“Damn it!” Sienna heard Bahir roar a second before he rounded the corner and stomped down the hall.
She watched with genuine fear as his eyes narrowed on her. “What’s the matter?”
“You lying bitch!” Bahir’s hand flew back and connected with her cheek before Sienna could block it. The force knocked her from the chair and she fell, stunned, onto the Persian carpet.
Tears she couldn’t stop filled her eyes and her face felt as if thousands of needles were sticking it. She gasped in a breath and bit back a sob. Slowly, she raised herself to a sitting position and looked up at the man who had hit her. Gone was the man she had manipulated, and in his place was the powerful terrorist he truly was.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Sienna stuttered as she scooted back toward his desk, her hands wrapped around her aching midsection.
“Seth, that’s what I’m talking about. No wonder you agreed to kill him. You knew the bastard was already in police custody,” Bahir accused, reaching to grab her by the hair.
“What?” Sienna shrieked as he pulled her up. She placed her hands on top of his to help minimize the pain. “Bahir, I didn't know that.”
Bahir stopped, grabbing her face hard in between his fingers. He put his nose up to hers and stared at her, not saying a word for a full minute. He dropped his hand and took a step back before adjusting his tie. “Please accept my apologies, Sienna. I can see I was wrong. You did not know.”
“You’re forgiven,” Sienna said softly, and she ducked her head, putting a hand to her face. “What happened?”
“Get the doctor some ice,” Bahir snapped to a small woman, who went scurrying from the room. He indicated for Sienna to sit on the couch, and he took the chair across from her. “My men went to search Seth’s house but found it swarming with FBI. I called my contact and was informed Seth was holding out for the U.S. attorney to arrive and offer him a deal.”
“Oh, no. I knew it. He’s going to turn on you. Are you safe, Bahir?” Sienna asked, her voice full of concern.
“Not for long. I’ve called the men in to pack the place up. We’ll be leaving in a couple hours.”
“What about me? How can I prove myself if Seth is already in custody?” Sienna asked.
“My contact will take care of it. Seth will be dead within the hour. Should be made to look like suicide. Not that I care. But you, my dear, I have plans for,” Bahir said before handing her the bag of ice the servant had fetched.
Sienna sucked in air on a hiss and put the ice on her face. “What are they?”
“You are going to take Seth’s place. You’re going to bring the players’ and coaches’ money to me to invest,” Bahir said with a satisfied smile.
Sienna smiled slowly. “So that’s how we are going to make so much money. What kind of cut do I get?”
“Five percent.”
Sienna’s eyes went wide. “Wow. But why all of this?” Sienna waved to the guards. “You could have just asked me to be a broker for you. You didn’t need your men to hurt me.”
Bahir frowned. “I’m sorry, my dear Sienna. It’s not that simple I’m afraid.”
“Why not?”
“Because when we conclude our business deal, you’ll need to leave the country with me. You’ll be a wanted woman.”
Sienna’s brow knitted in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“Because, my dear,” Bahir said, as he leaned forward and took her hand in his, “you’re going to help me get enough money to blow up an entire stadium on international television. And when they trace the weapons used, because they always do, they’ll trace it to the money you raised for me.”
Sienna’s vision blurred, and she fell back against the cushions. Bahir held tightly to her hand and squeezed. “And if you don’t, I’ll kill every single person on your contact list Seth got from your computer. I’ll start with your parents. Your father might put up a struggle. But when we slit a man's wife’s throat in front of him, it usually takes the fight out of him. And then your little brother.” Bahir clucked his tongue.
“Such a shame, too. Carter has such promise in running your family farm. Top of his class in business school . . . all for nothing. And then there’s Agent Parker. You really shouldn’t keep a journal on your computer. It’s too easy to hack. Imagine my surprise when Seth told me you still fantasize about your childhood crush. Maybe you can act those fantasies out with me while he watches before I kill him. And then next will be your best friend. Sydney, isn’t it? And then, well, you get the picture, as soon as everyone you care about is gone, I’ll put you out of your misery. You will know the full pain of standing against me.”
“You bastard,” Sienna gasped, silent tears falling from her face.
“I’m glad we understand each other.”
