“Bennett’s safe,” he said, and left it at that. “I’m giving you ten minutes. That’s enough time for you to get off the grounds. The dock’s secure, so that if anything goes down there, we’ll be on top of you. I’ll be on the boat that has Deboque’s yacht under surveillance. We’ll move in the moment we have your signal. Hannah, I know the wire’s risky. If you’re searched—”

“If I’m searched, I’ll deal with it.” The mike was an ISS masterpiece that resembled an intricately worked locket that rested inches below the pulse in Hannah’s throat.

“If he sees through this, he’ll move fast.”

“I’ll move faster.” She laid a hand on his when he started to speak again. “Reeve, I have a stake in this too. I don’t want to die.”

He looked at her for a moment as a woman. “I have a reputation for keeping my partners alive.”

She was grateful he could make her smile. “I’m counting on it. But if something goes wrong, would you give Bennett a message for me?”

“Of course.”

“Tell him . . .” She hesitated, unused to trusting her feelings to anyone. The clock struck the hour, midnight, and she prayed the magic would hold. “Tell him I loved him, both parts of me loved him. And there are no regrets.”

She left through the main door and drove slowly toward the gates. In minutes, the guards who’d not been informed of the camouflage would react in precisely the way it was expected. Anyone watching the palace would see the shock and the action. For now, she passed through the gates with only the briefest of checks.

She kept an eye on her watch as she drove, hearing the minutes tick off and thinking of Bennett. He would be safe now. Whatever happened that night, he and his family would be safe. If Deboque paid her, he would be arrested for conspiracy. If he killed her, he would be arrested for the murder of an ISS agent. The end justified the means.

Hannah stopped the car, waited and heard the explosion. Malori had promised loud, and had delivered. She opened the door and stood beside the car a moment. The palace was a dim white blur against the night sky, but the east wing was lit like day. The fire was impressive from here, and knowing that none of Deboque’s men could get much closer, she was satisfied. Within twenty minutes one of Malori’s men would leak word that the Royal Family, save Armand, had perished in the explosion.

By the time she arrived, the docks were deserted. Word of trouble had already spread this far. Hannah parked her car in the shadows, then left it behind to wait in the light. She made an excellent target.

*   *   *