there.

While Brynn showered, I had one more quick errand to run.

When I got back, I took my turn getting cleaned up and ready. Brynn lingered in the bathroom applying makeup and styling her hair .

I stood with my hip against the counter and watched, my eyes following her every move like it was all for me. Possessive? Yeah. But that’s how I was feeling.

We’d already checked the Protectors server. Nothing new from River. We had let the Protectors know about our adventure last night, and River had assured us he was keeping an eye on police activity in the area. Not that we expected Stillwater to go to the police about their missing guard.

Of course, Stillwater had recruited local officers to do their bidding before. It was just another reminder that Brynn and I were on our own out here.

Like she had said earlier this morning, we were good together. We could get this done.

Still, I couldn’t keep my fingers from tapping against my side, drumming an anxious rhythm.

“Ryker will be monitoring us closely,” I reminded her. The man hadn’t found anything by searching our room last night, but he would still be suspicious. I expected he would assign Manning and O’Hanlon to have eyes on us.

She fluffed her hair. “Which is why we have a diversion coming. River might be obnoxious sometimes, but he always comes through. It’s going to work.”

“I know, but it might take me longer to shake Manning and O’Hanlon if they stick to me. If I’m not up to the roof in time, and you beat me there with Westwick?—”

She arched an eyebrow at me in the mirror. “Then I’ll keep him distracted. With talking ,” she added in response to my scowl. “Brianna can keep a conversation going. Westwick might have other ideas when he gets me alone, but I’ll keep him talking until you arrive. And then we’ll have him.”

I exhaled. “We will.”

She went to the main room. We had our gear laid out on the bed. Brynn lifted her dress and strapped a holster onto her thigh, sliding a small knife into the sheath. It wasn’t the larger one she’d killed the guard with. That murder weapon was long gone, buried in the desert. This knife was slimmer, streamlined, but equally sharp.

If Westwick got handsy and found that knife under her dress, it would give a lot away. But if he was that close to her, then things would already have gone very wrong. I felt better knowing she’d have a weapon at the ready.

She also had the flash drive with River’s virus in the lining of her purse. That wasn’t our primary plan any longer, but it was a fallback. Just in case we had to scrub the kidnapping attempt.

That wouldn’t happen though. We were going to pull this off.

I touched her waist. Brynn held the lapels of my shirt and pulled me into a kiss. “Come on, Cameron. We have a business seminar to attend.”

Westwick had booked a special event room for a welcome breakfast. Brynn looked gorgeous in another summer dress, and heads turned as we entered the room. Most of the seminar attendees had arrived. But Westwick and his security goons weren’t here yet.

Brynn put her arm through mine and whispered into my ear. “Mr. Perfect wouldn’t be late to the start of his seminar. Would he?”

I knew what she was thinking, because I was wondering the same thing. Had the guards at the solar plant realized their colleague was missing? Had they sounded the alarm?

But the next moment, Westwick walked into the event room, dressed in a suit and an easy grin. I put an arm around Brynn’s shoulders, feeling her exhale with relief. Ryker and Manning filed in behind Westwick, taking up a post near the exit. Ryker’s eyes immediately flew to us. But I couldn’t read the expression on his face.

Manning, though, lifted his chin in a friendly way when he caught my eye. I nodded back. O’Hanlon wasn’t here, and I had no idea what to make of that. But we were on track.

The other guests chatted while we grabbed breakfast. Adding bacon to my plate, I leaned into Brynn. “I guess the friend isn’t coming today.” I meant Eric Masterson, and her nod said she understood.

She glanced in Westwick’s direction. “Solves one problem.”

We hadn’t known if Masterson would stick to Westwick’s side today, and how much of an issue that could be. It would be easier for her to get Westwick separated without having to deal with his buddy. A stroke of luck.

As we ate and guzzled coffee, one of the hotel’s staff announced the first session would begin in fifteen minutes. “Eager to get started with all of you soon,” Westwick added with a grin.

