“And Camille?” I managed through barely moving lips.
“She’s okay. She was at her sister’s at the time, which is where she’ll stay for now.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” I demanded.
Declan cleared his throat before he continued. “My contact that’s undercover confirmed Ivanov still thinks the diamond is with Sam. He has no real reason to go after Zitto’s wife.”
“Because he’ll come after me instead,” I finished his sentence for him.
Sid’s hand grasped my shoulder nearly to the point of pain. I knew he was fighting hard for control.
“But the feds have it now, right?” I asked, trying to keep my head on straight. “The diamond, I mean.”
Travis looked at me, his expression impossible to read. “No. They don’t.”
“But….” I sputtered.
“We partner with the feds, Sam, but we’re gonna play this my way. Plus, our guy thinks there might be a mole in the bureau. I’m not handing anything over until we know the state of play.” He turned his attention to Declan, clearly done with explaining himself to me. “Can we create a false leak through your undercover guy?” he wondered aloud. “That the diamond’s with the feds. That Sam never had it?”
Declan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Zitto was tortured, man. I think it’s pretty safe to say that he told them who he gave it to.”
“Motherfucker!” The outburst escaped Sid’s throat in an unexpected roar as he paced the room.
“Masters, calm the fuck down,” Travis barked, his eyes dark with frustration.
Seeing two of the men I cared about most so upset had me scrambling for ideas. “Well,” I spoke up. “What if… I give it back to him?”
Both their heads shot over to me. “What?” Sid demanded.
I shrugged. Was it really that crazy of an idea?
Sid was already shaking his head. “Nuh-uh. No fucking way are you bait.”
I looked up at him imploringly. “Babe. These guys aren’t going to stop. Not until they get what they want. If they think I have this thing, they’ll keep searching for me. Or, if they think I gave it to the feds, my guess is that they’d want revenge, right?”
He knew I was right. They both did. I could see it in their faces.
“So,” I continued, “what if I give it back to them? I could wear a wire or something.”
“No,” Sid barked.
“Declan. Help me out here,” I pleaded, knowing he was the only person who could offer some reason in this situation.
“She has a point, guys,” he responded after a brief hesitation. “I hate to admit it, but she does.”
Travis stood stoically as Sid prowled the room. “Let’s meet tomorrow at 0900,” he ordered, before turning eyes on me. “Sam, you’re with Sid at all times and whenever possible another member of the team. You don’t do anything alone unless it’s deemed 110 percent secure, you got me?”
“Okay,” I agreed readily. “Whatever you need,” I added. The room and phone fell silent as I looked at Travis and Sid. “What?” I demanded.
Travis shook his head. “Just wasn’t sure it would be that easy, but I’ll take it.”
“Jesus, Trav, I’m not that much of a pain in the ass,” I huffed, then pointed a finger at Sid when he looked like he was about to speak. His eyes turned warm and he pulled my back into his front, his muscular arms wrapping around me.
“You are a pain in the ass sometimes, baby. But you’re my pain in the ass,” he murmured in my ear.
Well, that was sort-of sweet, even if it entailed me being a pain in the ass.
“I’ll let you guys finish up,” I said, pushing gently against Sid to let me go. “This pain in the ass is tired,” I added dryly, trying to hide the sadness and fear that suddenly suffocated me.
Declan laughed over the phone as I waved good night, dinner long forgotten and went into my room with Trixie.
My emotions were in upheaval as I tried to digest the danger I was in.
I watched an episode of Sex and the City on my iPad, my eyes blurry with exhaustion as I desperately tried to distract myself. I fell asleep before it was even over, content to drift where my subconscious would take over, to the place where dreams were made.
CHAPTER 9
I woke up with a start a few hours later. At first, I wasn’t sure what had woken me, until I heard it again.
Sid was shouting in his sleep, his voice hoarse with agony.
Nightmare.
I quickly got over the fact that he’d slept with me, too worried about him to care. During his service in the Corps, he’d done two tours in the Middle East. He didn’t talk about his time there other than to say he’d seen a lot of “fucked-up shit.” I knew it haunted him.