Page 119 of The Prize

“I saw them.”

He looked half amused and half concerned. “Okay.”

“Why do you have an army of drones?”

“How did you get in that room?” He tried to read me. “Jade gave the game away?”

“I’m serious.” I leaned back to look at him.

“Jade can be annoying like that. Look, I planned on doing this myself.”

“Doing what?”

“They’re the manpower I need to pull this off.”

“That’s why you have so many?”

“What’s the other explanation—(a) I’m planning to take over the world, or (b) I have a drone fetish, or (c) I’m a lonely bastard who needs the company of an AI who always agrees with me?”

I arched an amused brow. “Maybec?”

He pounced on me and tickled my ribs, and then flinched at the pain from moving so fast.

“You shouldn’t be out of bed,” I snapped.

“This is happening.”

“Okay, then I’m coming with you.” I pressed a fingertip to his mouth. “You don’t get to push me aside on this one. You trained me for stuff like this. I was there for you.”

“I can’t do that to you again.” He shook his head. “You risked your life for me. It’s unconscionable that I exposed you to danger.”

“You trained me.”

“For self-defense. This is different.”

“We make a great team.”

“It’s too dangerous, Zara. Anyway, I work better alone—”

“Going alone is reckless. I saved your butt, remember?”

He closed his eyes. “If anything happened to you.”

“We go together or not at all, Tobias. This is the only way. Let me do it for my dad. Please, I need to prove I’m carrying on my family legacy. I’ll be part of the mission to get them back.”

“Your dad would hate me.”

I wrapped my arm around his and rested my head on his shoulder. “My father would be proud of you for what you’re doing to restore his paintings. It’s my turn now. Please, let me do this.” How could I live with myself, knowing he was out there risking his own life again because he knew what those paintings meant to me? “I’m ready.”

He sighed heavily and pushed himself to his feet. “I’m leading the mission. Understand?”

“Don’t underestimate my superpowers.”

“Let’s put your superpowers to work. Go make coffee and grab a bite to eat, and then we’ll go over the schematics.”

“If you sneak out I will find you.”

“I know.” He gave a nod. “I’ll prep the kit.”