Wearing a little black cocktail dress was not what she anticipated when she thought about going on a mission with a SEAL team.

Talk about bizarre.

“Be careful with that,” Wyatt said to the two bellhops who were lugging the two large cases that contained her portable biocontainment lab. Another bellhop had a cart that was filled to the top with suitcases.

“Riya, you need to cut back on the shoes,” Wyatt teased. “The luggage fees are out of control, Darling.”

Riya had no idea how to respond to that, so she kept her mouth shut. Wyatt was wearing Navy dress whites, as he escorted her to the hotel elevator. They were supposedly a couple checking into the awards ceremony that was supposed to start in two hours.

Wyatt was with her because he was still not battle ready, so he would be manning logistics and communications. She was pretty sure that he’d really been brought to Abu Dhabi to babysit her.

As soon as Wyatt had tipped the bellhops and they were alone in their room, he threw all the suitcases on the beds and quickly started opening everything up.

“Just how many guns did you bring?” Riya asked.

“You can never have enough fire power,” Wyatt said, not bothering to look up. He continued to open suitcase after suitcase. Finally he opened the one that contained her positive pressure protective suit, and everything she would need inside the biocontainment lab.

“What is all of that?” Wyatt asked as he booted up his computer.

“This is a centrifuge and that is a thermal cycler.” Riya continued to unwrap items from the bubble wrap. “Hold on and I’ll tell you what the rest of the equipment is.”

“No, Riya. I don’t need you to tell me what the name is of each piece of equipment. I want to know what you plan to do with them. I mean, I’m not going to tell you this is a MP7 submachine gun, you just need to know it goes bang. For example, what the hell does all this do?”

“The thermal cycler will amplify segments of the DNA, that will assist me in isolating what is relevant.” She bit her lip. “Actually, I pray to God that your team finds the canister before it opens and emits anything. If it’s closed, we still know it’s on a timer to open and emit the vapor, so we’ve got to get it into a containment system.”

“We’ve got that covered,” Wyatt pointed to the five oxygen cylinders. “They’re empty, and they’ve been modified. Using the canister that was found at the nightclub in Vegas as a template, two mechanics in San Diego made these up from our oxygen tanks. We can drop in the ‘live’ poison canisters and dispose of them at our leisure.”

“They’re not live until the two gel packs inside the canisters dissolve and the liquids inside the packs mix and form the gas.”

“Yeah, Riya, you explained that the gel packs will dissolve within an hour, so they have to time this just right. But what I don’t get is why it matters, once the canister is filled with the gas, can’t they just let it sit there forever, before opening it up?”

“They recovered the canister in Las Vegas where the toxic gas was held.”

“I know,” Wyatt said. “That’s what we based our safety containers on.”

“Well, that canister is too small to house the gas for long, maybe a half-hour at the most, before the gas will revert to liquid.”

Wyatt frowned, “but it’s still poisonous, right?”

“Oh, it’s deadly in that concentrated liquid form,” she confirmed. “It’s just not an aerosol, which is a good thing.”

“When it hits the air, will it go back to its aerosol form?” Wyatt asked.

“No, the original interaction that occurred between the two is what created the gas. We’re good once it goes liquid. It’s that first fifteen minutes that we’re screwed.”

“Not a problem,” Wyatt said with a grin. “We’ll get the guys, and contain the shit, before it farts.”

It took her a moment to figure out what farting had to do with what they were talking about. When she did, she giggled. Riya felt one of the boulders fall off her shoulders.

Wyatt reminded her of the UCSD soccer player she tutored for a semester. He’d been hard for her to understand to begin with, because he’d always been goofing around, but in the end she’d realized it was important to him to earn her respect and be her friend. They still talked at least once a quarter. Yep, if she really spent time and studied Wyatt she bet he would turn out to be the same way.

“Riya? Are you okay? You’re kind of spacing out on me.”

“I’m sorry, I do that sometimes.”

Time to stop reminiscing.

“Here’s what needs to happen. We need to measure the bathroom, and see if the lab will fit in there after we get it open,” she said decisively.

“Already ahead of you. I checked out the room specs before reserving the room. That’s one of the reasons I ponied up for the Palace Suite. The containment lab will fit when it’s unfolded.”

“Good, that’s good. The suitcases the lab comes in actually turn into tables, so that’s easy enough to set up. Then I put this equipment in there.”

“Do you take that with you everywhere?”

“What?” she asked.

Wyatt pointed to her black and white college notebook.

“Oh, I go through these like water. This is the one I started using when I came home from D.C. last month.” She went over to him and he moved two of the guns so she could sit beside him on the bed. “Here’s the sequencing that they did on the toxin last time.” She pointed to a page excitedly, then turned many pages forward. “But here’s a sample of what they took off the triplets. Can you see the difference?”

