Ignoring his question, I took a look at the rolled-out map on the table. It was safer to keep our plans on us and not online somewhere anyone could hack into.
“We’ll make the sale early morning. Here.” I pointed to the destination just outside of Prague’s city center. “A flower shop right off this street. Hugo, you’ll lead team two to cover all exit points surrounding the shop. I don’t want anyone who shouldn’t be there within a block’s radius.”
“Got it,” he said, nodding.
“Omar, you’ll be with me, along with the guards. We’ll enter from the front, meeting time no more than twenty minutes.”
Though we wouldn’t be handing over the weapons right then and there, it was still an intensely dangerous situation we were walking into. The possibility of capture was always top of mind, as well as the many others who would kill—literally—to be in my position.
But negotiations could only be done in person with the amount of money and weapons on the line. I wasn’t a stranger to these deals, not when I’d been the number two for well over a decade, watching and learning, filing away what I’d do differently in the back of my mind for if there ever came a day I was the man leading the charge.
That day had come sooner than I’d expected.
Omar smoothed his hand over the second map, one of Europe. It had several dates and times, along with a few Xs by main cities, and a couple more with question marks.
“We haven’t confirmed the meeting yet for Budapest, which we’d originally planned for Sunday. We may need to change up the schedule for?—”
“No one told me this was a party,” Benoit said as he swept into the room. All heads immediately swiveled in his direction, and with the way he was dressed, he certainly caught their attention.
And mine.
In a pair of black-and-white pinstripe pants and a satin cowl-neck shirt that dipped low enough to show off his smooth chest and the set of pearls he had clasped around his neck, Benoit had clearly done what I’d suggested and cleaned up before dinner. His hair was slicked back, and his face was devoid of any makeup, save his glossy lips.
He looked fresh, rejuvenated, and one hundred percent fuckable.
The conversation fell silent as he entered. Benoit all but floated into the room, his walk almost as rhythmic as his dancing, making his way toward the head of the table.
“Oh, don’t mind me,” he said with a dismissive wave at my men. “I just thought I’d come and see if there was any wine in this place. I’m feeling a little parched.”
His eyes glittered at Omar, who was frowning at him over his shoulder.
“What?” Benoit said. “You don’t like wine?”
That wasn’t the problem. Omar didn’t like interruptions, and neither did I when we were covering sensitive information. But in this case, I thought he was being a littletooparanoid.
Benoit and his cases had been searched, and even if he planned to run off into the snow-covered wilderness, he wouldn’t skip town with any pertinent information.
“He likes it just fine.” I eyed my second-in-command in a way that told him to back off. I had this under control, had Benoit under control. I didn’t need Omar acting like my babysitter.
Benoit came to a stop beside me and sidled in close enough that I could feel his heat through my shirt.
“Oh, are you planning out our next stops?” He leaned down closer to the map, pointing to St. Anton. “My vote is Austria. We could book a little chateau in the mountains and hire some skis, and I could live out my dream of being someone’s ski bunny for the season.”
The idea was so far removed from what Omar and I had been planning that I almost laughed—almost, because wewouldbe going through Austria. But not for skiing and definitely not to live out any ski bunny fantasies.
No matter how tempted I might be now.
Omar started to roll up the map, but got stuck when Benoit turned and sat on the table to face me, pouting.
“You don’t like that idea?”
I arched a brow. “You have an outfit togowith that idea?”
Benoit’s laugh chimed around the room as he ran a hand up my arm and squeezed. “I told you, I brought outfits for any and all occasions,mon monstre.But in this instance, a couple of cotton balls as a tail is all I’d need.”
My cock immediately hardened at the visual of Benoit in nothing but a cotton tail, and while it should’ve been ridiculous, I wanted to see that now more than I wanted my next breath.
Omar and a couple of the others coughed from their side of the table.