I squeezed Brynn’s hand, then let go. “You’re on, B,” I murmured. This was the first time today we would be separated, but not the last. Dropping one more kiss to her temple, I left the room, heading for the restroom.

Brynn needed a couple minutes alone to chat with Westwick, so I was giving it to her.

I used a urinal in the men’s room. Then paused by the sink. I had dark circles beneath my eyes in the mirror, like a guy who hadn’t slept a minute last night and was too old to get away with it anymore.

The door swung open, and Manning stepped inside. He lifted his chin at me as he passed. He went to the urinals, while I washed my hands.

I was about to leave when Manning said, “Clay. Hang on a sec.”

I glanced back over my shoulder. The bodyguard strode over to the sink. Took his time rinsing his hands like I should wait all day for him to speak. And with each second that passed, the tension around my spine increased. What did he want?

Manning dried his hands on a paper towel. “Could I bum a smoke?”

Carefully sliding the pack out of my pocket, I held it out. He took it. Flipped the lid and eased a single out. “Hey, where were you and Brianna last night?” he asked conversationally. “You weren’t in the lounge. Your girl was missed. She’s pretty popular.”

I studied him. The man seemed relaxed. But there had to be a reason Ryker trusted Manning as one of Westwick’s personal guards.

I thought of the mercenary Brynn had killed last night. How he’d recited that creepy Stillwater motto right before he died.

“She wanted me to take her out stargazing.”

“Romantic evening?” Manning winked. “Women eat up that shit, don’t they?”

Had he been the one to search our room last night? Had he touched Brynn’s things? The thought of this guy rifling through her silky underwear made me stabby.

Manning stuck the cigarette in the corner of his mouth, so it bobbed as he spoke. “I should try something like that with my girl. Hopefully soon. According to the boss man, we’re going to be out of here tonight.”

“That right?” So it was a good thing we planned to snatch him today. Westwick’s schedule was constantly shifting. “Brianna and I will be enjoying a few more days by the pool.”

Manning held out my pack of cigarettes. “With your girl providing a view like that, I can’t blame you.”

I snatched the pack from his fingers, hoping my grin didn’t give away how much I wanted to end him.

Back in the breakfast area, I saw Brynn talking quietly with Westwick. Then she nodded and walked away. I met up with her by the coffee jugs.

“Progress?” I asked as I poured myself another cup.

She glanced around subtly to make sure no one was in earshot. “I’m meeting with him before dinner. I mentioned you have a phone call scheduled, so I’ll be free. He was very interested in a private conversation to discuss business strategy.”

“I’m sure.” I took a gulp of coffee. It singed my tongue.

This was good news. If Westwick hadn’t wanted to meet before dinner, Brynn would have suggested later tonight. But late afternoon was ideal. Most everyone, even bodyguards, got tired around that time, looking forward to a break and a hot meal. Westwick’s bodyguards wouldn’t be at their sharpest. Especially if they were prepping for a departure later tonight.

Westwick probably thought he’d fit in a little fun with Brianna, have dinner, then jet off to his next locale. Instead, he’d be on his way to a safe house for interrogation.

Yet another thing going according to plan A. But if anything, the smooth runway toward our goal only wound me up.

There would be bumps in the road. It was just a matter of time.

One of the hardest parts of any mission was the waiting. Any soldier could tolerate boredom. That was a given. It was all about reserving your strength, relaxing your mind so that you’d be sharp when the time came to act.

But Westwick and his business seminar were really testing me.

The hours ticked by with agonizing slowness. During the lunch break, we sat with Molly and her husband and the other attendees. Brynn, playing the ambitious young influencer, kept up the conversation, while I sat back and continued looking bored. Which was not remotely a challenge.

Luckily, Cameron wasn’t supposed to be all that interested anyway.

