Hollywood and Kellen stepped out of the hotel entrance just as the limousine drew up to the kerb.
Evan lowered the tinted glass of the rear window and grinned at them.
“Feels like we’re off to prom.” He laughed as he pushed the door open. “All we need now is a bunch of teenage girls, a couple of bottles of Lambrusco and it could be a re-enactment.”
Hollywood grabbed Kellen’s pack and handed it to the driver while he loaded his own gear carefully into the back.
“If there were a bunch of teenage girls in there I’d be worried we were about to get arrested.” He slid into the back seat. “Besides, I thought prom was an American tradition, not a British one.”
“Sadly, it’s catching on over here now.” Logan scowled. “My sister just coughed up three hundred quid for a prom dress for my sixteen-year-old niece.”
“Ouch!” Evan winced. “I ain’t having me no daughters. No way.”
“Sons are no better.” Logan pointed out. “You end up with the privilege of paying for the limo and the suit. It’s not much difference.”
“Shit!” Evan sat back grinning. “When I was in school we didn’t have proms. We had the school disco at the end of summer term. We had to sneak the booze inside in someone’s dad’s hip flask, and if you were lucky at the end of the night you got a snog and copped a feel of boob. Them were the days.”
Hollywood chuckled at the silly grin on Evan’s face.
“I’m taking it that ‘snogging’ is the same as making out, right?” He wondered whether Evan even spoke English half the time.
“Oh yeah!” Evan grinned. “And when you’re sixteen, getting to first base makes you feel like you conquered the world. Even if you do risk coming in your pants.”
Hollywood rolled his eyes, but like the others, he wasn’t so old that he couldn’t remember those first few encounters with a young lady.
“Wait till you get to second base, Ev.” Kellen teased. “That really will get you blowing your load.”
Evan flipped him off.
“Har-har! You’re so funny, man.” He grinned. “A real wit. Well, half of one, anyway.”
Kellen shrugged good-naturedly, and they all settled back as the car sped through the quiet early morning London streets.
“Are we collecting Yuri and Kris along the way?” Logan asked, glancing out of the window. They were almost out of London already, and well on their way to the private airfield where Tuck’s plane would be waiting for them.
“Nope.” Hollywood grinned. “They were having dinner with Gregor and his wife Tulli last night, at Gregor’s place just outside of London, so they’ll be flying to the airfield in his helicopter. Apparently, it’s one of the perks of being BFF’s with a billionaire.”
Evan grunted.
“Tell me again why those two idiots chose to give up cushy jobs running Gregor’s security detail, to take part in an operation like this?” He shook his head. “I just don’t get it.”
“Maybe it’s the thought of doing something for one’s fellow man? Or in this case, woman?” Kellen suggested. “Maybe because helping those women escape the fate that awaits them is more important and fulfilling than sitting behind a desk tapping on a computer all day?”
“Jeez, don’t let Hannah hear you say that.” Hollywood grinned. “She’ll leave you singing soprano.”
“Hannah does a different kind of tapping, man.” Kellen grinned. “Besides, I don’t think Yuri or Kris actually qualify for Hannah’s ‘genius’ status.”
“I guess not.” Hollywood shrugged, bracing himself as the car slowed and turned into the entrance to the airfield.
“Anyway, what I want to know, is whether anyone else’s balls are itching like crazy?” Evan rearranged himself as if to prove a point. “You don’t think I’m allergic to the tracker implant, do you?”
Hollywood was sure Evan hadn’t meant it to sound so funny, but within seconds the other three were doubled over, crying with laughter.
Evan scowled at them all.
“I’m taking that as a no, then.” He grunted.
“Man, they warned you that it might itch for a day or two.” Kellen laughed. “That’s why they gave us the cream.”
Judging by the look on Evan’s face, he hadn’t been paying too much attention to that part of the process.
“You did pack the cream and bring it with you, right?” Hollywood snorted a very undignified laugh.
“Umm, possibly?” Evan didn’t sound at all sure. “Or not?”
“Don’t worry, pal.” Logan patted Evan’s leg. “I haven’t had need to use mine yet, and, hopefully, if it hasn’t started itching already, it’s not going to start now. If you’re nice to me, I might let you have some of mine.”
The car drew to a halt, and they climbed out in front of a shiny white jet.
“Well, hello fellas.” Hannah stood at the top of the steps with Danny just behind her. “So glad you could join us.”
Hollywood retrieved his bag, and along with the other men, they climbed on board the plane, where a lady in uniform was checking Kris and Yuri’s passport details.
He pulled his passport from his pack and handed it over, as a crew member relieved him of his bag to be stowed away.
Hollywood had flown on a few of Tuck’s jets, and even now they never failed to impress him.
The official finished doing her checks and passed all the paperwork back to Hannah.
No sooner was she off the plane than the doors shut, and the steward activated the locking mechanism.
“Are you flying with us?” Kellen asked, noticing that Hannah and Danny hadn’t left as he’d expected them to.
“My beautiful wife has acquired some new intel overnight which she wanted to share with you.” Danny explained. “It was either fly with you for the first part of the journey, so she could tell you about the developments, or wake you up two hours early for a briefing. We opted to join you on the early flight.”
“Much appreciated.” Evan muttered.
“Yeah, well, I have an ulterior motive.” Danny grinned. “Three hours on the return flight, a bedroom in the back, and no kids barging in on us. I didn’t take much persuading.”
“Well, thank you for sharing that with the guys.” Hannah punched her husband in the arm with about as much force behind it as a slap from a three-year-old girl.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats for departure.” The announcement came over the speakers.
Hollywood turned to take his seat with a grin.
It looked like the outward flight was going to be a whole lot more entertaining than he’d expected.