Page 82 of Finding Eve
Around Eve,the boardroom hummed with energy and purpose. Adam’s team working together as a cohesive group was an impressive sight. Nobody had said as much, but these guys weren’t just a private security firm. They were an elite unit. The kind that probably didn’t exist on paper.
“Two one-way tickets to Dubai,” Jay said, tapping a couple of keys and projecting the Matthews’ flight information up on the SmartBoard. “Leaving Monday morning.”
“No extradition agreement,” Grant added, leaning back against the wall, and crossing his arms. “Makes sense.”
“Motherfuckers,” Zander mumbled from the chair beside her while scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck.
“We stick to the plan,” Adam replied. “We take them on Sunday night. They won’t be expecting us, and we’ll have the advantage.”
“What if the judge decides he wants to leave early? Or they go into hiding before Monday? We’ll lose them!” Eve couldn’t keep the panic out of her voice. The thought of the Matthews escaping justice set her pulse galloping as her gaze landed on the victims’ pictures.
Adam moved next to her and ran his hand down the back of her head, his strong fingers brushing through her hair offering calm and comfort. “They’re not going anywhere. With the media camped out in front of the manor’s gate, the judge won’t want to raise any suspicion in advance of their departure.”
He made a valid point. So far, the judge hadn’t offered any comments to the press about Eve being wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of his housekeeper and her boyfriend. Logical. He’d want to keep a low profile. Disassociate himself from her to keep the focus on finding Eve until he could leave the country.
Once in Dubai, it didn’t matter if the truth came out after the fact. “But what if…” Eve didn’t want to question these men. They knew what they were doing. Who was she to challenge them and their obvious skills?
“What if they get away?” Cody asked, twirling a black marker in his hand as he stood by the whiteboard.
Eve nodded, sweeping her gaze around the group, looking for any signs she might have offended. There were none.
“Then we go to Dubai,” Doc said, his tone matter of fact.
Heads bobbed.
“We’ll get them,” Cody said.
“And the bastard doing the dirty work for them too,” Zander replied.
“We got this,” Jay added.
“Trust us, Eve. They won’t get away with this.” Grant dipped his chin once as Eve met his rust-colored eyes, and she felt the weight of his words take root.
These men were a team. A band of brothers who’d pledged to do whatever it took to deliver justice. They’d made her a promise, and they’d keep it, no matter the cost.
They were men of honor.
Men of sacrifice.
They’d taken her in. Provided her with medical care. Clothed her. Fed her. Made her feel welcome and safe. And they’d asked for nothing but her trust in return. Her throat clogged with emotion, and she had to clear it before she could speak. “I trust you.” She looked around the room at the faces of the men who, thanks to Adam, had become her sword and shield. “I trust all of you.”
“Alright,” Adam said, with a last stroke of his hand through her hair before he took charge. “We have our objectives laid out.” He pointed to Doc and Jay. “You two are on operations. Find everything you can on environment. CCTV, alarm systems, floor plans, everything we need to get in and out of LA and the manor, plus a distraction to lure the media away. Z and Davis—logistics and transportation—multiple routes and contingencies. Grant and Cody—tactical planning along with weapons and security. I want a solid plan in place for Chase to review when he gets back from Miami tomorrow. Questions?”
“What about me?” Eve asked. “What do I do?”
“You’re with me.”
“And what dowedo?”
“We pull it all together. Look for holes. Do the threat assessments. Implement any residual risk-mitigation measures.”
“And after that?”
“After that. We go over it again.” Adam looked around the room. “I want this operational plan tighter than a kamikaze’s asshole in a power dive. Understood?” In response the men grinned, nodded, and in Cody’s case oorahed. “Then let’s get to it.”
Orders given and accepted, they went to work, and gratitude overwhelmed Eve to the point her eyes started to water. God, she wished she had a way to repay them. A way to demonstrate how much she appreciated all they’d done—and were about to do—for her.
Her fingers tingled, and she dropped her blurry gaze to look at them while Adam’s voice echoed in her head.Anybody ever mention you have magic hands?