But one thing I couldn’t do was keep myself from touching her, so it was a good thing I didn’t have to. Throughout the afternoon session, I played with her ponytail, massaged her shoulders. Sought out the soft places I had discovered at the side of her neck and behind her ear. Just needing to feel her there beside me, since soon she wouldn’t be.

We’ll only be separated a short while , I told myself. No longer than necessary . My eyes kept seeking out my watch. The minutes passed.

Just before the afternoon session was scheduled to end, I took Brynn’s face in my hand. Planted my lips on her in front of everyone, including Westwick. I kissed her a few times, slow and deep, soaking in the feeling of her.

“I’ll see you soon, honey,” I murmured in her ear.

When I pulled back, she was smirking. “Careful,” she warned. “I might get tired of you calling me that.”

“You can lay down the law when it’s just us.”

I caught a glimpse of Brynn’s determination, that strength I admired, before her sweet Brianna-smile replaced it. “Soon,” she whispered back.

Westwick clapped his hands together and announced we were finished. “Thank you, everyone! I’ll be happy to take all your questions this evening at dinner. It’ll be in the same room where we had breakfast.”

With one more kiss to Brynn’s lips, I got up to head back to our room .

As I walked, I hit the timer on my watch. I had to get final word to River that we were ready for the diversion. I was on the clock now.

Brynn and I had timed things out carefully. A few attendees would linger in the seminar room, but soon, Brynn would be alone with the head of Stillwater. The very thing I’d been hoping to avoid since the start of this mission. But she was a trained soldier. Sorry, a trained Marine . I would see her soon. That kept repeating in my head. The very word that had been on her lips, the last thing she’d said to me. Soon .

As expected, O’Hanlon peeled off to follow me at a distance. I spotted the man in the reflections of artwork as I passed. If anything, his presence reassured me. I assumed Manning was prepping for tonight’s late departure from the resort. Ryker would stick with Westwick, but we’d planned for that as well.

At our room, I waved my keycard and hurried inside. Set my daypack onto the bed. After the search last night, we hadn’t risked keeping weapons or anything sensitive here. I’d been carrying the laptop and a gun around all day.

Taking out the computer, I booted it up and sent off a message to River. We’re a go .

River wrote back, Roger. Ten minutes .

I stuffed the laptop back into my daypack. Grabbed our suitcase, which we’d packed this morning.

Then furious knocking at the door interrupted me. I went to the peephole and looked out. But it wasn’t Manning or O’Hanlon here to mess up my timing.

It was Molly. The older woman from Dallas who’d taken Brianna under her wing.

“Mr. Clay, I know you’re in there. I saw you go in. I want a word with you, if you please.”

“Not now,” I grumbled through the closed door. “I have a phone call. ”

“I don’t want your excuses!” She started knocking again.

I almost laughed. Molly had guts. I had to give her that. She was half my size, yet acted like she towered over me. Reminded me of my foster mother. Mom had been just as fearless when she was defending her kids.

But at the moment, Molly was an obstacle between me and my timetable. Between me and getting to Brynn.

The woman was going to draw half the resort guests here to find out what was up. I had to get rid of her.

I pulled open the door, surprising her. Molly’s fist was still raised to keep knocking. “Make it fast, lady,” I said.

Molly puffed up, chin lifting. Then the woman actually barged past me into the room.

Fucking hell .

She squinted at the suitcase and my pack on the bed. Spun to face me. “I was watching you during the seminar,” she said, “and I’ve had just about enough. You’re taking advantage of that girl. Brianna deserves better than you, and it’s about time that somebody stood up and said it.”

Could I physically move her out of the room? Not a good idea. She might start screaming.

Hell, she deserved a medal for stepping up and doing the right thing. Too few people were willing to bother. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I’ve got a phone call. Excuse me.”

Instead of leaving, she unleashed a tirade about how I was obviously no good. A scoundrel. Not to mention too old for such a young, sweet girl. Jeez, Brynn had maybe done too good a job establishing her cover. What would this lady think if she knew Brianna Waverley was actually a former special agent in her thirties who’d put down a vicious mercenary just last night?

