Hard Target (14 page)

Amazing what a billionaire can make happen in so little time.

I sit next to Ben during the uneventful flight. Dmitry is on his other side, conversing with him in Russian, but I don’t mind.

If it’s important, Ben will tell me. I
trust
him to tell him.

Flexing my fingers I admire the fake wedding band I’m still wearing. Ben insisted on it and because I like pretty things, I agreed. And because I want him to be able to find me should anything ever happen.

The girlfriend of an assassin is always prepared.

“There is more,” Dmitry says, this time in English.

I slice my gaze to Ben, then back to Dmitry.

“Don’t keep us in suspense,” Ben says.

Dmitry lets out a heavy sigh. “I have been hired to bring Morgan to London.”

“You what?” I all but shriek, then look to Ben for explanation. Only his face is both pale and bright red.

“For what?” he says quietly.

“A trade.” Dmitry throws back another shot of vodka. “I asked questions. I was given answers.”

“The flash drive for me.” My heart sinks as Dmitry nods.

“Yes, but we could use Morgan to unmask the leader of Wraith.”

“We are not using her, and that’s final.”

Oh hell no. I want this over with. “Would I be safe if we do this?”

“There is always the chance of failure,” Dmitry says.

“But not this time,” Ben counters. “We will find another way.”

“There’s not enough time,” I point out. “You know I’m right. You also know that I can take care of myself… as long as I know what’s coming.”

Ben stands, moving to the other side of the cabin. “I can’t risk losing you.”

“The world is bigger than us. Billions depend on us to get this right.” I go to him.

Dmitry leaves to give us privacy.

“I allow you to die.”

“Oh believe me, I don’t want to die, but if this is our opportunity to cut that organization off at the head, before things get started… why wouldn’t we try?” I place my hand on his arm. “I’ve been marked for death since I signed for the package, Ben.”

Yes, it’s a bit dramatic, but I’m tired of running and flying and driving all over creation each time we learn something new.

“You will take a gun.”

Even as my heart soars, a ball of dread the size of Alaska forms in my stomach. “And I have my ring. I won’t take it off.”

He pulls me into his arms. “If you die, I will follow you, if only to tell you how bloody pissed I am.”

“Such a romantic man.”

“Dmitry,” Ben roars his name. “New plan.”

Dmitry joins us again, then begins speaking in Russian, but Ben cuts him off.

“No, she’s to hear it all.”

Of course I’m going to die—I’ve finally met a man who’d do the same for me.

*

The airport is
a hub of activity when we land, but when we arrive at our private gate, there is only a lone car parked near it.

Ben kisses me softly. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

No. “Very.”

The pilot announces that we can leave the plane, so I stand, my knees shaking like a leaf all the while.

I can do this. I can do this.

“There’s Maxim,” Ben says to me as we disembark from the plane. “He’s here to take us to the lab. Tansy awaits us there. They’ve already geared up for mass production should it come to that.”

“Dmitry won’t be transporting us?” I glance at the blond man over my shoulder, then back at Ben. “Is that a good idea?”

“Maxim insists that we’ll have the cooperation in the highest places, should we agree to do things his way,” Dmitry says, but it’s clear to me and anyone else who can see his face that he’s not too happy about it.

“Whatever it takes, right?” I look at Ben.

He nods. “Absolutely.”

Maxim meets us halfway.

Like every other Romanov I’ve met, he looks like a freaking model in a suit and like every other Romanov—with the exception of Dmitry—he has short, black hair and pale blue eyes. His face is leaner than Ben’s, and he looks to be a little older. I’d say thirty-five at the most.

“Ms. Tanner,” he begins, “After I drop Benjamin off at—”

“She’s not to leave my side, until it’s time for Dmitry to take her from us,” Ben says.

“She’s not trained for this. The entire idea is an exercise in futility. We’ve been after the Wraith Organization for months now.”

“Perhaps, but before now, you didn’t have what they wanted,” Ben points out.

Maxim opens his mouth to argue, but I forestall him with a light touch on his arm. “I’ve been on the run for two weeks now. I’ve been shot at, shoved to the floor, and forced to travel to Russia. I think I can handle whatever is thrown at us.”

Maxim’s gaze turns sharp. “The founder of Wraith is in London, Ben, and he’s out for you.”

A cold smile covers Ben’s face. “What are we waiting for?”

“That’s my man.” Better to put on a brave face than to collapse into a heap of quivering mess. And not the good kind of quivering either.

Maxim shakes his head. “I can’t change your mind?”

Dmitry opens the back passenger side door, gesturing for me to get in.

I answer for all of us. “Nope.”

“That’s my brave girl.” Ben slides in beside me and grabs my hand. “Diamond’s good?”

“You won’t lose me.” I touch the ring I had made for him. “I won’t lose you either.”

Benjamin

A
ll hell breaks
loose as soon as we entered the City. An explosion launches the car flying into the air like a rocket. Time seems to stand still, then rush to find its place.

Morgan screams, holding on for me to dear life as our bodies bounce around the interior like pinballs in an arcade game.

White lights spark behind my eyes as the car hits the ground and our bodies drop like rocks. My head cracks against the glass and my vision goes dark as wave of dizziness barrels over me.

Once the world stops spinning, I crawl from the wreckage of the car, glass digging in the palms of my hands.

“Morgan,” I shout as razor sharp pain rakes over my skull. “Morgan.”

Blurry-eyed, I stand on my feet, my entire body weaving as I search for her. I don’t see her anywhere on the ground, so I stumble back to the car.

Maxim’s inside, groaning and holding on to his head. Wrenching open the door, I drag him out of there and go back to double check the interior.

“She’s gone,” he says.

“He’s got her.”

“Who?”
Please let it be Dmitry.

