Page 53 of Seal of Honor
“And my men ended up dead.” His Cheshire Cat grin didn’t waver. “However, let’s not get into all that now. I think this conversation will be more palatable over good food with good wine, don’t you agree?”
“Gabe, please,” Audrey whispered behind him. “I need to find Bryson. Please.”
Her pleading all but shattered his heart. He couldn’t deny her, even though every instinct screamed to get her far, far away from Mena’s lengthy reach. A deserted island might do the trick. Yeah, and then what? Stay there for the rest of their natural lives?
No, he wasn’t a runner. He was a fighter, and if he wanted to keep Audrey safe, he had to face this threat head-on.
Alone.
Unarmed.
With a bum foot.
Shit, shit, shit.
“I can see you are... concerned about the situation,” Mena said. “But I assure you, during this meal, no harm will come to either one of you.”
Gabe snorted at the absurdity of it. “That’s very generous of you.”
“Consider it a peace offering,” he said, spreading his hands out in a placating gesture. “You see, Commander Bristow, I am a businessman. And right now, business is running smoothly. However, if Bryson’s kidnapping does not resolve itself as it should—well, it could disrupt some of my ventures. Not a situation I care for.”
“Please,” Audrey whispered in his ear, her voice quivering with desperation. “We have no other leads.”
Gabe could feel the tension radiating from her; the stress of not knowing her brother’s fate was taking a toll. He knew he had no choice, as much as he hated to admit it.
Finally, jaw clenched, he nodded once. “All right. A meal.”
Behind him, Audrey exhaled softly in relief, her hand squeezing his tighter.
“But only a meal.” He stared into Mena’s calculating eyes. “And then we’re leaving.”
“Excellent,” Mena said. “Dinner will be served on the veranda tonight at six-thirty. I’ll have appropriate attire sent up for you both. Until then, you are my esteemed guests, and I give my word that you will be treated with the utmost respect and hospitality.”
The words rang hollow in Gabe’s ears. The man was a snake, a predator, and like every predator, he was merely playing with his prey before devouring it.
He eyed Gabe, prince to pauper, and his smile melted into a faint sneer of disdain.
Gabe thought, fuck you. If the mission to take Mena down hadn’t been scrubbed, the man wouldn’t be so goddamn smug right now.
“You’ll, of course, want to bathe before dinner,” Mena said pointedly. “So I’ll take my leave.”
The door shut, and there was the unmistakable snick of a lock. Just a mind game since the balcony was wide open, and a locked door wouldn’t keep Gabe from leaving if he really wanted to go. Still, the sound of a lock closing off an exit always sent a quick skitter of panic down even the most trained operative’s spine. It was human nature to want freedom, and Mena’s nature to take it away.
Audrey stared at the door in wide-eyed horror. “Why did he lock us in? He said we’re guests. He?—”
“Doesn’t trust me.” Gabe turned to her, gripped her shoulders, and gave her a little shake. “And you shouldn’t trust a thing out of that man’s mouth. He’s more sophisticated and better dressed, but he’s the same as Cocodrilo. Don’t let his charm blind you to that.”
“But… but he said he knows how to find Bryson.”
“That’s what he says. Is it true?” As tears filled her eyes, he let go of her shoulders to cup her face and brush them away.
“It could be,” she whispered.
Jesus, she was so innocent to the cruel realities of his world. He wished he could keep her that way, sheltered and naive, but their circumstances didn’t afford her the luxury.
“Audrey, don’t cry.” He exhaled slowly, his own emotions raw and jumbled, a tight knot of helplessness lodged in his gut. “We’ll find out what game Mena’s playing during dinner. Until then, let’s get some rest.”
Because she looked like she needed it, and he needed the time to strategize. A group of recon marines spent two months quietly scoping out Mena’s home last year, and the DOD built a replica of the house and outbuildings in Virginia to run invasion scenarios with, so he knew the floor plan of this estate. Knew all the weak spots in the security system. Liam Miller, the British mercenary hired by Mena to oversee security, was good at what he did, no doubt about it. But Gabe and the SEALs were better, and if there had been no car accident, if Operation Black Boa had gone down as planned, Mena would be sitting in an international prison right now awaiting trial. Not that he deserved a trial.
