Sunday. London, United Kingdom.

“Drive, Adam,” Isaac snapped. He turned and stared at Tanya. “Don’t ever say shit like that again. We bring our assets home. End of story.”

Adam cranked the wheel and turned the SUV around a tight corner. Isaac pitched into Felix trapped in the middle of the center bench seat. The truck accelerated, putting distance between them and the pursuit vehicle.

Isaac could feel Tanya’s stare on the back of his head. She didn’t like the way things were? Too bad. She had a job to do, and so did they. All of them were on the same side with the exact same goal. They protected people, and in the scheme of things, this time it was a lot bigger than just bringing one kidnapped girlfriend back to the states.

“Not to rush us or anything, but we have half an hour to make it to the plane,” Abigail said.

“What?” Kyle whirled around.

Yeah, that was Isaac’s thought’s, too. It seemed like getting anywhere in the UK took a minimum of two hours.

Adam navigated the narrow, winding streets of the city pushing the speed limit constantly. The car behind them never got too close, but it stayed within eyesight. Something that didn’t give Isaac a whole lot of warm fuzzy feelings. If the car was just keeping track of them, what was happening behind the scenes? What were they headed into?

“These guys have to know we’re trying to get out of the country,” Isaac said. He turned again to look at the headlights. “Where are the cops? Why haven’t they found us?”

“What if there was another car, but the cops stopped their guy instead of us?” Luke suggested.

“Isaac’s right.” Abigail didn’t seem too thrilled about that statement. “We might be headed into a trap.”

“I need a map. Let me have a phone.” Tanya held out her hand.

Isaac passed his phone over to her, reciting the address for the cargo entrance to the commercial hangar attached to Heathrow.

“If we park along one of these side streets, we could possibly get across the fence onto the area near the hanger, or go in through the employee entrances on foot.” Tanya showed the map to him, pointing at the locations.

“We’ll never make it through that fence without setting off alarms. It’d be better to make it to the facility on foot if we need to. We could lose the tail in the metro traffic if we go underground here, and pop up here.” He stared at Tanya’s face lit by the LED light.

“That would work, and it’ll be morning commute so a lot of people.”

“What’s the plan?” Adam called from the front seat.

Isaac leaned forward and ran Tanya’s idea past Kyle.

“It’s the best we’ve got. How close is our tail?” Kyle asked.

Isaac glanced back. At four in the morning it wasn’t hard to make out a vehicle that they couldn’t shake.

“Still a good thirty yards back. We aren’t losing this guy in a car.” Isaac thumbed over his shoulder.

“If we get off the A4 we could lose him, but it’ll add time,” Adam said.

“Stay on this road. We can’t risk adding time. The plane will not wait for us.” Kyle jabbed his finger on the dash. “How does it take a fucking hour to go fourteen miles?”

“Welcome to Europe,” Adam muttered.

“Turn on the A40 and stop at the Hatton Cross station,” Tanya yelled from the back.

“Try telling me with a little more time.” Adam cranked the wheel.

They passed the metro station and a small car lot. Adam whipped the SUV into a larger lot.

“Get ready to run,” Kyle said.

“He’s right behind us,” Tanya called out.

“Stay tight around Tanya. Do not let her out of your sight,” Kyle said.

Adam pulled across three parking spots and jammed the breaks. Isaac jumped out of the SUV first, his gun in his pocket. He yanked the seat forward, allowing the three in the back to get out, and turned his focus on the aisle leading to where they’d parked.

“Where is it?” he asked.

Felix was on the other side of the SUV, watching the other direction.

“I don’t see him,” Felix said.

“We’re out, come on.” Tanya grabbed his elbow.

He turned and jogged after her. Despite the early hour and complete darkness, there were a number of vehicles in the lot and plenty of activity within the fence.

Tires squealed at the end of the row and headlights bore down on them.

Isaac shoved Tanya forward and nearly ran into a car to avoid the vehicle that’d tailed them.

“Go, go, go!” Isaac kept his hand planted on Tanya’s back.

The car doors opened, and three men got out, but their group had a head start.

They sprinted across the street and small lot attached to the metro station. Kyle burst through the doors of Hatton Cross. Isaac heard the first, sweet notes of sirens wailing. He put on a burst of speed and wrapped his arm around Tanya, carrying her through the doors with him.

“Lock them. Lock’em!” He planted his foot and put his shoulder into the door, twisting the emergency lock.

Tanya secured the other door and Felix the last one.

Bright lights bathed the damp streets, skidding to a stop right in front of the three men who were intent on following them.

