Chapter 30
GEORGIE
Today I ached for very different reasons than I had the week before.
I held onto Nash’s hand as we headed to the Avernus security office. My leg muscles told me that I’d gotten a good workout last night, but not quite as much as the soreness between my thighs did. I also had a few faint bruises and bite marks.
I grinned. I’d never felt better.
Last night had been amazing.
Nash slung an arm around my shoulders. “I like that smile. What are you thinking about?”
My smile widened. “You. Last night.”
He stopped, warmth filling his rugged face. Then he pulled me closer and kissed me.
It only took a second for me to get lost in it. Lost in the taste of him, the heat of him, the feel of him.
He pulled back and rubbed his nose against mine. “Get used to it. I’ve got more planned for later.”
I shivered at the promise in his voice.
We entered the casino and took the elevator down to the security office. Bastian, Cole, Alessio, and Landon were already in the conference room. My flush of pleasure faded as reality seeped back in.
The trip to the club last night—that I’d been trying my best not to think about—came back to the front of my mind. Snyder, and my driving need to take him down, were front and center.
I’m going to get him, Viv.
“Morning.” Bastian nodded as we entered the conference room.
Nash closed the door behind us, his gaze going straight to the screens.
They were all showing pictures of Snyder’s mansion.
It was sprawling and had vaguely Tuscan lines.
Arched windows with black frames and a dark, tiled roof contrasted with the cream walls.
Palm trees dotted the grounds along with immaculate landscaping.
I saw aerial photos showing a stage being set up behind the house, and what looked like bars with crates of empty glasses stacked beside them. An army of workers were setting things up by a huge pool and paved outdoor area. There were delivery trucks driving in and out of the front gates.
“The party is tomorrow night,” Bastian said. “He’s had deliveries going in and out all morning. There’s going to be a massive fireworks display, dancing, all kinds of entertainment. This is it. The chance to take him down.”
Tomorrow. My hands flexed then curled into fists. I felt Nash’s gaze on me. I looked at him and nodded.
“There’s a big guest list.” Landon crossed his arms, frowning at the screens. “There’ll be a lot of people.”
“Sometimes it’s best to hide in the crowd,” Alessio murmured.
Cole nodded. “People don’t remember things in a crowd. They’re never focused on individuals.”
“We do have one snag,” Bastian said. “We can’t hack Snyder’s home CCTV. It’s locked down tight. I’m guessing he has a discrete system that isn’t connected to the internet.”
“Dammit,” Nash murmured. “I don’t want to go in blind. We need to have eyes on him and his men.”
“We could go in and plant some cameras,” Cole suggested.
Nash nodded and glanced back at the screen. “If we do it right, we can smuggle some weapons in at the same time. That way there isn’t a chance of us getting caught bringing them in for the party.”
The men all nodded.
“And now’s an excellent time to go in.” Nash pointed to the screen where a white delivery van was driving through the black-iron gates. “I’ll go in as a deliveryman.”
“I have a batch of tiny surveillance cameras,” Bastian said. “They’re easy to plant, hard to detect, and they’ll piggyback off his wi-fi.” He smiled. “I also have a tiny hacker bug. If you plant it close to his router, we might just be able to hack his system from the inside.”
I stepped forward. “I’m coming with you.”
Nash’s face hardened.
“This is my mission, Nash. I need to be a part of it.”
His mouth flattened.
“I want to help plant the cameras. I’ll stay with you, I won’t do anything crazy, but I’m coming and I’m helping.”
Beside Nash, Bastian smiled. “I’ll pull some strings. Find a delivery due today that you can do. Going in as a couple will be good cover.”
Nash shot him a narrow stare.
Bastian held out his hands. “I’m sure his security will be on the lookout for a lone woman. And a big, grumpy guy who clearly looks like he was in the military might get extra attention from the security guards.”
Nash looked back at me, then sighed. “Fine.”
I beamed up at him.
I bounced a little in the seat of the delivery van as Nash slowed. We were approaching the front gate to Snyder’s mansion.
