Chapter Eighty-Nine

“I think your girl ran off,” Garrett said with a frown as Colton handed out the gear.

Dane pressed his lips to a thin line. “Lena didn’t run off. She wouldn’t just walk away when we’re about to rescue her daughter.”

He didn’t bother to mention that Lena wasn’t his girl, either…mostly because they hadn’t yet gotten around to classifying the relationship.

A relationship that wouldn’t matter if she had, indeed, run off.

Where the hell was she?

He was picking up his car keys to hit the streets and look for her when the front door opened and she rushed in.

“Am I late?” she asked, as if she hadn’t been gone the entire day.

He tamped down his irritation. “No. But I was about to go search for you.”

“I’m here now.” She looked…guilty or something. Guilt with a side of pride, maybe?

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“In ten words or less,” said Garrett, “we need to leave in about twenty minutes.”

Lena straightened. “I was on Viktor’s yacht.”

“What?” the whole team said at once.

Startled, she took a step backward. “It just sort of…happened. I went for a walk and I knew where he lived because I’d seen the address on your maps. I just wanted to see if maybe Kenz was in the backyard playing or something.”

“Was she?” Dane asked, hopeful.

Lena shook her head. “No. So, I walked past the house and ended up at the marina. It’s obvious his staff is getting Glorious Morning ready to go on a long journey.”

“What if he had seen you there?” Garrett snapped.

“He wasn’t on board. I know because I was. I walked on with the maid who was stocking the refrigerator and pantry. I tried to think of a way to keep the boat from being able to leave, but I couldn’t come up with anything. So, instead, I hid my cell phone in one of the cabinets on deck. Angel should be able to track it if he gets away, right?”

They all looked at her, then at one another in surprise. Dane was sure he had the same baffled expression on his face.

Good God. She’d managed to get on board and plant a tracking device on Viktor Kulakov’s yacht? Dane was vaguely surprised she hadn’t stayed to cut and color his hair, too.

Wordlessly, Angel whirled and headed for the dining room where their makeshift control center was set up.

“Good job, Lena.” Samantha was the first person to break the stunned silence. Probably because she wasn’t as shocked as the rest of them, having been a normal person who’d had to live through an extraordinary situation.

Dane knew Garrett had once underestimated her, but when it counted, Sam had stepped up and saved his life. Dane also knew while Garrett was glad to be alive, he hadn’t been too happy she didn’t listen to his orders but had put herself in danger.

Dane could relate, big time.

“I’m proud of you for thinking of it,” he told Lena when she tentatively stepped closer to him. “But I’m also mad as hell you risked yourself like that.”

She shrugged. “It wasn’t much of a risk. I just helped the maid carry some groceries. Once I was onboard, no one seemed to care.”

“Holy shit, it’s working,” Angel called out from the dining room.

“I figured if he gets away, we’ll have another shot at him,” Lena reasoned.

Dane felt the pride surge again.

His girl had done one damn fine job.