“Go, now. Quick.” Isaac snatched Tanya’s hand and they jogged through the station and out the other side.

“That’s the cargo company. Come on, we’ve only got ten minutes.” Abigail took off in the lead.

Tanya kept a tight hold on his hand as they sprinted across five lanes of traffic, another car lot and into the commercial offices for a cargo company he’d never heard of before.

“I’ve got the doors, get Tanya out of sight,” Felix said as soon as they were through.

Abigail had a hold of a man’s coat, their faces close together.

Through the windows they could barely see the police cars surrounding the suspects.

“Keys are in the rental,” Adam said.

“Good thing we reported it stolen last night,” Kyle said.

“You did?” Isaac frowned at them.

“Hey, we were hoping we’d have another way out of there besides the SUV. Seemed like a good idea at the time.” Kyle shrugged.

“Guys—come on. We have to go now.” Abigail skipped sideways, waving them after her.

Two uniformed men who were far too interested in their surroundings to be the average cargo hand escorted them to a small bus. In a matter of moments, they’d been waved through and onto the grounds of Heathrow airport without so much as a wand down or passport check. No one spoke, which was for the best.

The bus bulled up to the very entrance of a cargo plane, engines idling, and the doors opened.

Again, no one spoke to them, looked in their direction.

Abigail waved them out and led the way up into the plane, through the pallets of cargo to a small section of seating. Blankets laid over the chairs, no doubt in preparation for the takeoff condensation that could very well soak them.

It wasn’t going to be a comfortable seven-hour flight to Canada.

Tanya sank into a seat and was joined a moment later by Abigail and Luke, banishing him to another section of seating. Which was probably for the best. He had a job to do, and that was keeping people safe. Tanya included. He couldn’t allow himself to become emotionally compromised, and he already cared for her too much.

Saturday. Washington, D.C.

“Sir? Sir, they keep calling.” Edwin’s face was leeched of blood. He looked like a ghost. “They are saying the cases were empty. Where’s the gas? Where’d it go?”

Orlando leaned back in his seat and laughed.

“Excuse me, sir, but what’s so God damn funny?”

Orlando pushed to his feet and grabbed the bottle of gin. The orange juice had run out three glasses ago.

“It’s part of the game.” He grinned at his assistant’s reflection in the window, the glittering lights of the city winking back at them.

“Where’s the gas?” Edwin asked again.

“Where it’s supposed to be.”

“You...you planned this?”

“Tanya’s betrayal means I can’t leave this to anyone else.”

“But...you sold merchandise that you didn’t give them. This, it’s going to get out. No one will do business with you after this.”

Orlando shrugged. He’d built this empire to support his sister. Without her, there was no point to it all.

Saturday. Bethesda, MD.

It was dark when they got on the plane, and it was dark when they finally left the terminal at Dulles International.

Tanya had never hurt from sitting, but seven hours in a cargo plane on those metal chairs had parts of her body aching that hadn’t since training. By the time they reached the staging location in Bethesda, Tanya was emotionally and physically exhausted.

She’d killed a man and Isaac was no longer looking—or speaking—to her. Abigail seemed to have picked up on Tanya’s inner turmoil and kept close to her, but there was no changing that the one person Tanya wanted to lean on was ignoring her.

Abigail led the way into the facility that was little more than a dressed-up warehouse. Inside the vaulted interior were several trailers, a few vehicles, and at least a dozen people going to and fro.

“This way.” Abigail led them across to the first trailer. She hadn’t said anything more about their directions or what was happening to a soul. From here on out, it was a mystery to them all.

Tanya glanced over her shoulder at Isaac and Felix bringing up the rear of the group. They were chatting about something. Isaac never once looked her way. She sighed and fell into line, climbing the short stair into the trailer that served as a conference room.

“Come in, glad you made it.” A vaguely familiar man in a suit greeted them at the door and gestured to the seats arranged around several folding tables put end to end. “Nice to see you again, Tanya. Wish it was under better circumstances.”

She smiled at him and said nothing. It was hard to recall what his part had been in things. There’d been days that all ran together, the people she worked with as interchangeable as the next. Instead of taking a seat as the others were doing, Tanya retreated to the coffee pot sitting in the corner and poured herself some. When she turned back, Isaac was sandwiched between Felix and Shane, his back to her.

Was caring about him such a crime? Was that it? Or had their temporary relationship run its course?

This rejection shouldn’t sting, but it did.

Instead of remaining focused on their goal, she had to put him out of her mind. Her focus had to be the weapon and Orlando. She’d gone into this fling with Isaac knowing full well it was just for the now, and now was in the past.

