Chapter 26
I’ve never seen a bomb go off, but that’s what happens in the booth. Only it’s silent, and Rio and I are the only ones who witness it. Ace’s eyes turn completely murderous.
“She’s not—” His neck is straining so hard it seems to cut off his words. Tendons look like they’re going to rip out of his arms where they are resting on the table.
“I wasn’t talking about her going with us. Like I said, she’s not leaving these walls.”
Ace’s shaking the entire side of the booth from the violent muscle contractions in his thighs.
I rest my hand on his jeans. “Easy.”
“What are you talking about?” he grits out.
“I was going to have her mic-up, in my ear, watching on a chest cam.”
“A mic,” Ace repeats.
“Yeah, so she can tell me and my guy exactly what files to pull for Reingold.”
The temperature around this side of the bar has dropped twenty degrees. People have migrated away, to the other side of the room.
“Not happening. She’s not going to be involved in criminal activity.”
I give Ace’s thigh a squeeze. “I have an idea.”
“You’re not going.”
I rest my head against his bulky shoulder. “Of course not. But I could casually talk to my new boyfriend about my workplace and Rio could overhear.”
Ace’s arctic gaze drops to me. He studies me—examining every curve, every eyebrow hair. “You’re so fucking smart.”
“I don’t know,” I grumble. “Prince pulled one over on me.”
“Me too,” he mutters as he loops his arm around my shoulders, some of the violent tension in his body easy.
“Plan sounds good,” Rio agrees. Then he leans forward. This time he slips a piece of paper across the table toward Ace. There’s an address scrawled on it.
“For your appointment.”
That big hand that was just on me in the most intimate way reaches for paper, quickly folding it in half.
“What time?” he asks cryptically.
“Now,” Rio replies.
Tense silence fills the space between the three of us.
I tap a finger on the table. “I’m sorry, but Rio, you forgot the lesson on code-speak when you gave me the vocabulary lesson. Care to clue me in?”
“That one’s for the big guy there to explain.” Rio rises from the table. “I’m just gonna get a refill and you two can talk amongst yourself. Never mind me when I sit at the booth behind you.”
My pulse is already beating a little too fast.
“Are they really going to?” I ask Ace when Rio’s at the bar again. “What about the um.. po?—”
I can’t call the word police. I’m not sure if I should even say the word. Lord, I’m a criminal and now I’ve got a catch in my throat just thinking about cops.
Ace quickly supplies, “Rio’s connected.”
A moment later his club brother returns and slides into the booth behind us.
“Oh. Oh, okay. So about my work.” I give myself a mental shake, trying to think like a burglar who is going to steal files on my behalf.
“I sit in this cubby, a cubicle sort of, there’s a vintage dress pattern sketch framed on the wall. If you can call it a wall. You know what I mean.”
My mind spins like tires that won’t take traction on ice.
“My desktop machine is this big bruiser. Kind of like you. It’s got a funny glitch with the password so I use a really simple one. McCall’s, like the company that made the pattern on the wall. But no apostrophe. That and the dollar sign with the letter 4. That’s my lucky number, four.”
Ace’s gaze is glued to mine, but it feels like he’s a million miles away. Like he’s planning something.
“And,” I continue, “The emails I sent will be in my outbox, but if they got deleted, I have a backup of all communications on a second drive. It’s in the desk drawer on the right. The key is in my spare shoes under the desk.”
Rio shifts behind me, chuckling.
I keep talking. “The funny thing about accounting files is there are lots of copies. Everywhere. Isn’t that interesting, Ace?
” I ask as if we’re having a normal conversation.
“Which means that I always keep a thumb drive, because I’ve got so many files just hanging around.
It’s easier that way. I’ve got this really great thumb drive that’s Avocado green.
Strange color, I know, but I love it. That’s also in the drawer. ”
I finish the glass of water, my throat parched from all the mental effort. And from screaming Tobias’ name about a million times.
“Then there’s Wallace’s office. He’s got sooo many files in there. Wharf Road Holdings. All of those businesses he does the financial reviews on. Paper files, can you believe it? Who uses paper these days?”
Ace is still staring at me.
“Wallace isn’t good with the alphabet. So he uses numbers. I put the number on a certain file. It’s fifty-one. That’s a really important number.”
I steal a glance over my shoulder and see Rio’s phone screen on with the voice recorder listening.
“Yes, fifty-one is a lucky number. But you should also look at thirteen. The best luck might be found there. It’s a really lucky number. And that’s all. I think that’s about all I can say about work right now. I’m kind of tired. It’s been a long day.”
Rio gets the drift and ends the recording. He stands up and saunters back to the bar.
Ace’s gaze follows him.
“I’ll be right back.” My hulking lover says as he scoops my water glass off the counter and strides to the bar. He and the bartender have a short conversation. Ace comes back with my cup a moment later, and a beer looped under his index finger.
“You did good,” he asks, seeming to take a moment to swallow roughly. “I wish you didn’t have to do any of this.”
I swirl the cold cup of water on the table top, spreading the sweat-ring around. “Well, I can’t say I’m sorry at the moment. I have enjoyed meeting you.”
When I let my eyes return to his gaze, there’s something dark behind his normally bright blue eyes.
“Drink your water. You were screaming a lot earlier. Don’t want you getting dehydrated.”
I pick up the cup and drink. He’s right. I was, and my vocal cords are tattered. “Worth it,” I say, when I sit the cup down.
“What kind of water is that?” I ask.
“Filtered,” he says, looking at his beer bottle. “We’re not total barbarians.”
“It’s got a residue.” I lick my lips, dab the corner of my mouth. “Never had water make my lips feel?—”
He slides his hand into my hair, turning my face toward him. “I’m sorry, Vera.”
“Sorry for what?” I ask, but my words are weird. Thick.
I yawn and he rubs my neck, gliding his thumb up and down the pulse point. “Why don’t we head back to our room.”
My eyelids are really, really heavy. “I guess you wore me out.”
He doesn’t reply, but he uses his massive strength to scoop me out of the booth. I rest my head against his shoulder. “My word,” I murmur. “Who knew a few orgasms would wipe out a girl like this?”
Ahead of us, Rio’s opening Ace’s door. Also standing in the hall is the one they call Skull.
“Hey guys,” I say, sleepiness swamping me.