Page 43 of Braxton

“Doesn’t really matter. I’ll be in touch.”

She hung up and turned her full attention to Brax. “This is the perfect opportunity to take out Cross.”

He nodded slowly and she could see his gears turning. “We’ll discuss it on the way and come up with the best possible plan.”

“The best plan is cutting the head off the monster.”

“That won’t kill this monster,” Brax stated ominously. “We have to get all his tentacles, too.”

A chill ran through her and she knew he was right. In order to stop The Agency once and for all, they would need to destroy the entire beast in one fell swoop.

???

The flight to the City of Lights went far too fast and was full of planning. It was hard to lock down exact details though when they didn’t know where the exchange with Cross would take place. Good thing Ex Nihilo was a highly-adaptable group.

After Pyro smoothly landed the jet at a small, private airport, Braxton, Quinn and crew unloaded their gear and stowed it into two separate SUVs, courtesy of River who was back at the warehouse running ops with Lucas. Zaitsev gave them zero trouble and had proven to be a very cooperative prisoner. Especially after the chemist found out Saint was in charge of guarding him. The diminutive scientist had no intention of challenging the much bigger, very scary, black-inked man.

Cross had contacted Quinn, telling her a car would pick her up in front of a specific cafe in exactly—Brax glanced down at his watch—thirty-two minutes. With Paris traffic, they didn’t have a moment to spare.

It had been determined that Ryland and Braxton would escort Zaitsev to the exchange, wherever it would be. Gray, Saint, Inda and Zane would be close by, ready to move if and when necessary. And Quinn would take the kill shot, ending Nathan “Cross” Mills once and for all. Ryland hadn’t argued. He was too lost in worry over Harper and their baby.

A baby. Christ, it’s happening, Brax thought. His teammates would all be starting families, and as happy as he was for them, he was also a little sad that their days as Ex Nihilo would be coming to an end. Yes, he wanted to destroy The Agency, wipe those fuckers from existence. But he’d miss this battle-hardened group that had become his family since his dad had passed away. Just like he’d lost touch with his Delta team, he assumed the same would happen with Ex Nihilo, and that bothered him. A lot.

Giving his head a shake, Brax forced his thoughts back to the op. First things first. It was time to say goodbye to Quinn.Since they didn’t want anyone seeing them together, they had to go their separate ways now.

Pulling her aside, he laid his hands on her waist and let out a harsh sigh. Damn, he was reluctant to let her go. “Are you ready for this?” he asked, searching her gorgeous gray-green eyes.

“I was born ready, Graves.” She gave him a determined smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Be safe, okay?”

His hands slid around to her back, moving beneath her leather jacket, and tugging her closer. “You, too,” he whispered. Leaning down, he caught her mouth in a kiss that became emotional fast. Her arms wound around his neck as they devoured each other.

After what felt like forever, but wasn’t nearly long enough, they broke apart. His hands reluctantly released her and he stepped back, forcing himself to move away. But nothing about it felt right.

Fuckit.He grabbed her, hauled her up off the ground, hands clasped beneath her ass, and kissed the holy hell out of her. If this was it, if something happened, he was going to give her a goodbye to remember. Her fingers slid through his curls and she moaned into his mouth as his very soul kissed hers.

He loosened his grip and her body slowly slid down his front, lighting a fire inside him. If only they had more time. Pulling his mouth away, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Be careful, Cherry.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “I’ve got plans for you and me.”

She smiled, and this time it was genuine. “I like the sound of that.”

After stealing one last, quick kiss, Quinn turned toward her SUV and Brax moved over to his ride. Looking over his shoulder, he watched her get in and close the door. Their gazes locked and he gave her a reassuring nod before the vehicle began to drive away.

Brax climbed into the front passenger seat then looked over at Gray who sat behind the wheel. “Let’s do this,” he said, voice laced with determination.

The call from Cross came while they were still driving to the city. Brax turned in his seat, his attention on Ryland, who spoke through clenched teeth. The normally laid-back surfer was wound tight, worry pouring off him.

Cross gave them strict and implicit instructions. Other than Zaitsev, Ryland could only bring one other person to accompany him, and no weapons.Yeah, right.If Cross thought they would come unarmed, he was insane.

“The Louvre, 1500 hours. If you don’t show—”

“I’ll be there,” Ryland snapped. “No need to threaten my wife’s life again.”

“It’s not a threat, Ryland, it’s a promise.”

Ryland squeezed his eyes shut, gripping his phone so hard his knuckles turned white. Beside him, Inda laid a reassuring hand on his arm. “I said I’ll be there,” he said in a very low, scarily-controlled voice. “And if I find out you touched one hair on her head, I will end you.”

“Don’t ever let a woman control your emotions. It makes you weak.”

“Great advice,Dad,” he responded dryly. “I wouldn’t expect you to understand how Harper has made me a stronger man in every single way.”

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