Now, though, we have a boss of sorts as Nate has put himself in charge of the whole operation. I have a feeling that he may have an ulterior motive, beyond just wanting to help Auntie Sannah with her quest to take down the ring. He seems very passionate about it, and I would be interested in finding out why.
Then there’s Tessa, and that darker part of me rises at the thought of her. Back when Trey and I were talking on the webcams, he told me that he was just out of a twelve-year relationship. He failed to mention that this “relationship” was one-sided, that he had, in fact, been stalking her for all those years.
A growl rumbles through my chest as I hug Trey’s pillow to me, inhaling his tobacco and peppermint scent. I don’t like the idea of working in such close proximity to one of Trey’s former obsessions, even if the rational part of my brain assures me that he loves me.
That doesn’t mean I’ll be leaving her alone in a room with him. Even if she is married to Nate and his brother. Trey is mine, and I’ll defend him as such.
***
The dining room erupts into ribald cheers and laughter as we make our entrance, causing a blush to bloom brightly across my cheeks. The large formal room is beautifully ornate, with wainscotting, a fireplace big enough to roast a boar in, and sweeping windows overlooking the Thames and parliament buildings. A chandelier glistens from the ceiling rose, and the massive wood table, enough to seat twenty, runs the length of the room.
Nate, of course, is sitting at the head, a man to his right, a woman to his left. These must be his brother and Tessa. Surprisingly, she throws a grin my way and gestures towards the empty seats to her left. The rest of the chairs are taken up by a rowdy-looking group of men, and a woman who makes a small shiver run through me when she catches my eye.
Trey squeezes my hand and leads me over towards Tessa. “Rebecca, you know Nate already. This is Eric,” the dark-haired man smiles and waves, “and their wife, Tessa.”
Tessa is regarding me with friendly eyes, and that puts me at ease a bit. Trey pulls out my chair, and I sit as Tessa leans towards me. “I’ve been really looking forward to meeting you. There’s way too much testosterone around here. Oh, and I hear knives are your weapon of choice. Mine too! Eric set up a training area downstairs in the gym, maybe we can-”
She’s cut off as Nate and Eric burst into laughter. “Angel, give the poor girl a chance to breathe. She’s only just sat down,” Eric says.
“But I—” she begins to protest.
Nate gives her a hard glare and she squirms under it. “I—”
“Little girl. I will bend you over this table in front of everyone and turn your ass red. Is that what you want?”
“No,” she replies, gaze downcast. When he turns away, she peeks up at me, eyes twinkling with merriment, and winks.
I begrudgingly admit that I could like this girl. As long as her hands stay firmly on her men, and not on mine.
Just then, a door connecting to what must be the kitchen opens, and staff bring out trays of food, placing them on the buffet tables set up along the length of one wall. The other men around the table jump up, jostling and elbowing each other to be the first in line. The blonde woman with them rolls her eyes and makes her way over to me.
“Hello, Rebecca. I’m The Duke. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. Please excuse the rudeness of my men, they’re little better than animals when food is nearby.”
“Hi,” I reply shyly, not ready to say more. Although she looks friendly enough, something in the way she carries herself speaks of strength and danger, and I heed the unspoken warning.
After a hearty meal of roast beef, vegetables, potatoes, and something called Yorkshire puddings, we linger over coffee and dessert. The staff have left for the evening, leaving us free to discuss the plans for taking out the trafficking ring.
Although many of us would like nothing more than to torture the bastards, make them suffer the way they caused so many others to, we have to be realistic. We’re expecting around fifty-six members to be there, along with bodyguards and other personnel. There are only seventeen of us. Eric and Trey have been working together to determine where and when the meeting will be taking place, who will be there, and the best access points for getting in and out cleanly.
We might have a further three on our side if the Charon Group—friends of the Bannermans,Trey whispers to me at my confusion—are able to get here in time from their assignment in Paris.
The Duke has extensive knowledge of London and British law due to having worked here several times over the years. Her guidance and knowledge are invaluable to our mission, and I can see why Nate wanted her part of this team.
We spend the next hour tossing ideas around, some being tabled as possibilities, others mocked mercilessly. Right in the middle of a heated debate over the merits of fire versus guns, the sizable double doors are thrown open with a bang. The Duke’s men jump up with guns drawn as one of them, a huge mountain of a man, shoves her behind him.
“Hey, fuckers, you started without me?” a dark-haired woman calls out, and the men stand down, their shoulders easing with relief. This newcomer is stunning with her long brown hair, eyelashes most would kill for and gorgeous artwork decorating the length of her left arm. Her eyes lock on mine, and she saunters towards me with a wide grin stretching across her face. “You must be Rebecca. I’m Dutch, a friend of your aunt’s.”
“Hey,” I reply, not sure exactly what to say.
“Ah, a shy one. Don’t worry—you won’t be for long, not around here. Has Tessa dragged you downstairs yet? She’s got me beat with the knife play, but then again, guns are more my jam.”
I bet she and Tessa get along really well. They both suffer from verbal diarrhea.
“Not yet,” I reply. “I’m curious to see what’s down there though.”
Dutch cackles and takes a seat on the other side of Trey. “There’s enough down there to keep anyone busy for a while.”
Tessa preens, having been the one to set it up in the first place.