She took a deep breath and strode to the head of the table where she could see the board best. Isaac was done with her. She wouldn’t concern herself with tender feelings, not when so much was at stake.

“Welcome, team. We’ll go over what we know fast so we can do a run through, then get you to the bunk room. Once things begin to happen, we don’t know how wide spread this could go.” The Mossad agent crossed to a laptop and pressed some buttons, projecting a few images on the screen. “Now, I have briefed Admiral Crawford, what I can share with him, I will ask that you do not share what I am showing you with anyone. Orlando has infiltrated many agencies, maybe even our own.”

A few images were projected on the screen, including a map and several of equipment.

“We lost the signal on the case in this area.” He gestured to a part of the map circled in red. “Our team believes that the signal is still transmitting, but because it is under ground, we aren’t receiving the beacon. Now, this point here is where the summit will begin tomorrow.”

“That’s—what? A couple of blocks?” Tanya asked.

“Precisely why we believe they are hiding the containers. With the badges they stole off the attendees, they could feasibly have a five-man team. The officials on site plan to wait for someone to use those credentials and arrest them, but my guess is it will be harder than that. We don’t yet know how they will deliver the gas, but it is our hope that we could intercept them somewhere between this building here, and where we get the signal. Tonight the building will suffer a short in the HVAC, causing one of the air returns to malfunction. Management will call out someone to fix it—that someone will be your team. That’s how we’re going to get you on the premises.”

“Then we—what? How do we neutralize this thing?” Isaac leaned forward.

“Without knowing the dispersal method, we can only guess. I’d like to run through a few scenarios our team has come up with, then show you the truck and gear you will have at your disposal.”

The information on the possible delivery systems for the gas was extensive and a bit over her head. Tanya almost wanted to ask for toothpicks to prop her eyes open.

These customers weren’t nearly so complicated. They believed in keeping things as simple as possible, so while the information was good, she feared it would be a much more common scenario.

An hour later they’d finished with the truck rundown and a once over with suit prep. To say her head hurt from the overload of minute details was an understatement. Her needs now were simple: shower, food, and sleep. With her nerves, the food was optional.

“I think that covers it. Any questions?” The still unnamed agent had corralled them back into the trailer.

“What do we do until then?” Kyle asked.

“Rest. Eat. Say your prayers.” The Mossad agent shrugged. “One last thing, local law enforcement is not aware of the planned attack, and no word has yet been passed along about Tanya’s whereabouts. We believe that is being suppressed by Orlando’s contacts.”

“That’s it?” Isaac asked.

“It’s not a complicated plan, but the resources necessary have taken many man hours to assemble. I assure you, we’re doing everything we can to make this a success,” the agent said.

“Except get your own people involved?” Kyle smiled, but the words weren’t kind.

“As you are aware, the last time we assisted in an operation to help save American lives on US soil it was not...shall we say, appreciated?”

“Guys—let’s not make more problems.” Abigail pushed to her feet. “If that’s really all there is, point us to food and beds? Some of these guys might want a shower.”

“Sounds good to me.” Isaac stood and made for the door.

Tanya watched him disappear.

She sipped yet another cup of coffee and let her gaze drift to the wall. Twenty-four hours ago they’d lain in each other’s arms, laughing and talking. Now, they weren’t speaking.

“Hey.” Abigail bumped her shoulder.

“Hm? Sorry.”

“You okay?”

“Yes, just tired.”

“You need to talk about whatever is going on with you and Isaac?”

“Nothing’s going on.” Tanya smiled, the expression tight on her face.

“Okay,” Abigail said slowly. “Want to grab some food?”

“That’s probably a good idea, yeah.”

Luke led them out of one trailer and toward a corner of the warehouse where someone had set up a grill. The smells coming off the flames should have been appetizing, but Tanya couldn’t muster the least bit of interest. Besides, the whole Alpha Team had taken over a table and had their heads together.

“Is there a shower here? My stomach’s still kind of funny.” She pressed her hand to her abdomen.

“You need something for that?” Abigail asked.

“No, I think a shower and some water will help settle me. Then I can just eat and pass out.”

“There’s supposed to be a locker room through there.” Abigail pointed at a set of double doors propped open. “You’ll pass the bunk room. They should have bags with our names on them with a change or two of clothes.”

“That sounds amazing. Thanks.”

Tanya strode away from the bulk of the group. Maybe what she truly needed was some time alone, in her own head, without anyone around. She’d been undercover with no one but Quade on her side for two years, and it wasn’t like they spent much time together. At most she saw Quade in passing.

