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“Roger that. You said leaving the hotel both times, but nothing of him entering?”
“Negative.”
As soon as the call ended, I rang Reaper and gave him the rundown of what we’d just learned.
“I can engage the MI6 team,” he offered.
“Please do. We’ll convene here in my suite at zero nine hundred. Will that give you enough time?”
“Affirmative,” he responded before ending the call.
At the same time, the room’s bell rang. “That will be breakfast.”
Verity ducked into the bedroom while I wheeled in the food I’d ordered rather than letting the delivery person come inside.
“All clear,” I said after making sure the man was well on his way in the opposite direction.
When Verity came out of the room, she was wearing most of her tactical gear.
“I should suit up,” I said, using my fingers to grab one of the pancakes I’d ordered. I tensed, wondering if Verity would give me shit about it, but I smiled when she did the same thing. Rather than going into the bedroom, I stopped in front of her, put my hand on her upper arm, and kissed her.
“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”
“I need to get as many in as I can while we’re alone.” Rather than let her go, I snaked my arm around her waist and gave her a proper toe-curling kiss.
When I let her go and walked away, a feeling of dread settled in the pit of my stomach. The last time I remembered a premonition as strong was the night several of us almost got blown up on Oleander’s yacht. As much as I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t. My every nerve ending was on high alert.
Part of me wanted to tell Verity not to deploy, but two things stopped me. First, it would be showing her a terrible lack of respect. Second, she wouldn’t listen anyway.
When I came out wearing my gear, she caught me rubbing my chest.
“Everything all right?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I’ve got a bad feeling about his op.”
“I do too.” She looked down at her mobile. “Nem says they’ve tracked the bodyguard to the Dubai Marina.”
“Time to move out,” I said when I heard a knock at the door, and looked to see Reaper standing on the other side.
“We received Nem’s alert. Transport is waiting downstairs,” he said when I pulled it open.
“Hang on.” I closed the door when I felt Verity walk up behind me and pulled her into my arms. “Stay alive, Ver.”
She nodded and kissed me. “Stay alive, Zep.”
“We’ve got overhead coverage,”she reported once we were loaded into one of the three waiting SUVs. “He’s backtracking, now headed north to Burj Al Arab.”
“He’s on his way to the helipad,” I warned, watching the same progress Verity was.
“Dammit,” she said under her breath.
“We’re closer. I can beat him there,” said Macht, who was behind the wheel.
Given we were coming from the opposite direction and the world-famous landmark was partway between the marina and the hotel we’d just left, there was a chance we’d arrive first.
While Macht careened in and out of traffic, Verity, Reaper, and I laid out a plan, assuming our theory was right that he was headed to Burj Al Arab.
“The hotel itself is fifty-six stories,” said Verity. “Three of which are underground parking areas. The helipad sits at the equivalent of three stories above the top floor.”