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“Knew you’d understand.” Simone snuggled closer. “You understand a lot about me, don’t you?”

He did. Just as she understood him. “You’re not nearly as bad as you’d have the world think.”

“Don’t give me too much credit. I get a finder’s fee for most of my work. Not like I always do things out of the goodness of my heart.”

“But you are on this case.” Careful words. “You retrieved the broach and earrings for free.”

“Yes. This case is personal.”

Very personal. Because he’d just realized this case was about family to her. Before he’d gone to Simone’s room, he’d gotten the security footage from Jezebel. He’d been damn surprised to see a face that he recognized.

Not from this mission.

From another time.

A case in the US.

A case that had nearly ended with Nash being killed.

A case that had occurred beneath the bright lights of Vegas and had brought Ryan and his team into contact with a very dangerous individual who happened to be named Logan Sterling. A shifty sonofabitch with extremely suspect criminal ties.

Logan Sterling should have been an ocean away. He wasn’t. He was in London. More specifically, Logan was in their hotel. Because he’d come for Simone. A dangerous addition to a powder keg situation that could blow at any moment.

“My first retrieval was for Logan. And this case—my most recent retrieval—it’s for him, too.”

I know, baby. But what he didn’t know was why the broach and earrings were so important. Why she was risking her life for them. “Logan shouldn’t send you off on such a dangerous retrieval.”

“The broach and the earrings actually belong to his grandmother. The woman who pulled us in. Who brought me into her home when I needed her the most.” Emotion strained through her voice. “She…forgets things these days. Logan and I first started noticing the spells about five years ago. We took her to so many doctors, but the progression couldn’t be stopped.” Her sadness pulsed in the air. “Frederick found out about Nana. He learned where she’d been living, and he thought it would be so easy to strike at her. She’s vulnerable. Easy pickings. He took the broach and the earrings that her husband had given to her so long ago. Maybe he thought no one would notice. But when I went to see her, I noticed. Many of her memories were stolen from her, but she loved to look at her broach. She’d look at the broach and the earrings, and she’d smile.” A pause. “Frederick took her smile away. I couldn’t let that happen. She deserves to smile as much as she can. We all deserve to smile, don’t we?”

Frederick was a sonofabitch. “He targeted your friend’s grandmother because?—”

“Because Logan told Frederick to fuck off. He didn’t want to get into business with Frederick. My friend has hotels and casinos all over the world. His ties might sometimes be a little shady, but he’s not one of the monsters out there.” Absolute certainty. “He’s not. No matter what stories your CIA buddies may dig up on him in the future.”

Oh, Logan Sterling was definitely on the CIA’s radar. And they already had plenty of stories about the man. “He sent you to retrieve the stolen jewelry.” The bastard should have come and gotten it his own damn self.

“No. He had no idea what I was doing. He would have been pissed as hell if he’d figured it out. He doesn’t exactly approve of my jobs.”

Something we have in common.

“He’s here,” Ryan said. No point in dancing around this particular truth.

She didn’t speak.

“He needs to stand the hell back,” Ryan added. “Things are going to be extremely volatile in the morning.” Actually, it was already far too close to morning.

“Oh, just in the morning? Considering the two hits so far, I’m pretty sure things are already volatile.” A yawn. “Unfortunately, Logan is not good at standing back.”

Neither am I. “I’ll protect you.”

“I’ll protect you, too,” she vowed.

He realized that she had been doing that, all along. Protecting him. Again and again, and, honestly, he needed that shit to stop. He needed her removed from the equation. Jezebel thought that Simone’s presence was necessary at the upcoming meeting with Frederick.

As for Ryan…

He wanted her safely out of harm’s way.

And he thought he knew just how to accomplish that goal. With the hand that was not currently stroking her back, he reached for his phone and fired out a quick text. Then he shifted a bit in the bed, he stared up at the ceiling, and he waited for the attack that he knew was coming.