Torch (Unbreakable Bonds 3)

“Bashful in place with his babysitter,” Ian grumbled over the earpiece. “I hate my code name. Just for the record.”

“Dopey in place with eyes on Bashful and the road,” Andrei said with a hint of a smile in his voice. Ian was the other one who demanded to be present for the hand off. Rowe wasn’t surprised. Hanna and Kyle were from his past and if Jagger was involved, Ian wanted to be there. Of course, that didn’t mean Rowe was going to let him anywhere near the danger. He’d stationed Ian and Andrei at the opposite end of the road from Snow in a dark car hidden deep in the shadows of another abandoned building. He didn’t want Andrei or Ian near the drop spot.

“Happy in place,” Noah said sharp and clear. He had settled in the tall grasses to the left of the building.

Silence stretched for several seconds before Lucas’s growl could finally be heard. “You’re an asshole. Is this you getting even?”

Fighting back a laugh, Rowe made a noise in the back of his throat, mimicking the sound of static. “I’m sorry. Who was that? You’re breaking up.” He looked down to find Hanna staring up at him like he’d lost his mind. He just grinned back at her.

“Grumpy in place, motherfucker,” Lucas replied and Rowe cackled. He thought he could also hear Snow snickering over the earpiece.

This was not their first op together. Hell, it wasn’t even their twentieth. They’d taken up the habit of whoever took the lead on the op getting to choose the code names. He and Lucas had felt a certain pleasure in screwing each other over in the past several, particularly since they’d discovered the joy in using fairy tale themes. This was what the freaking grumpy ass millionaire got for making him the Blue fucking Fairy when they’d rescued Andrei.

“Everything clear from my view,” Lucas continued, ignoring him.

Rowe frowned, trying to tamp down his own anxiety. He would have preferred to have Lucas at the sniper position instead of Snow, but ever since Kyle had given the address, Lucas had become increasingly visibly upset. He and Andrei had nearly come to blows over Andrei taking part in this operation and his focus had grown more fragmented with each passing hour. Rowe had stationed Lucas several yards behind the building to keep an eye out for anyone who might try to sneak up on them from that direction. Luckily, Lucas hadn’t argued. Rowe was just hoping that his friend realized that this place was fucking with him too badly to take point as usual.

“Eyes open everyone,” Rowe said, glancing one last time at Hanna before checking his watch. It had just turned midnight. “Should I ask if your brother is the punctual type?” Hanna didn’t look up at him or answer. Well, he did have her gagged again. She knew that Rowe had ample backup despite her brother’s demand that he appear alone with Hanna. He didn’t need her giving away his friends too early.

“Got a car,” Andrei announced, breaking the silence.

“How many?”

“Just the driver. I don’t see a kid.”

“Could be lying down in the backseat,” Ian suggested.

“Or the trunk,” Snow chimed in.

“Nice, Doc,” Jude grumbled.

“Cut the chatter,” Rowe snapped. This was the last time boyfriends were allowed on an op. “Grumpy and Doc, eyes?”

“Clear,” Lucas immediately replied.

“Clear,” Snow followed.

Rowe didn’t know if he should feel relieved or disappointed that Kyle had come alone to the meeting. But then, he was beginning to feel that while Jagger had hired these two to kill him and his friends, they weren’t acting with Jagger’s full support. He shouldn’t have been surprised. Jagger was undoubtedly being watched closely by the feds and the cops. They’d come close to nailing the fucker to the wall with their recent case. There was no way the cops were walking away from Jagger when they could practically smell the blood in the water.

The late-model sedan pulled up to the front of the open garage doors and stopped, the headlights splashing across him and Hanna. Rowe made a show of pulling his gun from its holster at his back and putting it to the back of Hanna’s head.

“Hold positions until the baby bird is spotted,” Rowe said softly.

Kyle left the car running as he threw open the driver’s side door and stepped out. His breath fogged in the bitter night air, his hair shifting slightly as the wind picked up. He immediately pointed a gun at Rowe. Even across the distance with the lights nearly blinding him, he could see the end of the gun shaking wildly.

“Give me my sister!” Kyle shouted.

“Where’s the kid?” Rowe replied calmly. “Give me the boy and I won’t put a bullet in the back of her skull.”

Kyle seemed to hesitate in indecision for a second before cursing to himself. Still trying to keep the gun pointed on Rowe, he stepped back and pulled open the rear door. He reached in and pulled out a small figure. Frog-marching the kid to the front of car so that he was standing in the headlights, Rowe finally drew in a deep breath of relief. The little boy’s face was lined with fear, but he otherwise looked fine.