She found a black bag with her initials on it. A glance inside proved that the clothing was all her sizes. She didn’t want to give too much thought for how someone would know what bra she wore.

The women’s locker room was pitch dark. The slightest moment sent the automatic lights flickering on, bathing the room in a sickly blue hue. She peered around, taking it all in. The women’s facilities in her father’s camp were similar, which didn’t help her mood.

Tanya placed the bag on a bench up against the wall outside the shower stalls and dug around, picking out leggings and a long-sleeved shirt. Stuff that would be comfortable, sleep well and allow her to get up and go at a moment’s notice.

She tugged the elastic band from her hair and ran her fingers through the strands, massaging her scalp. That alone brought her stress level down a few notches. She stripped out of the thermal top she’d worn since the hotel and rubbed her arms. A shower really was a good idea. She could think, clear her head.

The boots came off next. She flexed her feet and stretched, popping the button to her jeans for a freer range of movement.

The locker room door banged open.

“Tanya?” Isaac rounded the wall partitioning the entry and stopped. “Sorry.”

There was nothing apologetic about the way he stared at her. If anything he looked like someone pissed in his tea.

“Need something?” She dropped the shirt, refusing to alter her behavior any further where he was concerned. She’d already given up dinner to escape his presence. She was taking a damn shower as soon as he left.

“I need you to understand that you’re the asset. Our client. And your safety is the first priority.” He stalked toward her, his voice full of venom.

“Message received, loud and clear.”

Isaac stopped a few feet away, the frown lines bracketing his mouth deep and his eyes stormy.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“We need to get our priorities straight. Both of us.”

“I know what my priorities are, Isaac, and it’s not you, if that’s what you’re worried about.” It was a bitchy thing to say, and part of her wished she hadn’t uttered those words.

“Then why did you try to convince me not to come?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“I had a misguided moment of feeling. It won’t happen again.”

“That’s not funny, Tanya.”

“I didn’t say it was. We’ve been pretty clear since day one about what was going on, and you’re right, I let sex with you influence my decisions. You want to risk your life, go ahead. You’re a great part of this team, and they can’t do what they do best without you.”

Isaac stared at her for several long moments. Would he take her words for face value, or would he read between the lines?

“Anything else?” She gestured to the stalls behind her. “I’m going to shower.”

“You okay?” He shifted his weight from foot to foot.

“Of course.”

“I mean about the guy in London.”

“Oh.” She glanced away. “I can’t decide if I’m fine or not. That probably says a lot about me.”

“It was self-defense.”

She shook her head.

Self-defense.

What a joke.

“What?” he asked.

“He wouldn’t have shot me, Isaac.” She stared up at him. “He grabbed my hand, and you know what I heard? You. I heard you running up behind me. I knew that if he got that gun out of my hand he’d shoot you, not me. They wanted me alive. I killed him to protect you. And the team.”

But mostly him.

“I didn’t ask you to,” he said.

“Because that matters.” All she was guilty of was caring about him. She pivoted toward the showers.

“Hey.” He grasped her elbow and turned her from the showers.

“I don’t have the energy to fight with you, Isaac.”

He pulled her back around to face him, one hand cupping her face.

“It was them or us. I’m glad we all came out okay,” he said.

“Me, too.” She swallowed.

He wrapped his arm around her waist.

This couldn’t keep happening, especially if Isaac was going to hold her feelings for him against her.

She opened her mouth, struggling with the words.

His lips pressed to hers, his touch warm and soft. She grasped a handful of his shirt and fought the urge to sigh.

“We can’t keep doing this, Isaac.” She turned her face and sucked down a breath.

“I know,” he muttered against the side of her head.

He kissed her temple and then her cheek. His lips coasted over her jaw. She swallowed and felt her insides quivering.

Part of her, a very big part, wanted his touch, his kiss, and everything else he offered. It was a risk. Her feelings for him had taken a complicated turn somewhere, and she didn’t trust herself to keep to their agreement no matter what she said.

He cupped her chin and turned her face, just enough until he could tease her lips, his tongue exploring the seam of her lips.

They could die tomorrow. If she did, would it matter what she felt for him? Could he get upset about it, then? Did she want to die, knowing she’d spent her last free hours alone? Or holding onto the man she chose?

No.

She’d spent so much time living according to the rules of someone else. Right now she wanted him, and that was it. He couldn’t come in here and set boundaries then smash them and expect her to fall in line. No, he kissed her.

They bumped and danced around each other until Tanya’s back ran up against the cool tile wall. She gasped at the shock to her system.

Isaac flattened his hand against her stomach and slid his fingers past the band of her panties. He paused there, his kiss gentling, as though now he were asking permission.

