“Don’t touch it yet.” He pats Artem’s shoulder, signaling him to move out of the way so he can get to the device. “You touch the wrong thing and we’re all going to be floating in the harbor.”
“Hurry up.” Artem snaps and the Irishman turns up at him with a frown.
“You want me to kill the bomb or set it off?” He shakes his head. “Calm yourself. You’ll be with your woman in just a second.” With deft fingers, he splits the bundle of wires and slips a thin pair of wire cutters over one of them.
From my position, I can’t see which wire he’s cutting, but the look on Artem’s face makes me tense. If he does this wrong, there’s not much hope any of us are going home tonight.
“Got it!” The Irishman declares, but when he leans back I can see the utter relief flooding his face.
“Wait.” He keeps Artem from bursting through the door with one arm. “Let me get the second one.”
Artem’s lips go white with how tightly he presses them together. Just below the window, the man crouches and gets to work.
“This should do it,” he mutters on the other side of the glass and I tense, not sure if I’m about to be blasted through the warehouse or set free from the night of madness.
“Do it.” He orders, his eyes meeting mine.
A second passes, then another, then finally a fist shows up in the window with a thumbs sticking up.
“We’re good!” He yells out.
Before he has a chance to stand, Artem bursts through the door. It hits the wall and bounces off, the dismantled bomb falls to the ground with a clatter. We freeze, staring at the device laying at his feet. Slowly, we raise our gazes. The air sizzles when our eyes meet.
“Artem,” I breathe.
He doesn’t say anything. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight, kissing me until anything resembling sense has floated away.
“Fuck, baby. I love you so much. Are you all right? Are you hurt?” He pulls away, grabbing my face and twisting my head one way then the other looking me over. I know the second his eyes lands on the goose egg protruding from my left temple.
A murderous rage fills his eyes. His entire body locks up.
“I’m okay.” I frame his face with my hands in the same manner, dragging him down toward me so I can kiss him again. “Artem. I’m fine. A little headache. That’s all.”
The muscles in his neck flex, but his face softens.
“You weren’t scared.” It’s not a question.
I laugh. “Of course not. I’m getting used to men pointing guns at me. It’s barely an inconvenience at this point.”
He raises his brow.
“Besides. If you were able to find me when I was trying not to be found, I had no doubt you’d find me this time.”
I brush my lips across his. “I love you so much, Artem.”
“There’s still two live bombs; we need to go.” Kaz interrupts us. “Now. I’d like to return home in one piece.”
Artem growls, but nods. “Let’s go. We’re leaving tonight.”
He leads me from the warehouse and into one of the SUVs waiting for us.
“How’d you get Cole to let you use his men?”
“He assured us he’d have Janis under control. When I called him, he had his men on the move before we got off the phone.” Artem straps my seatbelt—too tight.
While he’s rounding the car to get in the driver’s side, I rebuckle so I can breathe.
As we drive away, the warehouse fades into the distance in the sideview mirror. But before Artem turns out of the lot, I witness my brothers dragging a bloodied Janis from the warehouse to one of their waiting cars.