She looked up expectantly, and Wyatt gave her a crooked grin. “Doc, I’m not anywhere close to understanding that. I’m really honored you think I might have had a snowball’s chance in hell of comprehending it though.”

Riya felt the blush starting from her toes and ending at her forehead. Of course he didn’t know anything about this. Nobody but the other CDC scientists would have known. She was just so excited to share this with someone. At least Gray would have realized the importance of her differentiating between the two different samples. That was huge!

“Hey, don’t go feeling all bad. You should see the stupid shit I pull. It’s mostly with women.”

She laughed. How can I not, when he is so dang cute?

He got up from the bed and within five minutes had the biocontainment lab set up in the hotel’s luxurious bathroom. The CDC’s soft-walled lab came with a portable generator that powered the HEPA filtration system. Wyatt even had it worked out so she would step into the bathroom’s tub to scrub down between the two doorways of the biocontainment lab, so that she wouldn’t track any of the particles to the outside. Again, it shouldn’t be a problem, since it would be DNA specific, but it was still a good protocol to have.

“Riya, you’re kind of weird, do you know that?” Wyatt asked.

“Yeah, I do. But why are you saying it?”

“This bathroom has a whirlpool tub, a sauna, a steam room, and a huge vanity for you to sit down at, but you could care less. I cover it all up with aluminum and plastic and you’re a kid in a candy store. You’re just weird.”

Riya clapped her hands and grinned. “I know.”

Wyatt handed her a small earpiece. She looked at it, and twirled it around in her hand until she determined how to put it into her ear. Then he handed her something to go around her neck.

“It’s a throat microphone. It works better than the ones you see the kids using to play video games. You can whisper, and we’ll hear you.”

She shrugged. “Okay.”

“You’re going to want to change, right? There’s another bathroom, and don’t forget the butler’s pantry behind the bar.”

Riya shook her head in amazement at the extravagance and went to go grab her regular clothes out of the suitcase that stored the microscope. As she was getting into her jeans, she heard male voices out in the room. The rest of the men must have arrived. They were coming in through different entrances, since some of them were dressed more casually.

She felt her palms sweating. Even though Gray had explained things outside the Al Dhafra Air Base, they hadn’t had a chance to interact as she was getting ready to act the part of Wyatt’s girlfriend.

“Ow.” She hit her elbow against the sink counter when there was a knock on the door.

“Riya, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she told Gray.

“Can I come in?”

She opened the door. She was just putting on her shoes and socks.

How could it surprise her how tall he was? She should be used to it by now. Instead she found herself looking at an expanse of black in a tight t-shirt. She took her time wandering upwards to look at his face. Even his throat was sexy, then there was that scar on his lip and finally those blue eyes.

He pulled off the microphone around his throat and took hers off as well. He opened the bathroom door back up and threw them out. Riya heard shouts of laughter. She didn’t care. Gray pulled her into his arms. He cupped the back of her head, so she was tucked safely under his chin. She could hear his heart beating.

“My Buttercup,” he breathed.

“Don’t you mean your Indian Buttercup?”

She’d worn her hair down, like a silken black waterfall. He tucked back a strand behind her ear.

“You’re being too literal. I fell in love with Buttercup when I was seven years old and my aunts took me to see the movie. I fell in love with her because she was the one who waited for Westley, because she was his destiny. She was his one true love. Even then, I knew that was what I wanted. It had nothing to do with the color of her hair.”

Her lips pursed and her eyes sparkled. “But I’m thinking you might like that she and I both have long hair.”

“Careful, your genius is showing.” He gripped her long hair in his fist and slammed his mouth down on hers. This was no slow seduction, it was a storm of liquid fire, and Riya grabbed for his shoulders or she would have fallen. His lips didn’t soothe and tease, they forced hers open, demanding supplication, demanding a surrender she was only too happy to give.

The room whirled, and she felt her butt hit something hard. Riya realized she was sitting on the marble countertop, her legs splayed with Gray pressed hard against her core. He tasted different, like his kiss was flavored by a compulsion. She pushed at his chest.

“Gray,” she panted.

He pressed his lips against her temple.

“Listen to me,” she continued. “It’s going to be fine. You’re going to take down those bogeys or targets or tangos or assholes or whatever you want to call them. You’re going to take them out, and we will go home and everything will be fine.”

He lifted his head, their eyes mere inches apart.

“You believe that, don’t you?” Their breath mingled.

“Absolutely. Because I believe in you. I might not know all of your team really well, but I know you’re leading them, so you’re going to make this work. You’re going to save everybody.”

“Is that what you want?” he asked with a rakish grin.

“Yes.” She thumped her fist on his chest.

“As you wish.”

Wyatt had done good reserving the most expensive suite in the hotel. The HVAC room that controlled all of the heating and air conditioning for the entire hotel was also located on this floor.

Gray looked at his watch, then over his shoulder at Wyatt, who was staying in the room to monitor everything. “We good to go?”

