Torn (Deep 8, #5)

8. Harlow

EIGHT

Harlow

"As sure as I live and breathe, it is you. When they mentioned someone named Harlow, I had a gut feeling it was you." Dean strides toward me, arms open wide, and a drink in hand. Roger tenses beside me.

"Dean Wagner, what are you doing in this corner of the world?" His warmth envelops me.

Dean stands back and grips my shoulders. Roger cuts in with a sharp edge in his words. "It’s good to see you again, Dean. I didn’t catch how you know Harlow."

"That’s because I never shared," Dean retorts.

I stifle a laugh behind my hand as Pippa pipes in. "Put your dicks back in your pants and tell us your connection."

"Dean and I trained together for ASIO. We had several missions together and then moved on to other things. Those who train together stay together in spirit." I smile.

Heads nod around the cabin as Roger stares him down. I grab Dean’s arm and lead him to the open seats, ignoring Roger’s intense gaze. "Tell me what you’ve been up to."

"I’m getting married."

"Stop messing with me and tell me what you’re really up to."

Laughter breaks out. "I guess she does know you," Beck says between snickers. "Believe it or not. He’s getting married."

"Wow. Marrying the most patient and tolerant woman on the planet, I presume?" I smirk.

His smile lights up his face with eyes gleaming. "She reminds me of you, a no-shit kinda gal."

A piece of my heart cracks because I want what he carries in his soul—the love of my life. Someone who makes me glow with happiness, makes me smile, and yearn for home, wherever home may be. Then I remember I’m the girl on the run and no one should be subjected to my cowardliness.

"She sounds like my kind of woman," I whisper.

He tilts his glass, watching the amber liquid flow. "I need to cut back on this stuff." He looks up with a smirk and leans over. "It’s part of the deal." He shows me a photo of a stunning blonde on his phone, her infectious smile filling the screen.

"You hit the jackpot. Don’t screw it up." I nudge him with my elbow. "You two seem like the real deal."

"I hate to break up the reunion, but we have a puzzle to solve. Do you have the piece?" Pippa reaches out her hand.

The puzzle piece feels heavy for its size as I hand it to her. The inside holds a small USB. Pippa slides it up and puts it into Lucas’s laptop.

"I loaded the program’s tracking software on his computer. I’ve never seen it before and I’m not going to spend time hacking it. Peter, are you seeing this?" Her fingers race over the keys.

A man’s face appears on the screen with shaggy blond hair and big green eyes. His smile would melt the panties off most women. "Harlow, meet Peter Bryant, the B in MBK and computer analyst extraordinaire. He’s working out of the New York office." I smile and wave.

His face gets closer to the screen. "Well, hello, Harlow. Aren’t you a beauty? When you come to the Big Apple, I would love to show you around." His southern drawl adds to his charm.

Roger’s head comes in front of mine. "Hi, Peter. Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too, but you’re blocking my view of the lovely lady. Can you step aside?" He waves his hand.

"How about you focus on what we need from this piece?" Roger grits out.

"Don’t get your britches in a bunch. We’ve got time."

"In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t have the luxury of time." Roger rubs his forehead.

As Pippa and Peter work on the piece, I get a round of introductions from the rest of the team. Mac, Declan, and Campbell Creighton are brothers and UK-trained special forces. Declan looks like Mr. Grumpy Pants, but Mac and Campbell are pleasant. We’re a team of nine of the best and the brightest. If this group can’t figure out this puzzle, we’re completely screwed.

"Everyone, gather around. Okay, so you’re already gathered because there is nowhere to go. It looks like we’re the lucky winners of a trip to Luxembourg, the playground for billionaires," Pippa states. "The file claims there is a safe deposit box in the Western Bank de Luxembourg."

"That doesn’t sound too bad. I’ve hacked safety deposit boxes before," I say with as much confidence as I can muster.

"Oh, wait. It gets better. The person who holds the key is the Duchess Amalia of Colmar."

Declan chimes in for the first time. "Luxembourg is going to be a tough one. They don’t like outsiders. It’ll be difficult to get information out of anyone. The community is exclusive to people who have a ton of money to play with and the royals."

Roger has been quiet as he stares out the window. "It may not be as hard as you think. I spent summers there with my father. I know people and have friends in Luxembourg." His eyes cloud. "But her Highness is very private and it’s hard to get an audience with her."

"Sounds like a perfect opportunity for you and Harlow to go undercover as a billionaire royal couple traveling the world. Pippa and Peter can set you up with background information and bank accounts to match," Mac suggests.

Peter comes back on the screen. "I can make a fake of just about anything except royal. Sorry, but we can make you a billionaire couple."

A few moments ago, I was grateful to be out of Afghanistan alive. The thought of diving into a world I left behind years ago holds less appeal. I’ve never been to Luxembourg, but I have experienced the playground of the rich. Wearing the right labels with enough carats is only the beginning. You must look like you’re comfortable throwing money around on everything. Any hesitation is a dead giveaway. My former life gives me the experience to pull this off, but dread crawls over my skin.

Lost in thought, I miss the stare Roger is sending my way. "Are you in, Harlow?"

"This won’t be cheap. I’ll prepare a list of clothes for both of us, jewelry, makeup, and handbags packed in the right luggage. We’re going to need a lot of cash and black cards," I spout off without thinking.

"What makes you the expert on being a billionaire?" Roger’s eyes narrow.

"I spent time undercover investigating a billionaire with close ties with Iran. It didn’t end well for him." The lie comes easily. I push myself up and head for the restroom toward the rear of the plane.

Always expect the unexpected. This unexpected turn wasn’t even a thought. It’s a lifestyle I want no part of, but if we’re going to find Lucas and dismantle Deep 8, it’s for the greater good. A soft knock interrupts my thoughts down memory lane that I would like to blow up.

"Yes?"

"It’s me. I wanted to make sure you’re okay." Roger’s words are muffled.

The door unlocks with a click, and I let him in. We squeeze into the space, even though we both need a shower. I struggle with needing him near me to feel his energy. My fingers itch to grab his thick dark hair and pull his lips to mine so I don’t have to feel so desperate to leave this mission. Nails bite into my palm.

"You seem to have experience in the world of the rich and famous." His hands running up and down my shoulders are meant to comfort me.

"A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a girl who had everything she could ever want and then she walked away. The end."

"So, you lied out there."

"The only lie is the billionaire part. I don’t want everyone to know how I grew up."

His fingers lift my chin as our eyes meet. He frowns at the pain in my eyes and nods as if he understands. "I won’t ask. I’ll let you share the whole story when you are ready. The world of the super-rich is foreign to me. I lived on the outside of it, so I’ll follow your lead. The team is waiting for us. There’s a lot to do. We’re flying straight to Luxembourg."

"I don’t think we’ll pass as brother and sister," I smirk.

"No, but we’ll pass as husband and wife." A smile doesn’t accompany his words, which should worry me, but it doesn’t.

I lock eyes with him. "You know I don’t come cheap. I’ll expect the biggest diamond you can find for both the engagement ring and the wedding band." I push him to the side and turn the handle to the door.

The last words I hear before the door closes are, "You should expect nothing less from me or any other man."

If he only knew, I deserve nothing.