“Excellent,” she confirms. “I’ll try to have good news.”
I give her a tiny nod. “Thank you,” I say, and then turn to face Bastile, who’s scowling at me.
“Are you about to tell me that you don’t have what we came here for?” he demands.
“I’m telling you we’ve hit a bump in the road. The display is in one of the other locations. I hid it in a drawer attached to it. We’ll find it.”
“He is not going to be pleased.”
Like I don’t know that, but I hold my tongue. We head back to the door, but once we’re there, he holds the handle and looks down at me. “Should you contemplate putting those CIA skills to use, and try to save your friend, know this: We trained you. We planned for you. We have a man with a gun following your every step back to the car.”
But I know Neuville won’t kill me.
“And if you just thought Neuville won’t kill you, he gave us permission to hurt you. Badly. He seems to like the idea of you trapped in bed indefinitely. He said to tell you he thought that might finally break you.”
Damn. “I was thinking about how to find the display,” I say blandly.
He smirks. “Of course you were,” he says, and then opens the door.
I exit into the chilly night air I hadn’t even noticed before now, my mind racing. My plan had been to take his gun, open the car door and shoot Neuville, then shoot his driver and save Sara. I can’t be sure Kayden’s people, even if watching me, know about a sniper, who may or may not exist. And I don’t plan on being in anyone’s bed but Kayden’s. The tricky part of getting in that car is having no gun. If I snap Neuville’s neck, the driver can turn a gun on me, and it will be hard to take away from him with the seats between us.
My mind firm now that I’ve told Kayden where I am, I just need to get us to the next chocolate shop location. I’ll grab Bastile’s gun when I’m about to exit, and immediately claim shelter back inside the car. Plan decided upon, now I need to convince Neuville to go to another store.
Bastile opens the door and I climb inside the limo, finding Sara smashed to Neuville’s side while he strokes her hair. Sick bastard.
“Where is my necklace?” he demands, the door sealing me inside.
“It’s in a display drawer, and that display was shipped to another store. We need to go to the location by the Notre Dame cathedral.”
He calls over the seat for the driver to get Bastile. The driver rolls down the window and calls for Bastile. The next instant, a challenging development occurs. Bastile opens the door and gets in beside me. He repeats what I’ve said, in French. “The woman said to check in with her in an hour.”
Neuville’s eyes turn hot and sharp on me. “What game are you playing, Ella?”
“This is not a game. You know what Matteo told you. You know what was on the security feed you watched.”
“I know you know where that necklace is. I see it in your eyes. In the defiance you think I don’t understand. But I did break you in ways you don’t wish to accept. And I will break you now.”
He looks at Bastile and spits out a command, and Bastile pulls his gun and points it at Sara. “Here’s what going to happen,” Neuville says, yanking Sara across his lap. “I’m going to fuck her while you watch unless you tell me where it’s at. If you try to stop me from fucking her, Bastile will shoot her.”
“No,” Sara says. “No.” She shoves against him and he laughs.
“I’m going to enjoy this.” He grabs her hair and there’s a struggle.
I go to the place where I find control and calm, because this is the moment I’ve waited months for. Bastile’s management of his weapon is pathetic, his supposed respect for my skills lacking. He thinks I’m small. He thinks he’s strong. He’s right, but those things don’t matter.
I count to three in my mind, and then act. I take Bastile’s gun and I’m in his lap, straddling him, the gun at his chest and trigger pulled before he even knows what happened. The next second, I rotate, and I’m sitting in the lap of a dead man. The driver rotates, a gun in his hand he intends to use on me, and thankfully I have a clear shot. I hit him between the eyes and my gun is now on Neuville, who has Sara’s dress to her waist.
“Let her go,” I order, and slowly, too slowly, he eases his grip on her.
Sara scrambles out of his lap and as soon as she’s against the door, she slams her foot in his face. He growls and reaches for her and I land a foot in his groin, doubling him over. His phone is on the seat and I grab it, dialing Kayden and moving off of Bastile, who I shove against the door.
He answers quickly. “Who is this?” and just the sound of his voice, knowing he’s absolutely alive, sends a rush of relief though me.
“Kayden.”
“Ella,” he breathes out. “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m at the chocolate shop.”
“Is it safe to send Sara out to you?”