“Three, two, one. Now.” Wyatt gave Gray and Dex the go signal. The two of them left the hotel suite and turned left down the hallway that was no longer under surveillance. At the end of hallway was an innocuous door, and Dex took out his Smartphone. He flashed it in front of the key card pad for the door. It flashed red for three minutes, until it finally went green.

Dex grinned like a proud parent.

“What the fuck?” Gray stared at Dex in amazement.

“I calibrated it on the Palace Suite door lock. Once I had that dialed in, it was easy enough to tweak it.”

“Easy my ass.” Gray whispered as he opened the door. He was surrounded by bloody geniuses.

Both of them were dressed in cargo pants, black t-shirts and lightweight nylon jackets. They each carried canvass bags containing heavy weapons. Under their coats they had their Sig Sauers and knives. Their mic and receiver were the only outward indication that they might be more than they seemed, but those were fairly unobtrusive.

There had been no schematics for the interior of the HVAC room, so they were playing it by ear. As soon as they entered, Dex called out a greeting in Arabic, then again in English. They were greeted by silence. Still, they carefully swept through the room. The awards ceremony was due to start in forty-five minutes.

“Clear,” Gray said.

“My side, too,” Dex said as he met Gray in front of the cooling tower.

They both looked at their watches at the same time. “Get your ass moving,” Dex said to Gray. “I’ve got it covered in here.”

Gray did another quick sweep of the room and saw that there were emergency lights. He went over to the wall and turned off the lights so they were bathed in just the low red light.

“Good thinking,” Dex grinned.

“That’s why they pay me five dollars more a month,” Gray clapped Dex on his shoulder. “Stay sharp.”

He picked up his bag and left. Now it was time for a trip with Dalton.

It was just Dalton, Aiden, Riya and Wyatt left in the room. Riya was in her blue protective suit. It made his gut clench.

“Is that really necessary?”

She still wasn’t wearing the helmet, so he could see her clearly when she cocked an eyebrow.

“Gray, you suit up when you go on a mission, don’t you?” she asked reasonably.

Behind her he saw Wyatt making a cutting motion along his throat. How sad is it that Wyatt of all people is giving me advice on how to handle Riya?

“You’re right Honey, it’s best that you be ready,” he touched the end of her nose and gave her the best smile he could.

He looked over at Wyatt and Dalton. “Did Griff and Hunter get off okay? They’re quiet.”

“That’s because they’re not where you think they are,” Wyatt said abruptly.

Gray looked at him sharply. “What are you talking about? They’re supposed to be down a floor at the air handler.”

“Dalton can go there,” Wyatt said. “Just in case the Saudis have the wrong data too. But here’s the deal. The annex building with the ballroom was built before the hotel, it’s one big atrium with a two HVAC units on the roof. That’s where the toxin needs to be delivered, not from where Dex is or where Dalton’s going to go.”

“How did we—” Gray stopped himself. This was not the time to shoulda woulda. Now was the time to come up with a new plan.

“So you’ve got Griff and Hunter deployed to the roof?”

“Yep.”

“Gray, I have Dex’s magic app on my phone. He says it’ll work on the stairs, and the room with the air handler. I’m going there now,” Dalton said. He stood at the door waiting for Gray’s agreement.

“Go.” Gray nodded.

This is not what he wanted. Griff and Hunter had dark hair and had been in suits, they were supposed to go with Aiden and mingle at the awards ceremony. Then, as if Wyatt read his mind he pointed to a neatly-folded suit on the couch. Hell, they’d even brought large leather computer bags to put the modified oxygen tanks in, so they wouldn’t look too out of place.

“Hunter left that for you,” Wyatt said.

“I’m betting it was Riya who folded it,” Gray sighed. He pulled off his t-shirt and threw it on the floor as he picked up the clothes. He picked up the dress shoes and realized there wasn’t a chance in hell they would fit. Hunter could be a basketball player with feet this big. He tossed them aside and figured his boots were going to have to work.

He quickly got dressed.

“Report,” Gray said into his microphone.

“We’re on the roof,” Griff said. “Nobody’s here.”

“I still don’t have any visitors,” Dex said.

“Nobody here,” Dalton said.

“Wyatt, what’s the word from Midnight Delta and Night Storm?”

“Kane said that everything has been quiet at the fashion show, but that Leo has fallen in love twice since they got there.”

Gray gave Wyatt a dark look.

“Okay, no more side commentary.”

“Clint last reported in fifteen minutes ago. He said that Drake had seen something odd near the welcome tent at the conference. He hasn’t reported in since then,” Wyatt informed everyone on the communication line.

“Get ahold of Liam, I want info,” Gray bit out as he tied his tie.

Maybe, just maybe, this would be a big ole nothing burger. Gray looked over at Riya who was fiddling with a microscope, and prayed with every part of his being that Dubai was the target.

“Come on Aiden, let’s go.”