Not for one hot second.
He wanted what everyone else wanted—the key to Dominion—and she’d give it to him. When the time was right. When she had what she needed to destroy the virus and render the Imperium Council impotent.
The black rose.
When she had the kill switch embedded in her sister’s skin, when she provided Jay with the codes needed to save the world, she’d be free.
Before she could react to his mouth on hers, Nik broke the kiss, and standing straight, he tucked a wayward clump of hair behind her ear, his thumb brushing a gentle stroke over the bruise on her cheek. “I meant what I said, Maya. One way or another, I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
“Nik, I—” God damn. Unused to intimacy, she took a deep breath and held it. Why were her eyes filled with moisture and her throat clogged? She didn’t do emotions. Not here. Not with her frenemy. Not when things were about to come to a rapid and deadly head.
To topple the Volkov empire and wreak havoc on the Imperium Council’s plans for world domination, she needed to be a stone-cold killer. The real Maya. Not the weak Becca.
“Don’t worry, love.” Mistaking her tears for fear, he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “I’ve got you.”
The sob she swallowed got stuck, and the pain made her whole body ache.
Poor Nik. He had no idea.
He couldn’t save her.
By the time she was done destroying everyone and everything he believed in…he wouldn’t even be able to save himself.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Outside the window to Jay’s left, a blast of frigid Northern wind sent the falling snow flying sideways as Chase attempted to land the helicopter at the far end of a narrow strip of ice-coated gravel. They’d arrived at the remote and unattended airport at just past noon amid a raging snowstorm. The conditions perfect for keeping the locals inside their homes.
All one hundred and forty-nine of them. Wales residents—not dwellings. Cut the amount in half, and that was the number of houses nestled in the frozen tundra located about a mile up the dirt road.
They set down with a gentle thump, and a slow pivot later, they taxied to the large hangar he’d caught a six-second aerial view of on the way in. With his back to the cockpit, he couldn’t see shit now, so he had to assume someone had opened the big metal doors to allow them to nose their way inside.
The moody gray of an overcast day gave way to the brightness of fluorescent lighting as their momentum slowed, and they came to a halt. Through his headset, he heard Cody initiating the protocol for engine shutdown while the guys started to rev theirs.
The first out of his seat, Zander had the side door unsecured and opened wide before the rest of them had their harnesses off. Leg one of their journey complete, Jay stood in a stooped position, waiting for his turn to exit while his lower back spasmed in protest.
Fuck. No matter how new or how luxurious by military standards, Black Hawk helicopters weren’t designed for traveling long distances. He needed some muscle relaxants and one of Eve’s miracle back massages if he ever hoped to stand fully erect again.
“Cover up.” Grant tapped him on the shoulder on his way by. A reminder to conceal his ugly mug with his skull-face motorcycle mask before leaving the aircraft.
They were all wanted men in the eyes of the US government. But set up by their former boss for the murder of the colonel and the embezzlement of a significant amount of arms trafficking money, Jay had the honorary distinction of matching the looks of the most wanted man in America.
Except now he knew the truth. Sure, he’d stolen the two-point-five billion dollars right out from under Johnson’s nose. But what the asshole really wanted. What he needed. What he thought Jay had mattered to him more.
The key to controlling Dominion.
And what better way to find Jay than by having the entire planet on the lookout for him? As a tactic, releasing his identity and putting a bounty on his head made sense. Who didn’t want half-a-mil in extra coffee money?
Made going to Starbucks a pain in the ass. Not that he frequented the bougie coffee house. When he remembered to drink it, he liked his caffeine fix done up the old-fashioned way. Hot and black. Man, he used to tease Becca for her venti iced white chocolate mocha caramel drizzle sweet foam concoction.
The damn drink cost more than his monthly grocery bill, but he’d loved buying it for her. Loved the little moans she made when the syrupy sweet treat hit her taste buds. Loved how she held the cup in both hands, closed her eyes, and worshipped at the coffee God’s altar.
He’d buy her a venti a day just to see her smile again.
Hell, he’d give anything just to see her smile again.
“You ready?” Jamie asked, pulling his long blond hair back and tying it into a messy bun with the elastic he kept on his wrist.
“Yep.” Jay pinched the stretchy fabric around his throat, pulled it up over his nose, and cloaking his identity dealt with, he hefted his pack onto his shoulder, grabbed his military-grade laptop case, and followed his best friend to the door.
