Maybe he needed a new career. “Not sure I like the sound of that.”
“It’s okay. Ian’s bark is worse than his bite. You’ll see, love. Once we’re married, he’ll settle down, and he’ll treat you like family.”
“You’re worried about him.”
“He’s acting on emotion. So am I, so I know just how dumb a man can be when a woman is involved. The man we’re tracking had something to do with Ian’s wife’s death. And don’t go spreading that around, love. He hasn’t told everyone. His own brother doesn’t even know he was married.”
But Liam had trusted her with it. “I think I can keep quiet. I feel bad about not getting those files, though. I’ll write down everything I know if you can get it to the right people. I’ve worked for Thomas for long enough to know his habits. If he has the files, he’s probably got a backup. He’s fastidious about backing data up. He always told me he never knew when he would need something so I had to scan documents for him.” A thought struck her. Damn it. Why hadn’t she thought about it? “He carries his phone and his tablet with him everywhere. Either one of them could have the data.”
“We’ll let MI6 know, but that’s the end of this, okay?”
She was ready for it to end. She wanted to settle down. Maybe she could look at the next few weeks as a sort of honeymoon. “All right.”
Liam moved to the door. “This is the last place we can talk before we’re out of this building, okay? Keep quiet until we’re in the station. Then we should be able to talk again. We’re going to change trains and lines until I’m sure we’re not being followed.”
She nodded. No talking in the hallways. There were cameras everywhere. They couldn’t be sure if Thomas was watching or not.
The door opened, Liam moving out first. He held a hand out to let Avery know it was all right.
The hallway was quiet, almost eerily so. Often she could hear the sounds of the other residents, but today there was nothing, just the squeak of the floor under her feet and the quiet snick of the door closing and locking. Every muscle in Liam’s body seemed tense and ready, but there was a bland look on his face.
“Ready for a night on the town?” His flat American accent was back. Now that she’d heard his real voice, she longed for it. The Midwestern tone didn’t hold the emotion of the real man.
Still, she flashed what she hoped was a happy smile. “Let’s do it.”
She took his hand, but glanced back at her apartment, her little flat in London. So much had happened there. This place and the man she’d met here had changed her irrevocably. Despite the bad things, she would always have a fondness for that apartment.
And then she noticed it, a tiny crack as the door she was sure they’d locked began to open.
“Li, someone’s in my apartment.” Her voice was a whisper, thin and strangled.
The elevator dinged up ahead, signaling the doors would soon be open. They could make it to the elevator and then close the doors. They would be safe in the elevator.
Liam seemed to think the same thing. He glanced back down the hallway. Avery followed, looking behind to see two large men exiting her apartment. She recognized them from Thomas’s house. He kept a couple of men around to help move him when he used his wheelchair. They were also trained security guards, though they usually didn’t carry really big guns. They were today.
Avery struggled to keep up, her leg weak under her weight and the speed. She nearly tripped, but Liam kept a hand on her, helping her along. If they could just make it to the elevator. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest. She could hear the men stalking behind them, but the hallway was long and they were almost there.
Liam’s gun made an appearance. “When we get to the lift, stay behind me.”
The doors were splitting, opening up to reveal their sanctuary.
Liam cursed and stopped, nearly sending her to the ground. His hand circled her wrist.
Two more men walked from the elevator, and one of them was her boss. Thomas Molina was dressed in a well-cut suit, and he wasn’t using his cane or the braces or any implement to aid his walking. He strode forth, and despite the fact that she knew the face, this was a completely different man.
Liam’s head swung back and forth as though he couldn’t figure out which road to hell would take them there the fastest. He covered her body with his own, pushing her back against the wall. “Let the girl go and I’ll give up the gun.”
That didn’t seem like a good idea. “I’m not leaving you.”
“You bloody well will,” Liam whispered her way.
They were trapped, four against one, and Liam was hesitating. She knew why. Her. He was going to die because he wouldn’t risk her getting hurt. She tried to step forward. If Thomas wanted her, then he could have her.
“Thomas, I’ll go with you.” Her voice shook, but there was no way she could just let them shoot Liam.