Ryan, Jackson, and Nash crept through the shadows of the night. The clouds covered the light of the moon and the downpour hid the sounds of their footsteps as they made their way toward the large Federal-style house. It had two wings going back from the main part of the house. Sienna was in one of those rooms. According to Trey, the main part of the house was for show. A massive dining room, sitting room, and foyer with a grand staircase filled the majority of the space.
“The old horses have been put out to pasture,” Miss Daisy’s voice said over the coms.
“And the old dogs have learned new tricks,” Miss Lily’s voice said next.
Ryan, Jackson, and Nash looked at each other and managed a smile. The aunts and uncles were in place along with Ahmed, Bridget, Nabi, and the dogs. Ryan nudged his brother who tapped Nash. The first security detail was approaching. They stepped farther back into the shadows of the garden and waited.
Ryan was in the point and silently drew the knife from his thigh. As the man passed, Ryan stepped from the shadow and drew the knife along the man’s neck while Jackson and Nash disarmed him and dragged him into the shadows. In a matter of seconds, it was like he never existed.
Ryan tapped Nash on the back, and Nash broke from the group. Nash would enter through the east wing while Jackson took the back door. Ryan would enter through the west wing. A couple yards later, Jackson grabbed Ryan and halted him. Before Ryan could ask, Jackson’s knife was cutting through the neck of another guard. Ryan rushed to help drag the man behind the azaleas before giving Jackson a silent nod of thanks.
Jackson placed his hand on Ryan’s shoulder, squeezed, and then was gone. Ryan could barely see his brother heading to the back door. Ryan looked back to check on Nash and found another guard suddenly falling back. A second later, Nash sent him the all-clear signal.
Ryan heard every raindrop as he inched closer to the large window he was going to burst through. His vision was clear, and his breathing was steady. He calmly took out the guard walking around the house. He didn’t blink when he wiped the blood on his pant leg, and he didn’t make a sound when he looked in the window and saw Sienna holding an icepack to her face as tears streamed down her cheeks. A bruise was already forming near a swollen eye. A man who had to be Bahir stood up and glared down at Sienna before walking from the room. The door was left open and Ryan saw the back of two guards standing on either side.
“Alpha’s a go. The package is visible,” he barely whispered, not allowing the relief of seeing Sienna alive affect him.
“Beta’s a go,” he heard Jackson say into his coms.
“Gamma’s a go,” he heard Nash say tightly.
“Get our girl back. On my three. One. Two. Three.” Miss Lily said more seriously than Ryan had ever heard her.
Silently, Ryan slid his knife into the latch of the window and jiggled. Sienna’s eyes shot toward him, and he knew the second she recognized him. He barely had to lift his hand to indicate she stay put before she nodded her head.
“I’m in,” Nash said. “My tally is four down. Heading your way, Alpha.”
“I’m in, too,” Jackson said. “Three down. Waiting for Gamma, and we’ll clear the way for the package.”
Ryan opened the window and climbed in slowly, but it was too late. A small woman he hadn’t seen started screaming from the corner.
Sienna had tried to motion with her eyes to the small shell of a woman who was Bahir’s servant, but Ryan had looked away to unlock the window and hadn’t seen her. The second the window opened and Ryan’s foot came into view, the woman opened her mouth. It was like slow motion, and there was nothing Sienna could do to stop the scream from erupting.
She leapt up, and with both hands laced together, swung them like a bat at the first guard who charged into the room. Pain radiated up her arms and through her ribs, but it was enough to send the man stumbling back.
“Get down!” Ryan shouted. She didn’t even process the words. She knew by the look in his eyes he was taking these men down. The second she hit the floor, Sienna heard two muffled shots and felt the guards hit the floor.
“Up!” Ryan yelled, and Sienna was on her feet. He reached one hand out to her, and Sienna grabbed it like the lifeline it was. She knew he would come for her.
“I have the package, sending her through the window,” Ryan spoke as he pushed her toward the window.
Sienna took the hint and rushed across the room but slid to a stop as the glass shattered around her. Before she could drop to the ground, Ryan was covering her with his body and dragged her behind Bahir’s desk. Sienna could hear the sound of the guards rushing from upstairs and down the hall. They were surrounded.