But this lady was taking up my valuable time. Minutes that Brynn and I couldn’t spare .

“Save your lectures for somebody who gives a shit, lady. Get out.”

Molly’s face went bright red. “You should be ashamed.” But my harsh words had done the trick. She took off in a huff. Finally .

As she left, I glanced into the hallway. O’Hanlon had disappeared, which bothered me. I’d prefer to know where he was. But I couldn’t worry about that right now. I was already off our timeline, thanks to Molly’s heroics. Dammit. I had to pick up the pace.

I grabbed our stuff and left through the patio door after checking the rear of the building. River had switched off any cameras that I might come across on my way. I set our bags over the metal railing. Climbed over into a flower bed. The curtains to the neighboring rooms were closed, and there was no sign of O’Hanlon or anyone else who worked for Westwick.

Still, I forced myself to walk calmly and casually around the side of the building. I was headed for the employee area. A bell hop passed me, looking curious, but he didn’t try to stop me. It wasn’t that kind of place. Guests had the right of way here.

I checked my watch again and saw with a surge of adrenaline that I was running out of time.

Seconds later, there were shouts from all over the resort. The fire alarm sprinkler system had just activated. Courtesy of River’s hack into the hotel’s systems. I didn’t get exactly how he’d made that happen, but it wasn’t my job to know or care.

This was the chaos we needed.

The alarm gave me an excuse to move faster, breaking into a run. When I reached the Roof Access door, it was still closed tight, a new padlock in place. This morning, I had borrowed the lock from the gear compartment in our vehicle and relocated it to this door while Brynn was getting ready.

She had a key to the padlock in her purse as well. But since the lock was undisturbed, that meant she wasn’t here yet. Thank goodness I’d made it first, and with probably seconds to spare.

Slipping the key from my pocket, I undid the padlock and got my ass up the stairs. Brynn would be on her way. She was with Westwick right now, leading him here. I had a soul-deep need to have her beside me.

Soon .

That padlock had ensured that no employees would be up here. I quickly set our luggage aside and went to the hiding spot I’d made for my goody bag. The syringe to knock Westwick out and bindings to secure him. I also had one of those huge bags designed for sports equipment.

In the areas below, people shouted and ran from the buildings to escape the water. Staff called for guests to remain calm, assuring them it was a false alarm.

When the sprinklers had started, that was supposed to be Brynn’s cue to draw Westwick toward the roof so they could continue their talk in peace. Even though I’d lost sight of O’Hanlon, and had no idea where Manning was, they would’ve been caught off guard by the fire alarm like everyone else. Same with Ryker. They were probably trying to save Westwick’s belongings from damage.

Brynn would get here any minute.

Checking my weapon yet again, I took up a position so I’d be out of sight when Brynn and Westwick arrived. I waited to hear the faint creak of the hinges on the roof door, followed by their footsteps.

Thirty seconds.

Two minutes.

Come on, honey. I need to see you and know you’re okay .

While I counted the minutes, I mentally rehearsed what would happen next. Brynn would usher Westwick onto the roof. I would strike immediately with the syringe to knock him out, and in the meantime, Brynn would head back downstairs to the parking lot. There, she would start our vehicle and pull it into the delivery bay, which wasn’t far.

The hardest part would be getting Westwick’s unconscious body outside. But he would be inside the equipment bag, and he wasn’t more than one-sixty or so. Lean enough build. I’d carry him down, around the side of the main building, stash him in our trunk.

The whole operation shouldn’t take more than five minutes. By the time the fire alarm was off and Westwick’s guards tried to find him, he’d already be gone.

But a whole five minutes passed with me sitting there. Still no sign of Brynn. Sweat poured down my sides.

I knew it in my gut. Something had gone terribly wrong.

B, where are you?