Page 67 of Wicked Games
IDIDN’T SLEEP WELL ONthe flight to Heathrow, and I wasn’t the greatest company when I followed Carmen to a Land Rover where Draco’s identical twin waited for us.
“There’s two of them?” I asked once we stopped at Costa Coffee to caffeinate. Draco 2.0 stayed in the car and kept the car warm while we dashed in. One of the things I admired most about Carmen was the way she treated her employees. She didn’t just assume Draco 2.0 had his fix already; she asked if he wanted anything. I expected the stoic man to pass on the offer, but he asked for a chai latte instead. His voice sounded as gravelly and unused as his brother’s.
“Yes, and you’ll never guess his first name?” Carmen asked, humor lacing her words.
I knew how much she loved irony, so I took a good stab at it. “Harry.”
“Yes, Draco and Harry.”
“Can they perform magic too?” I teased.
“Yes,” Carmen replied then lowered her voice, “but not the kind you’re thinking of. One is a retired SEAL, and the other is a retired Green Beret. Trust me when I tell you they have plenty of tricks up their sleeves.”
I lowered my voice too and asked, “Where the hell do you find your employees? Is there some job service that locates positions for former special forces officers and mercenaries?”
“Why? Thinking of a career change when this is over?”
“The thought has crossed my mind,” I admitted.
“It’s because you’re not working for the right person,” Carmen said, lifting a perfectly arched brow.
“Why? Do you know someone who might be interested in hiring me?”
“I am,” she said, nodding. “If you’re open to the idea, I’d like to pitch a proposal to you once we deal with Banks.”
“I’m open to hearing what you have to say, but keep in mind I’m not making a decision based on what works only for me.”
“I know you and Ryder are a packaged deal, Lucky. I don’t want to break that up. Hell, I need some pointers,” Carmen said, smiling wryly.
“Don’t look at me. I have a horrible track record, especially with Ryder.”
“It’s all going to work out in the end though. I feel it,” Carmen said confidently.
“Speaking of Ryder,” I said, reaching in my pocket and pulling out my phone. “I forgot to turn my new fancy phone on. I promised I’d text him when we arrived safely.” I hoped he was still sleeping, but I wanted a message from me to be the first thing he saw. I was happy to find a message from Ryder waiting for me then laughed when I saw the pictures and words accompanying it. “You’re in jeopardy of losing your dogs.” I tilted the phone so she could see.
“No chance in hell,” she said. “Those are my boys, but I’m grateful they’ve taken to Ryder. They tend to pout and mope for the first few days when I’m gone.”
“Don’t you ever get tired of it?” I asked, stepping to the side to wait for the barista to make our drinks.
“The travel wears me down after a while, but I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop, I should say. This is who I am; this is my life.”
“It’s a piece of who you are, not the sum,” I countered, tapping out a message to Ryder.
Tell those boys not to get too comfortable. I’m going to want my spot back. I’ll call as soon as I can. Caffeinating then strategy meeting with another team member. At this rate, it’s probably my mum. A new surprise is around every corner. Then I need to crash for a bit, or I won’t be good to anyone. I love you, Ry.
After we left, Harry drove in the direction of a warehouse district that had been renovated to living spaces. I had a feeling Carmen didn’t rent a converted flat but owned an entire warehouse to get up to her mischief. I wasn’t wrong.
“The elevator uses the same biometric scan system you saw at my front gate in Miami. Here, it’s disguised to look like a typical call button,” she stated, gesturing to the button. “Push the button and see what happens.”
“Haha. I stopped falling for that a long time ago,” I quipped. “Is this also like the perimeter fence in Miami?”
“No,” Carmen said, rolling her eyes. “Unapproved visitors push the button, and it initiates the same type of intercom system you find in secure buildings where someone has to buzz visitors in. Now, put your finger on the call button and hold it down to initiate the scan.”
I did as she asked, and a blue light in the glass panel came on and scanned my face while the call button beneath my thumb scanned my print. The doors opened, and we stepped inside. Instead of numbers, a button was assigned to each floor, and beside them were a digital display identifying its purpose: Gym/Pool, Training Facility, Command Center, Guest Suite, and Penthouse Suite.
“Guests granted permission to come up don’t get to see the same digital displays as you and I. They see the typical floor numbers you expect to find in an elevator. For added security, the elevator will only take them to floors approved by security.”
It was an impressive setup. “Training facility,” I said, perking up. “Can we go there? Can we? Huh?”