Page 68 of Wicked Games
“Sure. We’ll take a quick tour.”
The gym and pool were the typical setup and included a steam room and shower. The training facility was enough to make me weep from excitement though. Carmen covered every aspect of our job from rappelling, scaling, avoiding laser and other motion-triggered detection, cracking safes, hacking, checking for bugs, and she even had a car simulator where you could learn to lose a tail. The facility must’ve taken up at least three of the previous floors to permit scaling and rappelling training.
“The computer lab is over there,” she said, pointing to a door on the far side of the room. “Gun range is through that door.”
“Gun range?” I asked with a raised brow.
“I’ve made many enemies, so my bodyguards are licensed to carry.”
“Makes sense,” I agreed. “This is an amazing facility. I admit it seems a little over-the-top with as few employees as you have now.”
“Think big picture, Lucky. I don’t want to be in the field forever. That’s what I want to talk to you about when our mission is over.” I admit she grabbed my attention. “Ready to see the rest?”
“Lead the way.”
“I’ll save the command center for last since we’ll be meeting Quinton there when he arrives.”
“Quinton? Percy’s cousin?”
“Yes,” Carmen said. “While you were spending private time with Ryder, Percy tried to contact his cousin again and was able to get through. I decided to bring him in for the job.”
“You’ve done great so far without him though,” I pointed out.
“What took me two years to find probably would’ve taken him two months. He’s probably the best hacker in the world, and I want to employ the best.”
“You’ve met him before then?” I asked.
“No, I only know of his reputation through mutual friends.”
“It sounds like he will be a great asset to our mission.”
“I liked our odds before, but I fucking love them now, Lucky.”
The tour continued through the guest and penthouse suites. Everything was as state-of-the-art as her home in Miami, but the décor was entirely different. Her London residence was urbane and sophisticated where her Miami mansion was peaceful and serene. Equally beautifully places; totally different vibes.
“Ryder would love this suite,” I said, looking around the sitting room in the guest suite that would be my private retreat for the next few days. Black and gold marble floors, butterscotch leather sofas and club chairs, and the most incredible view of London.
“You must bring him for a visit after this is all over. You’re welcome to stay whether I’m in residence or not. It would be one of your corporate perks.”
Carmen’s phone chimed, and she looked at the screen. She tapped a button and said, “Hello.”
“I have an appointment at eleven.”
Carmen tipped the phone so I could see the data on the screen identifying him as Quinton Harrison. She brought up another menu and pressed the command to open the elevator. “Come on up.”
“Okie dokie,” he said before Carmen disconnected.
“He doesn’t sound like the world’s best hacker,” I said. “How’d Quinton’s info come up? Surely a hacker knows how to protect his data from becoming available for anyone to access.”
“He had an appointment with Harry yesterday evening so we could get the ball rolling. He checked out.”
“I’m trusting your judgment. I know how to retrieve artifacts, but the technical stuff is over my head.”
Quinton Harrison was the exact opposite of his cousin in nearly every possible way. He was tall to Percy’s short, dark to his fair, and wore sedated clothes to Percy’s flamboyant outfits. I bet his black-rimmed glasses were from necessity and not for looks like the ones Percy wore on occasion.
“Yeah, I get that surprised look a lot from people who’ve met Percy,” Quinton said, smiling crookedly. “It’s good to meet you, Lucky.” He shook my hand warmly and turned to Carmen. “It’s lovely to meet you too.”
I glanced over at Carmen and did a double take. Carmen Santiago was blushing and smiling shyly at Quinton. She looked as equally enthralled with him as he did with her. His gaze swept over her long legs, svelte curves, and riot of dark curls cascading over her scarlet leather jacket. What an interesting turn of events.