Say It Again (First Wives, #5)(84)

“That’s because we’re not. Just drop it, Junior.”

He placed a hand on her arm. “I get it. In my, ah . . . previous occupation, I didn’t get close to anyone. For obvious reasons.”

She lifted the magazine, covered her lips as she talked. “We have a few things to talk about when it comes to that.”

He grinned. “If we don’t have a relationship, what’s there to discuss?”

The magazine went back to her lap, and she opened it to the same page of advertisements. “You’re right. Forget I said that.”

He laughed. “Yes, dear.”

With a haughty finger, she flipped the page. “Don’t even . . .”

He patted her arm, just because he knew it would get under her skin. “Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

When her fist clenched, he thought he might need to dial it back a little.

They exited the train in Berlin and met the van Neil had waiting for them.

AJ didn’t recognize the driver but Sasha did. She greeted him without using a name and kept silent on their short ride to where they were meeting the rest of the team.

They turned into what looked like an industrial park filled with warehouses off one of the freight lines that ran through the eastern part of the city. The kind of place AJ would use to exchange a stolen car for the purpose of having it stripped and sold for parts, or the slightly less popular repurposing through paint, VIN, and license plate decoys to be shipped to other states for sale. He told himself that insurance always paid out for the cars he jacked. At least that had been his target audience in the past few years. It wasn’t like he stole the waitress’s washed-up Ford from the diner parking lot. High-end and well loved. Heavily insured.

In the past.

How he’d managed to not get caught all this time, he wasn’t sure. Probably because he didn’t have to do it, there wasn’t a drug habit to force it . . . it was more of an adrenaline thing.

He looked around the van and the faces inside. No shortage of adrenaline here.

They stopped and the back door flew open.

Cooper stood there wearing black from head to toe, a rifle of some sort slung over his shoulder, his lips smacking gum. “Hey ya.”

AJ climbed out of the back, lifted a hand for Sasha. For a minute it looked like she was going to ignore it, so he leaned in, grabbed her waist, and lifted her out of the van.

She brushed his hands away. “Get. Off. Me.”

Cooper chuckled.

Olivia placed a foot on the ground and Cooper stopped her. “Hold up, sugar.” He removed a piece of cloth from his back pocket.

“Oh, please.”

“I’m sure this isn’t your first dance at the rodeo. Turn around.”

She looked at him like he was kidding but gave him her back.

Once she was blindfolded, Cooper secured her handcuffs and led her beside them through the warehouse.

They walked with Cooper until he came to a room with one door and no windows. Inside he set Olivia on a bench. “For your safety, I’ve placed someone at the door. You need anything, just yell.”

“This is overkill,” she told him.

“Humor me then.” He closed the door and waved over the guy who had been driving the van. They walked down a short hall and found the team.

Now this was a war room. Long boardroom table, chairs everywhere . . . laptops open, maps and photographs. And a half a dozen new faces.

Sasha walked up to Neil. “Trina and Wade?”

“Secure. Don’t worry about them.” He looked her up and down. “Good to see you’re in one piece.”

Claire came out of her chair and tossed her arms around AJ’s waist. “So happy you’re here.”

He found himself hugging her back. “I see you raided Sasha’s closet.” She was dressed in a black leotard, hair in a ponytail. Only she skipped the high-heeled boots and went with a government issue combat style.

She chuckled and turned to Sasha. Watching them hug was almost as awkward as experiencing it himself. “This looks like it hurt.” Claire pointed to Sasha’s lip, which was slightly swollen from her fight with Olivia. Makeup did a good job of hiding it, but he could tell the difference.

“Bug bite,” Sasha teased.

“Okay, let’s bring you up to speed,” Neil said.

“Before we start,” Sasha stopped him, “can somebody go untie Lars and bring Olivia in?”

AJ looked at the door and then Cooper.

“She isn’t a threat, Neil. She has intel we don’t on Pohl.”

While Sasha and Neil faced off, AJ followed Cooper down the hall.

The chair next to the room they’d locked Olivia in was empty, the door was wide open, and Olivia sat beside Lars, who was gagged, handcuffed, and lying on his side, staring at them.

“You’re right,” Olivia said the second they walked into the room. “This isn’t my first rodeo. You don’t want me in the loop, fine, I wouldn’t trust me either. But a cot and a blanket would be just swell.”

Sasha rounded the corner with a grin. “You don’t disappoint.”

Olivia stood, walked past AJ and Cooper, and winked.

“What the hell are they gonna do now, the Richter secret handshake?” Cooper asked.

AJ turned his head. “Wait, you don’t have one of those, right?”