Elle snorted a strained laugh. She was sitting Buddha style in the corner beside the door. “The answer is that it will never end. There’s no way they’ll trust you enough to let you out of the trainee programme.”
“I’m beginning to think that there is no trainee programme,” Megan said with a frown. “I suspect they just labelled me a trainee because I wouldn’t go away.”
“And because you were a loose cannon who needed to learn how to play with others.”
Megan shrugged. “That too. I still wish I was out there, though. I really want to shoot these bastards.” She looked at Sophie and winced. “She’s asleep, right? My sister Claire has twin babies, and she’s always telling me to watch my language around them.”
“She’s asleep,” Isobel confirmed, and her eyes strayed to Jack again.
“This isn’t your fault,” Elle said.
Isobel turned to look at her. “I know. I did feel responsible, because I was the one who found the bag and sold its contents, and the one who moved the body. But then I realised I wasn’t the one using the cove for illegal activity. And I didn’t slit that man’s throat. And I didn’t blow up my house. And I didn’t come here and stab my son. This isn’t on me. It’s on them.”
“Well said,” Megan said. “Let’s hope the boys shoot them all.”
They sat in silence again, straining to hear the slightest sound that would let them know what was happening. There was nothing. Isobel was so tense that she thought she might have a heart attack from the stress of it all.
“Twenty minutes to go,” Elle said. “Someone should come to help us soon.”
“The thumping stopped,” Megan said. “I think the morons eventually figured out that they couldn’t get through the door.”
“I wish Callum wasn’t out there,” Isobel said before she could stop herself. She knew he was more than capable and used to dealing with combat, but he was out there. Cornered. Waiting for an attack.
“This is what they do,” Elle said. “I’m the computer person. I’m normally in an office, behind a desk. But these guys thrive on this stuff. They don’t react like normal people. When you and I have gunmen bearing down on us, we freak out, we scream, we cry. These guys get calm, efficient. All their training kicks in and they block out everything except the fight in front of them. They were made to function like this. We don’t understand it, but they are the best at what they do.”
“Plus,” Megan said, “if Dimitri gets shot, I’ve told him no nooky for at least six months. It’s important to reinforce their motivation. Like puppies. They need training.”
The blonde seemed completely serious, and Isobel caught Elle’s eyes and saw that she too was caught between amusement and bewilderment. Isobel thought Megan would fit right in with the men on the other side of the door. There was a certain bloody-thirsty attitude about her.
“I hope you get to graduate to full-fledged badass soon,” Isobel said. “You look like you’d really enjoy shooting people.” Elle smothered a laugh, and Isobel flushed. “That didn’t come out how I intended.”
Megan grinned. “It sounded totally fine to me.”
“Eighteen minutes,” Elle said.
“I wish Callum was in here,” Isobel said again. “Sorry.”
“You’re crazy about him, aren’t you?” Elle said.
Isobel looked at her son and then at her sleeping daughter. “He’s the best man I’ve ever met.”
“But grumpy, right?” Megan said. “I mean, terrifyingly grumpy. Don’t you think?”
Elle leaned forward and smacked Megan’s leg. “He isn’t grumpy with her.”
“Oh, you’re right.” Megan looked at Isobel. “So when this is over, you totally have to come to London and hang out with Callum all the time. Sex obviously improves his disposition, and we could use a lighter atmosphere around the office.”
Elle groaned. “You look
at the two of us and you’d think the one with the blue hair must be the strange one. But you’d be wrong.”
“What?” Megan said. “What did I say? She doesn’t have a house. It blew up. She obviously loves Callum, and Callum loves her. Callum has a house. A big house. Where else is she going to go? And if Callum gets sex out of the deal, and we get a mellow boss, who loses here?”
Isobel found herself smiling and shaking her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have a tendency to rush into relationships, and it never goes well. I’ve only known Callum a few days.”
“Yeah,” Megan said. “But they were intense days. And intense days should be measured like dog years. Emotionally, you’ve known him about a decade.”
“Please come to London,” Elle said. “I could use someone normal to talk to.”