“Dmitry,” he says and I nearly drop to my knees in relief. “He’s got a head start. I can call for backup to follow, shall I?”

“Don’t bother. I can track her.” I pull my phone from my pocket and click on the app, anxious for it to capture Morgan’s signal. “Dmitry, Morgan, and I planned it on the plane ride over. He’s been transporting packages for Wraith and his latest job required that he bring Morgan to the head guy.”

Maxim gives me a look. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No.”

His mouth becomes white at the edges. “The explosion?”

I shake my head. “Not part of the plan.”

“And Grandfather wonders why I chose my line of work,” he mutters.

“There’s always one in every family.”

“Bugger off, Benji,” Maxim all but growls.

I lightly pat his arm, checking for damage. “Call for medical help. I think your arm is broken.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“Things are about to get a whole lot worse.” The app comes to life on my phone. “I need to borrow a car.”

“I’m not stopping you.”

“By borrow I mean—”

“I’m literally not stopping you.
Go.
”

I don’t waste any more time. Adrenaline and fear push my body into motion. My pain disappears under my fear for Morgan as I run flat out. I’m confident I’ll find a proper car to knick in the car park up ahead, even when my sides start to hurt like hell. I don’t let up, will never let up until I find her.

Rounding the next corner, I dash into the car park and pop the lock of the nearest car, then rip out the panel under the dash to connect the wires underneath.

The BMW roars to life and I shove it into gear, driving over hedges and knocking down a metal fence. While it’s late, the streets aren’t deserted. I have to dodge pedestrians and as well as other cars with impeccably poor timing.

Honestly, I don’t know how Dmitry did this without succumbing to road rage. Glancing at the map that has popped up on my screen, I brake hard and take the next left.

“I’m coming, Morgan. Hold on.”

Morgan

“W
here are you
taking me?” I ask as I try to process everything that has happened. One minute we’re in the car and the next minute, I’m being pulled out and thrown over Dmitry’s shoulder. This was not part of the plan.

“Where I’m ordered to.”

My body aches all over, but otherwise I’m fine. “Which is?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

He’s so vague that warning bells blare in my head. I struggle against the ties that bind my hands together, but they don’t loosen. “I didn’t survive a car wreck just for you to kill me.”

He sighs heavily. “I’m not going to kill you.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

“Take you to my boss.”

Narrowing my eyes at him, I ask, “I thought your grandfather is your boss?”

“He is.”

“You can’t work for two different people with opposite goals,” I chastise.

Dmitry hauls me up another flight of stairs. “Stop talking so much.”

He opens a door. The wind practically sucks me out into the center of the roof. My hair whips around my face. From up here, I can see everything—the Thames, Big Ben, Parliament…
everything
.

It’s terrifying.

The door bursts open again and Ben comes out, fists up as he barrels into Dmitry.

“Ben!” I scream but he doesn’t pay me any attention. He’s too busy trying to beat the ever-loving crap out of his cousin.

He misses another punch.

And doing a really poor job of it.

“I can’t believe you betrayed him,” I say, trying to distract Dmitry to Ben can good a solid hit.

“Stop talking.” He takes a swing at Ben and misses. Finally, Ben rams him in the stomach with his knee and Dmitry falls to the ground.

“
Fuck.
You hit hard.” He spits out some blood and smiles. “Next time, make it count.”

“Next time, I’m going to rip your tongue from your throat and shove it up your arse,” Ben taunts, only I believe he will do just that.

I feel a mosquito sting me and I smack my neck. Wait. There aren’t any mosquitos this time of year.

A man comes to stand in front of me. He has white blonde hair and a scar at the temple. His eyes are as blue as Ben’s and his smile… his smile is like his, too.

“Who are you?” I ask stupidly. Of course, he’s the head guy of Wraith. Too bad he’s not wearing a nametag.

His chin tips up proudly. “The man who will change the course of history.”

“Now you sound like a real bad guy,” I say an instant before a wave of dizziness washes over me.

I stumble sideways, trying to remain on my feet. The movement must have caught Ben’s attention because I distantly hear him screaming my name.

My skin breaks out into a cold sweat and my tongue feels numb. “What did you do to me?” I try to ask, but my words are jumbled together.

“There always has to be a patient zero.” I feel another sting. “Tag, darling. You’re it.”

I grab his shirt, clenching the material tight in one of my hands. The other feels as useless as a screen door on a submarine.

“Let go,” he commands. “I have more to do tonight.”

The feeling comes back in my arm and I shove my hand into his shirt pocket, ripping it slightly. He shoves me away, but I smile with the knowledge that I managed to get my wedding band inside of the pocket before he did.

Blackness invades my vision and the roof rushes up to meet me.

I’m being lifted. Ben’s voice is in my ear.

“Stay with me. Stay with me, baby.”

It’s a struggle to make my voice work. “My ring.”

“Don’t worry about your ring,
mllaya moyna.
I’ll buy another.”

“No. He’s got it.”

“He does… how?”

My eyes flutter closed.

Someone jostles me awake. “I put it in his shirt,” I say, not sure if I actually formed the words or if they were only floating through my mind.

Tansy fills my vision, her pretty face a comfort. “Don’t worry, Morgan. You’re in the window for the vaccine.”

“You look like an angel,” I whisper, unable to process her words.

A shot rings out. Tansy slumps over me, her body heavy.

“Fuck,” I hear Ben roar as he pulls Tansy off me. “Stay with us. Please… God, I need the vaccine.”

Tansy whispers something to Ben.

“Farooq? Where is he?” He shakes Tansy. Her head flopping like a doll’s. “Where is he?”

Letting go of her, he returns to me, cradling my head in his lap. His hands are slick. “My stupid plan. I’m sorry, Morgan. So damned sorry.”

Clarity returns. “Go get him.”