Page 63 of Fighting Salvation

“Valentina, I need someone here I can trust and who Novem is comfortable with.”

“Then why not Hurricane or Lotus?”

He ground his back teeth because he had no real answer for that apart from the safe house was safe, and he didn’t want her to be there when he was inevitably taken by Hansen.

“I’m going. I can take Monty and Scout with us.” She smiled as she ran her fingers through the fury ears sitting faithfully beside her.

“No, I want them with Duchess and her team. They can help with locating Watchdog. We already have one of his shirts that Bein brought with him.”

“Fine. Then Rafe can take them. They respond to him as well as me.”

“That makes no tactical sense. If you want to do this for the right reasons then you go with Duchess, and Rafe comes with us. Hurricane, you stay with Novem.”

He could see she wanted to argue, that she wanted to be with him, but he could not let that happen.

“Fine.”

“Okay, that’s settled.”

He stood and the team dispersed. He didn’t need to hold their hands right this second while they began planning. They’d all come back to the table in an hour and set out their options and they’d go from there.

“Can I have a word?”

He turned to Jack and nodded, following him out of the room to the deck where they could get some privacy. “What’s up?”

Jack turned to him and looked him dead in the eye, seemingly looking for something. “I know what you’re planning and while I don’t agree, I do get it. God knows I want this bastard more than most, but do you think this is the right play given what we now know?”

Bás bristled, his muscles snapping tight. “You think because we share blood I won’t kill him for what he did to my family and hundreds of others? You think I’d think twice about ending the man who’d treat his own daughter like he has Novem?”

It was then it struck him that she was his family. He was her uncle and it was like having the wind knocked right out of him. He’d thought it was his father’s eyes he saw in her but it was Sean’s.

“I think it’s a complex situation with too many variables and I don’t want to see you die.”

“I’m not going to die, but if I do, it’s worth it if I take him with me. It’s also why Rykov is coming with me. He guessed my plan and insisted, and that man has ice running through his veins. He won’t think twice about taking Hansen out, even if I do. Which I won’t.”

“Fine.”

They were interrupted by the sliding door opening and he glanced back to see Valentina walking towards them.

Jack clasped him on the shoulder and squeezed. “We got this, brother.”

He strode inside and closed the door and Val slid her arm through his and leaned her head against his shoulder.

They stood like that watching the scenery in front of them, both lost in thought and content with the silence. They both sensed that when one of them spoke it would break the bubble and reality, in all its cold harsh truth, would leach inside.

He felt her sigh and moved his arm to pull her in front of him so they were watching the world with her back pressed to his front. Her hands settled over his on her belly and he felt a splash of liquid and guessed she was crying.

“Hey.” He turned her slowly to face him and saw the fear and heartbreak on her face.

He cupped her cheeks and swiped the tears with his thumbs but they just ran faster.

“Don’t you dare fucking die on me, Niall. I’ve waited too long for this to have you die on me when we’re so close to having it all.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I love you, mo chroí. I know I kept you waiting but now I have you, do you really think I wouldn’t fight for what we have?”

“I need to tell you something.”

“No, you don’t, baby. Tell me when we get home.”