Hostile Territory (Blackbridge Security 1)

“My ex-wife.”

Everyone in the room stiffens, and even though I know they were all paying attention before, they’re even more attentive now.

“Daniella Altieri and I have been divorced for over eight years, but after being contacted by her best friend last week about an altercation that happened in Dani’s condo, I got involved.”

The screen flashes again with an image of Nicolay.

“Nikolay Petrovich was shot during that altercation and left for dead. He survived and has recently checked himself out of the hospital.”

“They’re looking for your girl,” one of the Cerberus guys deduces.

“I’ve not had any interactions with my ex since we signed our divorce papers.” I don’t know why that distinction matters, but for some reason I feel the need to tell them. “If her friend, Annalise Grimaldi, hadn’t called me, scared, I probably wouldn’t even know she was missing. There has been no action on any of her accounts since the shooting.”

A grim expression washes over several of the guys’ faces before they can stop it. They’re thinking the same thing I can’t get out of my head either, but I can’t not try to find her. If she’s gone, her family is going to need closure. I’m going to need closure. Fuck, Anna will need closure.

“My guy has found info that the Russians are looking for her.”

“Because of the shooting?” one of the guys asks.

“Because she disappeared with something they want.”

A throat clears, but no one outright asks what it is.

“Chatter obtained through Russian text messages and phone calls leads us to believe they think Dani took off with some diamonds.” I swallow again. “A lot of diamonds.”

“The bag of blood diamonds they’re looking for has a street value of three-point-two-million dollars,” Shadow adds.

A whistle rings out as several of the guys shift in their seats.

“Our access to their phone calls and texts dried up two days ago, but as of the last transmission, they hadn’t found her yet,” I continue. “Petrovich frequents West Africa. His family has a compound there. Your expertise with international raids is why I’m here today.”

“We’d like to do this with non-lethal force,” Kincaid says, and this is the point the men around the table all grow agitated.

Tug shakes his head when I make eye contact with him.

“Non-lethal?” one guy scoffs. “The Russians don’t know that. We go in with guns blazing loaded with plastic bullets and bean bags and they’re going to come at us with the full force of the Bratva.”

“Sounds like fucking suicide,” another guy mutters.

Despite their outburst, everyone grows silent when Kincaid holds his hand up.

“Other than distant ties, we haven’t been able to tie Petrovich to the Bratva,” Shadow informs them. “Hence the reason they’re operating out of West Africa rather than Russia.”

“We’re not trying to start a war. That’s why we’re not going to fill the place with bullets,” Dominic, Kincaid’s older brother, says as he steps forward. “We’ve gathered some intel from a couple guys we know in that area and according to them, there aren’t many people on the property. Other than three guys and some house staff, the place is practically deserted.”

“One of my guys was able to get a travel restriction placed on Petrovich so he can’t leave the US right now, so if his guys have her, they’re working with a skeleton crew,” I add.

“This mission is voluntary due to the risk,” Kincaid tells the guys, and every eye in the room turns to me.

I can see them sizing me up, trying to determine if it’s worth the trouble.

“By a show of hands,” Kincaid says.

“Seems like a good day to die,” Tug says and raises his hand first.

“Fuck yeah,” Grinch says with an insane smile on his face.

“You can still kill ‘em with a plastic bullet if you hit them right,” another guy adds as he lifts his arm.

Before long, every man, and the new female member have a hand in the air.

Kincaid slaps me on the back after dismissing them. He’s smiling while I’m still standing there with shock all over my face.

I know my guys would do this for me, but I had my reservations about the Cerberus team being so willing to put their lives on the line for Dani.

“I’d say they’re all fucking crazy,” the president says, “but we have a very thorough vetting process including psychological testing.”

“Have a couple of beers with the guys. We’re heading out at four in the morning,” Shadow says as he walks around the computer equipment to join Kincaid and I at the front of the room.

***

“Is it like this every night?” I ask as I lift my beer to my lips.

“Not really,” Tug answers. “We work a lot.”

“Seems distracting,” I mutter, watching women walk around with happy smiles on their faces and dirty thoughts in their eyes.

“I’m not distracted,” Shadow assures me, and when I look, I see his eyes locked across the room on Misty. I was introduced to his wife an hour or so ago, and even though there’s thirty feet separating them, they are somehow right here with each other.