Dec felt a muscle tick in his jaw. “It’s Anders.”
“Ah, hell.” Logan tipped his head back. “This is not good.”
Hale was frowning. “Who’s Anders?”
“Dec has a hard-on for the guy,” Morgan muttered.
Dec ignored Logan and Morgan. “Ian Anders. A former British Special Air Service soldier.”
Hale’s frown deepened. “Heard those SAS guys are hard-core.”
“They are,” Dec confirmed.
Darcy stepped forward. “Declan and Logan’s SEAL team was working a joint mission with Anders’ team in the Middle East.”
“Caught the sadistic fucker torturing locals.” Even now, the screams and moans of those people came back to Dec. A nightmare he couldn’t seem to outrun. “He kept them hidden, visited them every few days. Men, women…children.” Dec let out a breath. “No idea how long he’d had them there.”
“You saved them?” Hale said.
“No.” Dec stood and took his mug to the sink. He tipped the coffee he could no longer stomach down the drain.
“You did the right thing, Dec,” Logan growled.
Silence fell. Dec was not going to talk about this.
Darcy cleared her throat. “The British Military gave Anders a slap on the wrist.”
“Shit,” Hale said. “So what’s he got to do with stolen artifacts?”
“When he left the SAS, he got into black-market antiquities,” Declan said. “We’ve run into him a few times on jobs.”
“The guy is whacked,” Logan added. “He likes to hurt and kill. And he likes the pretty cash he gets for selling artifacts.”
“And you think this is his work?” Hale looked at the screens.
Dec had learned to trust his gut. Sometimes despite the facts or evidence, despite the fact you had nothing else to go on. “Yeah, it’s Anders.”
“Logan, Morgan, and Hale, this is your assignment,” Darcy said. “You’ll head to Egypt to meet Dr. Layne Rush.”
Another screen filled with a photo of a woman.
Dec blinked, feeling his belly clench, even though he’d never seen this woman before.
He wasn’t even sure what warranted the gut-deep response. She was attractive, but not the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. In the photo, she had sunglasses pushed up on her dark hair. Her hair was chocolate brown and straight as a ruler. It brushed her shoulders, except for the bangs cut bluntly just across her eyes. Her skin was so incredibly clear, not a blemish on it, and her eyes were hazel.
She had smart stamped all over her. Hell. Dec had a thing for smart women.
But he usually steered well clear. He wasn’t made for hearts and rainbows. He’d just seen too much and done too much. His relationships generally lasted one night, and he enjoyed women who wanted the same as him—uncomplicated, no-strings sex.
“I’m going.” Dec’s voice echoed in the warehouse.
Darcy’s beautiful face got a pinched look. “Declan—”
“No arguments, Darce. I’m going.”
“You’re going because of Anders,” she said.
Dec glanced at the photo of Dr. Rush. “I’m going to pack.”
His sister sighed and looked at Dec. “You’re sure you won’t change your mind.”
“Nope.”
Another sigh. “The jet’s fueled and waiting. Logan, please keep him out of trouble.”
Logan snorted. “I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
Darcy shook her head. “All of you, have a good trip…and stay safe. Please.”
Dec smiled, trying to break the tension. “You know me.”
A resigned look crossed her face. “Yes. Unfortunately, I do. So when the trouble hits, call me.”
Chapter Two
Layne walked down a crowded street in the Khan el-Khalili, absorbing the sights, smells and sounds of Cairo’s market district. Someone nearby was cooking falafel, which made her stomach grumble and reminded her she’d only had coffee for breakfast.
The narrow street was lined with shops whose wares spilled out into the street. Walls of colored fabric, shelves filled with souvenirs and ornaments, another with beautiful colored lanterns. All around were the sounds of hawkers calling out their wares and the rush of people—some locals and others obviously tourists. One local man walked past, balancing a huge tray of Egyptian flatbread on his head.
She loved Cairo’s bazaar district with its hustle and bustle. Beneath the tourist trappings was a deep sense of history. It had been built on the site of a mausoleum, and the sultans had made it a place of commerce and trade. Even today, it was still an important place for the locals. There were numerous traditional workshops in the Khan el-Khalili, like the goldsmiths and the silver merchants.