“Yes, now. Please.”
Dutch closed his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “Malin…”
“Tell me, Dutch,” she whispered.
He looked into her eyes and cupped her cheek with his palm. “I love you, Malin. I hope you know how much.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you, Dutch.”
He studied her, wanting to ask a thousand questions, but none more than why she’d let him tell her now. With everything she had in front of her, why now? But he didn’t. Instead, he covered her lips with his, letting his mouth and tongue tell her again how he felt.
—:—
As hard as it was to do, Malin pulled away from Dutch when she heard people entering the winery.
“They’re through the gate,” Razor said when she turned to face him.
She sat at the table in the middle of the room and grasped Dutch’s hand when he sat beside her.
“I’ll be right over there,” he said, motioning with his head to the place they’d agreed he’d be positioned. “You’ve got this, baby.”
She nodded. “I do.”
Doc moved from where he stood talking to Gunner to his assigned spot.
Malin would be the only one who spoke to Ghafor, but the man would know that she had backup close enough to act or even intervene if necessary.
She heard the heavy door open and raised her head, looking directly into the man’s eyes.
“This is not what we agreed,” he said to Striker as they walked toward her.
“Special Agent Kilbourne made the rules,” he responded.
Ghafor’s eyes never left hers, and Malin didn’t blink.
“Let’s get right to it,” she said when he was seated.
Ghafor nodded.
“What did United Russia pay you to do?”
He smiled. “If you know United Russia was behind it, you don’t need any further information from me. You already have your answers.”
“I want to hear it from you. In detail.”
Ghafor looked around the room at the men she now considered her team. He had two choices. He could answer her, or he could face whatever his imagination had conjured up they’d do to him.
“Before we begin.” She placed a recording device in front of him and turned it on. “Go ahead.”
Ghafor leaned back in his chair. “Also, before I begin…”
“No, Abdul. Let’s see what you have for us before we promise to give you anything.”
—:—
“Think it’s enough?” Dutch asked Striker while Ranger and Diesel led Ghafor out of the winery and back into the SUV that would return him to the safe house.