They were tall, made of black iron, and as ostentatious as the rest of his residence. The man wouldn’t know class if it kicked him in the head.
I bounced again. The suspension in the van sucked.
We were both wearing navy coveralls and ball caps. Both had the logo for the Divine Elegance florist on them. Someone there had owed Bastian a favor.
I saw a security guard with a clipboard wave us to a stop.
Nerves winged through me, but I tried to look calm. Today, I wore a curly, blonde wig. The curls were escaping from under my cap. I also had some latex prosthetic stuff on my cheeks that Nash had given me. It changed the shape of my jawline.
He lowered the window. “Got a delivery of flowers. Divine Elegance florist.”
The guard checked the clipboard. A second guard circled the truck, and I heard them open the back doors. I knew he’d be staring at the loads of flowers in giant urns packed into the back.
The tiny cameras I planned to plant were in my bra. The cameras were so small. Bastian clearly liked his high-tech toys. The weapons Nash had brought were already tucked deep into the center of the flower arrangements.
Finally, the guard nodded. “Go around back. The flowers are all being set up by the pool.”
With a nod, Nash drove on.
We were in.
I stared at the house and my throat tightened. Viv had lived here for a while.
While it was overblown for my tastes, it was grand. A modern palace. But for Viv, it had become a prison.
Nash parked. “Ready?”
I tugged on the bill of my cap and nodded.
We exited the van, and he opened the back.
The enormous arrangements of colored flowers were in huge bronze urns.
Nash hefted one out with ease and handed it to me.
I struggled a little under the weight, but gritted my teeth and lugged it.
He pulled a second one out. We followed a paved path through the neatly manicured and very green gardens.
No xero-scaping for Snyder. His water bill had to be astronomical.
We rounded the house and then I saw the pool. My mouth dropped open.
It looked like a resort. The huge pool had sinuous curves and sparkled bright blue. There were cabanas on one side and a rock fountain with water falling into the pool at the far end.
There were people setting circular flower arrangements to float in the water. The entire pool was filled with flowers. I put my urn down.
“Holy cow,” I murmured. “This place…”
Nash just grunted. He slipped a hand in the pocket of his coveralls and looked so casual as he planted a tiny camera on the pole of the cabana beside him. “Let’s spread out. We’ll plant most of our…items out here. Then we’ll walk back through the house and plant a few inside.”
We circled the pool. There was a large stage front and center, where DJ equipment was being set up. Several smaller stages were dotted around. The bars were all set up. I carefully planted a few cameras, trying to get good angles.
There were also some tall braziers spaced around. They’d be perfect for when the weather got colder once the sun had set.
Nash jerked his head at me and I followed him. We crossed onto a large terrace filled with circular tables and chairs. He pulled me inside through some giant sliding doors.
“What if we get caught?” I whispered.
“We’ll just say we’re taking a shortcut back to the truck.”
We were in a massive living room. Everything was white. White carpet, white couch, some white statues.
I froze. Some of the pictures and videos of Viv that Snyder had taunted me with…they were taken in here.
She’d been hurt here.
My heart squeezed.
“Hey.”
Nash touched my arm. I looked blindly at his worried face. “He hurt her here. They all did.”
He took my hand and his fingers tangled with mine. “They won’t hurt anybody else. Let’s plant the last camera.”
With a nod, I wandered past the couch and pressed it to the leg of a glossy table.
“Hey, what are you doing in here?”
My head jerked up and I saw a guard. Damn. It was Alden. My mouth went dry.
“Just heading back to our truck,” Nash said, his tone unconcerned. “I thought an urn of flowers was going in here. We were just looking at the best way to bring it in.”
Alden scowled. “No. All flowers are going outside by the pool.”
Nash held his hands up. “Sorry, man. You’re our sixth delivery for the day. Must’ve gotten it mixed up.”
The guard relaxed and jerked his head. “Fine. Go and finish up.”
Keeping my head down, I followed Nash out the front door. Back in the sunlight, I pulled in a deep breath. We’d done it.
I grinned up at Nash.
He smiled back. “Let’s get out of here.”