She grasped his wrist and pushed his hand farther down, widening her stance to make room. He cupped her mound, his fingers sliding through her folds. There was no learning her body, no inquisitive touching. By now, he had a pretty damn good idea what she liked.

He reached up and slid his fingers into the cup of her bra, teasing her nipples. She shifted her hips, pressing against his hand.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

She chuckled.

Wasn’t that what they did best?

She shoved her jeans down and he leaned back, watching her with hungry eyes. He could be pissed at her all he wanted for having feelings, but that didn’t change the fact that she turned him on. And she knew it.

Tanya kicked her feet out of her jeans and panties, leaving her in nothing but her bra.

He pressed his body against hers, thrusting into her pussy. She tipped her head back and groaned.

“Tanya...”

“What? Sex is what we do best, isn’t it?” She placed her hand against his groin, feeling the length of his erection.

“Fuck.” He kissed her briefly, his fingers pumping her. “This wasn’t what I came in here for.”

“Shut up. Fuck me or leave.”

He pulled his hand out from between her legs. He made a token effort to wipe his fingers clean before pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.

At least in this they were on the same page.

She undid his belt and jeans, shoving his clothes down just enough to free his cock. He opened his mouth and she kissed him, silencing whatever brilliant thing he was going to say.

“Don’t talk,” she whispered.

“You sure you can do that?” he asked.

“Can you?”

“Let’s find out.” He leaned back and pushed her hands aside long enough to roll the condom on.

This was stupid. Her heart was vulnerable to this man, maybe because of how they’d met or the mental state she’d been in. But it didn’t matter. Not right now.

Isaac grasped her by the waist and lifted, pinning her to the wall with his body. She wrapped her legs around his hips, because where else were they going to go? She arched her back, reached between her and the wall, and undid her bra. What use was there in denying what she wanted? Isaac had come into this locker room with a purpose, and if that wasn’t to fuck her, well, he’d taken a wrong turn somewhere.

His mouth made love to hers. The slow suckling of flesh stirred a fire low in her belly. They were good together, didn’t he see that?

He lifted her farther and she felt the blunt head of his cock pressing against her. He shifted until he found her entrance, and then he slid inside of her. she closed her eyes, luxuriating in the feel of him, how right it was. He pressed his forehead against hers, lifting her body and thrusting. There was no gentle build up, no soft words or secret laughs. He pistoned into her body, and the need to have him now was eating her up.

She drove her heels into his ass and shifted her hips, chasing the pleasure she knew he could give her, the release she needed. She pressed her nails into his shoulders and kissed his mouth, taking what she wanted.

Her orgasm swelled up inside of her all at once. He continued thrusting, her body pinned to the wall, at his mercy.

Isaac thrust and buried his head against her neck.

Tanya squeezed her eyes shut. Then she swallowed and glanced around the locker room.

Instead of better, more relaxed, she wanted a way out.

“Tanya?” Isaac lifted his head from her shoulder and stared at her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Let me down?”

He eased her feet to the floor and their bodies apart.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

“Hey.” Isaac grabbed her hand. “What’d I do?”

“I want to be left alone.” She pulled out of his grasp and retreated into the first shower stall she found.

She twisted the knob, spraying herself with a torrent of icy-cold water. She gasped and shivered, letting her tears mingle with the tap.

Isaac knocked on the door.

“Hey—”

“Go away, Isaac. We’re done.”

“Damn it, Tanya—”

“You’ve been angry with me. Maybe I deserved it, but now I’m asking you to leave.” She covered her mouth and nose to keep from sobbing.

“All right. Fine. I’ll be outside.”

His belt jangled and he stomped all the way across to the door, as though he wanted her to hear him go.

She waited until the door banged shut before sliding to the floor.

Isaac had slipped past her defenses when they were down. He was inside of her heart in a way that no other person had been before. Being without him physically hurt.

She loved him.

That was the crux of it all.

But she wasn’t going to put herself out there for someone to rebuff her like that. She might be a fucked up, shell of a person, but she deserved more.

Tanya buried her face in her hands and let herself cry.

Tomorrow she could live or die trying to save thousands.

Tonight, she’d nurse her broken heart.

Without intending to, she’d fallen in love with the one man who would never chose to love her. For the first time in her life she didn’t want to love and leave, she wanted to be able to stay. But he wouldn’t want her. She wasn’t the kind of person he could explain to his family, she didn’t do normal, and his life was too full for her. She was strong. She’d get by, but first she had to put herself back together. This time, she wouldn’t need his help.