Dance Around - Susi Hawke Page 0,1

quietly speak to each person. As he gently offered them a chair or something to drink, he was really sussing out their innocence—or lack thereof.

He turned and ordered his men to release one maid and make sure she had somewhere to go and safe transportation to get there, making it clear something in the rest of their responses told him they weren’t to be trusted. Once the maid was led away, he gave orders for the rest of the staff to be tied up and prepared for transport.

Watching him filled me with awe. He had a quick mind and faster reflexes. But most impressive was his almost cocky level of confidence. He made a decision on the fly and moved on to the next without second-guessing himself. Gil was possibly the most arrogant omega I had ever met. And damn but if his arrogance didn't turn me on.

Even when he made me mad enough to punch walls, he was still one sexy little fucker. I'd fantasized many times over the years about shutting his mouth with a strip of duct tape, although I'd never admit it out loud. My favorite fantasies involved shutting his mouth in other ways… mostly with kisses. Not that I would try. Any attempt would earn me a kick in the nuts so hard I'd be spitting out pubes for days.

Clay finally ended his call and motioned to Gil. "He says he ‘just happens’ to be nearby with the Shadow Force. We're supposed to guard Salvador and any other prisoners until they arrive."

With a snort, Gil flicked his hair over his shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, sure. I mean, Spain is lovely this time of year. Who wouldn't come vacation here with their secret, elite squad of goons?" Gil snapped his fingers, not blinking when three of his men rushed right up to await their orders. He closed his eyes for a split second, then nodded to himself before speaking.

"Morty is on his way to take over the scene. We all know how much I trust Morty to be open, don't we? We don't have long, so this is an all-hands-on-deck situation. He said he's nearby, so I want this done in under four minutes. Get every electronic device from computers to tablets, even the staff cell phones, and copy each file—including personal emails and stupid selfies. When he shuts us out, I want every possible piece of information at my fingertips in case I need to start sniffing for clues. Get moving. Your time began ten seconds ago."

We left Gil and the brood working and walked outside to watch for Morty. Less than four minutes later, a brood member rushed out with a handful of memory sticks. He took off on the back of a motorcycle which conveniently pulled up as he reached the street. As we watched them speed away, Dear elbowed me in the side. "I don't care who you are—you gotta love the way the brood functions."

Yeah, I had to admit they were a well-oiled machine. To myself, at least. There was no way I was saying it out loud. Especially when Gil spoke from the doorway, blushing with a self-deprecating smile. "We try our best. Some days the machine is oiled better than others, but we do our best. Thank you for noticing."

Rolling my eyes, I grunted and tipped my chin toward the road where a line of three Hummers were pulling up in front. "Looks like you got your guy out of here right on time with the illegal files."

Gil flashed me a toothy smile. "I believe Dear meant as much by ‘well-oiled machine,’ Danny boy. Pay attention, hon." I responded with a "don't fuck with me" growl; Gil merely grinned.

Morty sauntered up and nodded to the rest of us before focusing on Gil. They spoke only long enough for Gil to give him a headcount on the prisoners and tell him everything we knew. Which wasn't much. This was Sal's villa, staffed by unsurprisingly suspicious people. Naturally, Gil pleaded off with a perfectly innocent vibe, probably fooling Morty about as much as me and anyone else paying attention.

"Thanks, kiddo. You can pull your men out now. The Shadow Force and I have it from here." Morty gave Gil's hand a firm shake, then nodded to me and my brothers again. "Thanks for coming, gentlemen. Finding Mr. Dominguez was a good day's work all around. Enjoy your flight back to Portugal and give the rest of