I reach for her, gentler this time, and guide her into the backseat. “We’ve got everything planned, right down to the minute. Felix arranged a private jet. We’ll be there by nightfall.”
Ace slides in beside her while I take the driver’s seat. In the rearview mirror, I watch him wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“You’re not alone this time,” he says quietly.
I glance in the rearview mirror, watching Ace hold Keira. The shift in her demeanor twists something in my chest. One moment, she’s fire and fight, the next, she’s that broken little girl again. I hate it. I hate that Henderson still has this power over her.
“He’s never going to hurt anyone ever again,” I say, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. “We’ll make sure of that.”
Traffic crawls ahead of us, and I resist the urge to lay on the horn. Patience has never been my strong suit—that’s more Ace’s department. I take a deep breath instead, focusing on the task ahead. The anticipation of violence usually calms me, gives me something to channel this constant energy into, but not today. Today, it feels personal in a way jobs rarely do.
“We’ve packed everything,” Ace tells her, his voice steadier than mine could manage right now. “The tools you selected are in the cargo hold.”
Keira nods, her fingers twisting together in her lap. “What about his wife? The girls?”
“Felix arranged a giveaway spa weekend for them,” I explain, catching her eyes in the mirror. “Three days at a luxury resort two states over. They left this morning.”
“Henderson will be alone in the house tonight,” Ace adds. “No chance of collateral damage.”
Relief softens Keira’s face. Even now, even after everything, she thinks of others first. It’s a quality I’ve never understood but find myself drawn to nonetheless.
The car falls quiet as we navigate toward the private airfield. I can feel the tension radiating from Keira in waves. Part of me wants to pull over, climb into the back seat, and physically shield her from her memories. Instead, I do what I can from the front.
“Tell us what you need,” I say, softer than I usually speak. “Anything at all.”
She meets my eyes in the mirror. “I need to face him,” she says. “I need him to see me—not as that scared little girl, but as who I am now.” Her hand finds Ace’s, then reaches forward to rest on my shoulder. “And I need you both with me when I do.”
“Always,” I tell her, turning to catch her fingers with mine. “Every step of the way.”
The weight of her hand on my shoulder grounds me, reminding me why this mission feels different from the countless others Ace and I have executed. This isn’t about elimination. This is about justice—her justice.
At the private airfield, Felix’s men stand ready beside the sleek jet. They take our bags without question, professionals who know better than to make eye contact with us or acknowledge Keira.
Ace guides her up the stairs while I speak briefly with the head of security to confirm the arrangements at the other end. By the time I board, Ace has already settled Keira into a plush leather seat with a glass of whiskey. She’s never seemed like much of a drinker, but tonight she sips steadily, her eyes fixed on some distant point only she can see.
“We land at 7:32,” I say, taking the seat across from them. “Henderson returns home from work at 8:15, like clockwork. We’ll be in position by then.”
Keira nods, her face a mask of determination despite the slight tremor in her hands.
“Once we have him,” Ace adds, “you decide how it starts.”
“And how it ends,” I finish.
The plane begins to taxi, and Keira’s grip on her glass tightens. I reach across the small table between us and place my hand over hers.
“You survived him,” I say, letting a rare gentleness enter my voice. “That’s already the victory. Everything else is just... making sure the scales balance.”
Her eyes meet mine, and it feels like staring into a broken mirror reflecting back all the shattered pieces Ace and I carry within ourselves.
“I want him to know,” she whispers. “I want him to know I’m not hiding anymore.”
“He’ll know,” I promise. “And then he’ll know nothing ever again.”
The plane lifts off, carrying us toward a reckoning thirteen years in the making. Beside me, Ace checks his watch one last time, then reaches for Keira’s other hand. The three of us stay connected as we climb into the clouds, our shadows merging into one.
31
KEIRA