Page 62

MARA

A tremor passed through me. Damn it, this was a bad idea. Why didn’t I think this might be a possibility? Wes angled his body, blocking me from the view of the security guard while I tucked my chin.

He whispered, “Just don’t draw attention to yourself.”

“Thank you for the obvious advice,” I snipped back at him. “But I figured that part out on my own already.” He smirked, eyes glowing like molten gold. “This is not funny,” I whisper-yelled.

“No, it’s not. But my choices are to whisk you back to the van or shove my better judgment into the gutter because I know you’ll refuse the sensible solution to this mess, anyway.”

I considered that. He wasn’t wrong. “Fair.”

I peeked over Wes’s shoulder and watched as Javier sauntered up to the counter, pausing only a moment to adjust his crotch.

Matias stood beside him as he addressed the security officer in hushed words.

The screen changed again, this time to an empty hallway, and I felt a little better now that my face wasn’t plastered across the screen.

“Can I say that seeing your picture on that screen is incredibly arousing? ”

My heart stuttered. He did not just say what I thought he said. “Did you just…”

He dipped his face toward mine. “You’re wanted for treason against a government I’ve spent my entire adult life fighting against. And knowing that they should absolutely be wary of you is incredibly attractive.”

My face strained as I tried to keep the stupid grin off my face. “Stay focused, Wes.”

He chuckled lightly. “Oh, I am focused…just not on what I should be at the moment.”

My cheeks tingled. He was not making this easier for me.

“Thank you, sir.” I heard Javier’s accented voice. Peeking over Wes’s shoulder, I saw him take four badges from the officer. He handed one to Matias as he stepped around the counter. With a tick of his head, he gestured us to follow.

“Time to go,” I mumbled.

“Just keep your head down and stay to the left of me as we walk by.”

I did as I was told, eyes trained on the floor but watching Wes from the corner of my eye as he walked beside me.

He was clever, speeding up, slowing down, or angling his body as he walked to keep my face from view as we passed the security desk, and then subsequently as we waited by the elevator furthest away from the stationed guard.

Javier handed the man the work order as Matias handed Wes and me our badges.

I clipped mine onto my lapel as the security officer reviewed the order, and then badged the key fob next to the call buttons.

At least this was going simple enough. I just had to hope that nobody recognized me once we were on top.

The elevator dinged, the up arrow lighting up.

“There you go,” the guard said. “Be sure to check out when you leave.”

“Thanks, man,” Matias remarked easily .

The doors opened and Wes shuttled me inside first, stepping in behind me, and then the rest of the team. Javier thumbed the button for the tenth floor and the doors closed.

“Looks like you’ve made a name for yourself, prima,” Javier teased, bumping my shoulder.

“Yeah, well, that was most definitely not the idea. I can’t even believe my picture was on there,” I muttered, irritated.

Wes held his wrist in front of him, feet shoulder-width apart as he cracked his neck. “It’s not a stretch for Raúl to do this. You came after him once. It’s only prudent for him to assume you’d do it again. Which,” he tipped his head, eyeing me, “he wasn’t wrong about.”

I frowned. “Yeah, well, that doesn’t make it less irritating.”

“Or less difficult,” Matias added.

“Time to focus, senores y senorita. When those doors open, we need to assess what kind of security we have and make a plan without drawing attention to ourselves.”

“Is that all?” I snarked.

Javier cocked a jovial brow with a crooked grin. “Careful, primita. I’ll tell your mom you were giving me attitude.” It wasn’t a serious threat, but an ode to days long gone as children at the Presidential Palace.

The elevator stopped, making my stomach dip as the momentum ceased. A muted ding.

“Here we go,” Wes muttered.

And the doors opened.

A long, white-tiled hallway with white walls, white ceiling, and recessed lighting spanned the length before us with another sentry waiting expectantly.

We filed out, Javier taking the lead, followed by Matias, Wes, and then me.

Just like before, I kept my face down, and Wes continuously worked to angle his body just right, always shielding me from view.

“Orders?” the guard asked, extending a hand .

Javier handed the document to him, and then tugged at his crotch again, bowing out a leg.

The guard arched a brow, handing the document back to my cousin. “Looks like you’ve got someone else’s uniform.”

My heart stilled.

Javier didn’t even try to hide the fact that he was in something too small. “Tell me about it. These jerks thought it would be funny to replace my suit with Miss Princess Pants uniform back there,” he said as he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

Wes tensed, knowing that the gesture would send the guard’s attention back to me. I covered my mouth with my hands, pretending to stifle a laugh, hoping that with half my face covered, I would be less recognizable.

The guard’s eyes landed on me for only a moment before he snickered. “That’s cruel.”

“That’s what I said,” Javier agreed. “Now I’m stuck all day like this.”

Wes cleared his throat. “We’ve got work to do, sir. And we still have another order to complete after this.”

“Right.” The guard stepped aside, humor still glinting in his eye. “Head down the hall. Third door to the left takes you to the tower.”

“And the computer terminal?” It was a bold question for Wes to ask, and the shift in the guard’s expression told me it wasn’t the right one.

“Why would you need that? Your order just says tower maintenance.”

Crap, crap, crap! All three guys froze. Matias had a bead of sweat taking shape at his temple. With a deep breath, I spoke.

“It’s part of maintenance,” I offered. “We have to update the computer software to make sure the transmission remains intact and the anti-virus is up-to-date.” My stomach felt like rocks had just been dumped in, heavy and unpleasant.

I worked to keep my face relaxed as the guard eyed me.

It was silent, seconds ticking by, ratcheting up the angst inside me.

I swallowed. “You can call it in if you’d like? We’d understand. ”

Please don’t call it in. Please don’t call it in , I chanted. It was risky to make the suggestion, but I hoped that doing so would make us seem less suspicious.

The guard seemed to consider it, pursing his lips and quirking them to the side. Then, after what felt like an eternity, his face relaxed. “Computer is the second door on the left.”

Tension slipped off my shoulders like a fifty-pound weight. Thank goodness …

The guard lifted his wrist, pulling back his sleeve to reveal his tab. “Let me get you guys your escorts.”

Escorts? Well, that was going to add a layer of complication.

“Thanks, man,” Matias said easily. How the hell he could always take everything in stride was beyond me. It was a freaking gift.

The guard spoke into his wrist while we waited patiently for our escorts. It took a few minutes, but movement and the clicking sound of nails on tile greeted my ears, causing me to look up from the floor. And when I did, my heart sunk all the way down to my freaking toes.

I heard Wes curse under his breath beside me—too soft for anyone else to hear—but I seconded his thoughts. Because coming down the hall was something I had hoped I would never see again. Something that haunted my dreams and still plagued my memory.

Glowing yellow-orange eyes. Glistening canines and claws that ticked along the tile floor with each step. Black and brown mangy fur, exposing patches of gray, scaly-looking skin.

Hellhounds.

We are so dead.