An Eye For An Eye (Fast & Furious | Hobbs/OFC)

Chapter 41

Actually, he had three.

The third was ignore her and catch up to Jakob.

Luke did exactly that, sweeping Shaw up with him and taking her upstairs. She didn't protest at all, especially not once they were face to face with Jakob and guy-now-known-as-Dimitri.

"You good, boss?"

"Yeah," said Luke. "Let's get down to business. Where's the car?"

Dimitri signaled a waiting hippy van. It pulled up in front of them and the side door slid open, revealing four seats. Discrete, unexpected, and straight out of the 60s, there wasn't a chance in Hell any of the Shaws or Eric himself would be expecting them to drive out in that thing.

"Ladies first." Luke could see just the slightest hint of anguish on her face at her current inability to insult him and get away with it. "Mila?"

They were in the van and out of the parking lot inside of three minutes, taking a rear exit to a back street and going straight for the hotel. Luke didn't release the tension from his body until they were seated in a VIP lounge above a bar, with armed guards outside the door and drinks on the table. A woman with a low, husky voice sang somewhere on a stage downstairs in Spanish, strumming a guitar every now and again.

"How long we planning on staying here?"

"Sunset," Jakob said, relaxing at the end of the five-seater lounge he and Luke occupied. "Once the sun's down, we leave. Until then, enjoy the show, I guess."

Elizabeth stood at the railing, looking over the first floor, back pressed against the wall and eyes moving from face to face then back again. Luke didn't ask what she was searching for or whether she'd found it. The way she smoothed out her skirt with her hands and clenched her fists only to unclench them seconds later screamed she was on edge.

"Mila?"

"It's not smart to walk into the bear's den while the bear is home. If there's even the slightest chance Sergey recognizes me—"

"Have you ever met him?"

"Not properly, but I've been in a room with him."

"Then he won't recognize you," Jakob said. To assholes like these guys, women were a piece of furniture, but he didn't need to explain that. The three of them all knew it as well as anyone. "If you're concerned, you can wait out the back. Hobbs and I will take care of business."

"No."

"Fine. I'll do it myself," Jakob continued. "You two wait."

"Sit on my lap facing me. He won't recognize you and you can watch via the mirror," Luke said. Behind them lining the rear wall was an array of mirrors. No doubt intended so whoever was up here could see their own private strip show from all angles. "Whisper in my ear and I'll do the talking."

"Excuse me?"

"This is where you're drawing the line, Beth?"

"It's the facing you part I have a problem with."

"Let me remind you, all of this was your plan. You want to blow it now or—"

The door creaked and Elizabeth didn't move from the railing so much as glide. She approached him as the door opened, grasping the back of the lounge and seating herself on Luke's lap, as Sergey whatever-the-fuck-his-patronymic-was walked in.

"Is this better, sir?"

"Yes, it is, sweetheart," Luke said, putting his hands on her bare thighs. "Now how about you sit there and keep me warm while we talk business."