“Sienna, look at me. We’re okay. Put your hand here,” Ryan ordered as he placed her hand on the waistband of his black cargo pants. “Just don’t let go, and when I tell you to do something, do it.”
Ryan peeked out over the desk and fired his gun. Sienna pushed back the panic. She wasn’t going to die like this, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let Ryan die trying to save her. She looked where her hand was holding his belt and saw the gun strapped to his shoulder. Pushing up his arm, she grabbed the handgun and cocked it.
Ryan didn’t break his concentration on the door to the room where guards were firing into the room. “Do you know how to use that?”
“How hard can it be?” Sienna asked as she pointed it at the back windows and fired at a guard trying to look in. The shot went wide, but it was enough to send the man scurrying back.
Ryan saved his bullets. He didn’t have enough to last through a long siege. He counted six men in the hallway, lining up to storm the room. And those were only the ones he could see. “How many are approaching from outside?”
Sienna let go of his waist and from his peripheral vision he saw her crawling toward the window. The old woman covered from head to toe in black material still stood screaming nearby.
“Five!” Sienna called out and scuttled back to his side.
“Does anyone have a clear shot of the west wing?” Ryan asked into his coms.
“I do,” Annie’s tight voice came over the coms.
“Take the shot. We’re surrounded.” Ryan spoke calmly as Sienna shot out the window again.
“Is this the wrong time for me to tell you how much I love you?” Sienna shouted over the gunfire as the two men tried to advance into the room.
“There’s never a wrong time!” Ryan yelled back. He fired and took one man down.
“We’re pinned down in the front entrance. Hold on, we’re coming,” his brother yelled into the coms, gunfire erupting in a different part of the mansion.
“Someone’s coming in the window!” Sienna screamed, unloading the clip, hitting everything but the man coming in the window.
Ryan cursed. At the same time, three men rushed into the room. Gunfire rang out from all around the property. Ryan had been in shootouts before. But to be in one where every person he loved was at risk was completely different.
Ryan went to reload, but it was too late. The barrier had been broken, and men poured in from outside and the hallway. He pushed Sienna under the heavy wooden desk and felt her grab the gun from his thigh. As if it would do her any good. She was the worst shot he’d ever seen.
“Hands!” The closest guard yelled, holding a gun to Ryan’s face. Ryan dropped his gun and raised his hands. He did a quick count—two guards from outside and four from the hallway. Annie and he had done some damage, but not enough.
A man dressed in a suit stepped from the hallway into the room, making sure to stay behind the wall of guards. He didn’t look worried as he eyed Ryan.
“So, we finally meet,” the man said with confidence.
“Bahir Deron. I would say it’s a pleasure, but why start lying to each other at this point?” Ryan asked cockily. He kept his hands up and stepped away from the desk. He had to draw all the attention toward himself and away from Sienna.
“I’m impressed, Agent Parker. You always seem so sure of yourself. Let’s see how sure you are when I have the one thing you seem to care about. Grab them and meet me at the other location,” Bahir ordered, pushing a panel on the wall. The hidden door swung open and Bahir disappeared behind it.
“Sending in the dogs,” Bridget’s quiet but steady voice broke through.
The men by the window advanced to the desk at the same time the guards from the hallway went to grab Ryan. Ryan leapt back and was met with a gun pointed to his face. The two men from outside moved to the desk. Ryan was grabbed by one man, as the others kept their guns trained on him. For the first time in his life, Ryan was filled with fear. Not for himself, but for the only woman he’d ever loved.
Sienna held the gun to her chest and leaned as far back in the darkness of the desk as she could. She was surrounded on three sides and overhead by the thick desk, but it didn’t make her feel safe. She didn’t hear the footsteps of the men sent to get her. All of a sudden, they were just there. First one foot, then two, three, and four appeared as the two men stood in front of the desk.
Sienna’s whole body shook with fear and adrenaline, with the feeling she would need to kill or be killed. She braced herself against the back of her cubby and aimed the gun straight ahead. She tried to remember to breathe. She tried to stop the shaking, but when the first guard’s face appeared, her mind went blank, she closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger.