Wednesday. Safe House, Playa d'en Bossa, Ibiza.GRANT REALLY SHOULD HAVE called the chef as soon as Melody had walked away from him. Now he was going to be on the hook for the rest of the payment. He couldn't imagine eating the meal he'd hoped to share with her by himself. Or leaving it by her door to enjoy the meal cold, if she'd take it at all.The doorbell peeled again."Coming," Grant called out as he jogged across the floor to the entry.He paused to peer through the peephole. Some habits just didn't go away.A man stood on the other side, his head bent, the sun glinting off his dark head of hair. He wore a dark jacket. A chef's coat?Had Grant ever gotten a picture of the person that company was sending over?He blew out a breath and mentally kicked himself.The op was over.He shook his head, banishing the paranoia that came with every job, and unlocked the door. There was no reason for a retaliatory attack. Besides, they'd ensured the last assholes could ba
Wednesday. Kool Cafe, Ibiza Town, Ibiza.MELODY RETREATED TO A small table at the back of the café while Grant got them drinks. Neither of them had been able to reach Riley, Nolan, Vaughn or Brenden. She knew Grant had tried to reach their boss, but hadn't gotten through either. Her battery was just about dead so she'd turned her phone off to conserve battery.She dumped the contents of the side pocket of her bag out on the table and stared at the collection of random stuff they'd taken from the men who'd attacked them.A couple phones.Bottles of unmarked pills.Bits of paper.Some local currency.And a wad of bills with the words BANQUE DU LIBAN printed across the top."Shit," she muttered."What?" Grant sank down across from her and set two bottles of water and two wrapped sandwiches down.She picked up the wad of cash, Lebanese pounds, and handed looked at Grant.For several moments he stared at the money. His brows drew down and his lips parted."They we
Wednesday. Hard Rock Hotel, Ibiza Town, Ibiza.THE DAY STRETCHED ON; the hours seeming to last days as the party raged outside. The news hadn't told them anything new since the first newscast except the names of the victims were bystanders who'd gotten caught in the crossfire. Wherever his team was, Grant had to believe that they'd gotten away and they'd all connect in the morning.It was going to be a long damn night.Grant glanced at Melody sitting at the table bent over a book of some sort she'd found in a drawer. They hadn't spoken much, not since she'd recovered from the initial shock of it all.Melody's strength, her resilience, was something Grant admired about her. She was cool under pressure. He hated that it had taken him almost a year to realize how valuable she was not only to the team, but him. He'd been an ass in those early months, but he'd said his apologies. He'd believed they were past that.So where had they gone wrong?He studied the back of her head,
Grant reminded himself. This was a litmus test. Nothing more.His dick twitched in protest.Her hips shifted, grinding their sexes together. He groaned his appreciation but forced his hand to still against her skin.This was just a kiss.Melody pulled back just enough for their lips to break contact. She was breathing heavily. This close he could see just how dilated her eyes were.She wanted him. He knew it. He was right.This was the proof he needed. One way or another, he was going to win her back. So long as she wanted him, there was hope.Melody fisted his shirt, dragging it up his chest.He held his arms up and let her strip the T-shirt off him. Her gaze left his face, she looked down at him, running her fingertips along the tattoo just under his collar bone. Out of their whole team, she was the only one who'd seen it. They were words he didn't share with anyone but her.She flattened her hands on his chest, smoothing them down to his ribs while her hips did thi
Wednesday. Private Yacht, Ibiza.LIMAN STARED DOWN AT the two men bound and gagged, secured to a bulkhead."Where are the other four?" he asked Khaled.The man fidgeted. It appeared even he was feeling the pressure. Good. "The men are still looking, sir."Liman grimaced. This plan only worked if he had all of them. He needed bodies to barter with, to prove his point.He kneeled next to the big one, the one who'd nearly taken out four men.Liman switched to English. "Where are your friends?"The man just stared at Liman."This will go easier for you if you cooperate."They both knew the prisoner wasn't going to speak.Liman patted the man's cheek then straightened. It was time to handle this personally."Move them to the shore. I want a report ready by the time we land.""Yes, sir."Khaled scurried off to relay the order, leaving Liman alone.He took the stairs back up to the deck and stared out at the ocean. A few years ago when he'd been approached about
Thursday. Private Residence, Ibiza Town, Ibiza.GRANT GLANCED UP AND down the well-kept suburban street. It was late morning, almost early afternoon, and there wasn't a soul to be seen other than him and Melody in this part of town. Not awake and coherent at least. He had counted at least four people sleeping on lawns and a few signs advertising rooms for rent.How had Nolan and Vaughn wound up all the way out here? Had Melody read the note right?The address the internet comment had led them to was clear on the other side of the city from where they'd been attacked."This is it." Melody gestured at a large, square white house.Unlike some of its neighbors, this house appeared recently renovated. The exterior was pristine, almost spotless. A few palm trees swayed in the breeze. Wooden pergolas created exterior living spaces, one of which appeared to be a bedroom for people who didn't mind sleeping on lawn chairs. A collection of beer bottles circled them like some kind of
They tip-toed through the first-floor rooms finding nothing but passed out partiers. Their missing team members were nowhere to be seen."Upstairs?" Melody whispered.Grant ground his molars together. He wasn't keen on being boxed in, but if that was where their people were, that was where they were going.He palmed the gun in the waistband of his shorts and wished once more for the comfort of his jeans and boots.Together they climbed to the second floor. A toilet flushed. The faint sounds of music came from one of the rooms along with a few hushed voices.The house wasn't going to be quiet for long.They needed to find the guys and get out. There was an itch developing between Grant's shoulder blades. Nothing good ever came from that kind of funny feeling. He couldn't put his finger on what it was bothering him, he just knew he didn't want to be on this stairwell with Melody as a target.He pulled his weapon from his shorts and rounded the landing to the second floor.
Thursday. Hospital Can Misses, Ibiza.MELODY PAID THE DRIVER using some of the cash they'd lifted off the bodies. It was the only disposable money they had.She could feel Grant's displeasure rolling off him. What with the attacks yesterday he was in hyper cautionary mode. That did not work well with Vaughn's delicate health situation. Things in the cab had gotten very tense when they'd clashed over where to be dropped off.Melody had won that argument. There was no way Vaughn was going to walk a block to the hospital just so they could have the distance to observe people loitering around the doors. Melody had overruled him on the grounds that Vaughn was getting worse by the minute. Plus, if there were people stationed outside the emergency department looking for them there wasn't a thing they could do about it. This way they had the best chance at getting inside the hospital where people and security officers might offer a little protection.The main hospital on the island