53. Lilah
53
LILAH
“No. We might as well stop this discussion now because the answer is no.” Rafe’s voice was unyielding, his expression a locked door.
“This is why we came,” I reminded him.
I was still in my black dress and perched on the edge of an overstuffed chair in the hotel suite’s living room. Jude and I had been walking the city hand in hand like lovers — which I guess we were if I didn’t want to start overthinking everything that had happened between us — when Nolan had texted that they were back at the suite with news.
And he hadn’t been kidding.
I couldn’t believe the information they’d gotten out of the source named Ghost. Although after everything they’d told me about their operation to rescue me in Greece, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Turns out, working all over the world with people who had unusual skill sets and a reputation for discretion was a real advantage when you needed information on a mysterious party where trafficked girls were brought for sale.
We couldn’t confirm the last part, but it made sense. Potential buyers arrived with girls (I refused to call them — us — “inventory”) who were then vetted and showcased for sale at some kind of fucked-up sex party.
Every rich billionaire nerd’s wet dream.
“We don’t know enough,” Rafe said.
“Ghost said he’d get back to us with more from his other source,” Nolan reminded him.
“What other source?” Jude was sitting on the couch with his legs spread, silk shirt still unbuttoned to show off his flawless inked chest. Manspreading had never looked so good.
“Some other guy who works IT on the estate,” Nolan said. “Ghost isn’t sure he can get more out of him, but apparently that’s where he learned what he knows so far. Apparently the other guy likes to talk.”
“Right, and people who like to talk will get us killed in situations like this one.” Rafe stood like a king, legs spread, arms crossed, issuing edicts like he had every right to make the rules.
Except he didn’t.
“It’s not just your decision,” I reminded him. “I think we should go. I have the brand. It has to be good for something. We might never get another chance.”
I was thinking of Rain Adakai, wondering if she might be there, if I might be able to get her home to her mom and sister.
“We don’t have invitations,” Rafe said. “Even with you, we wouldn’t be on the list.”
“I already called Pythe,” Nolan said. “He can get us some spoofed identities, access the system at the estate, and get our names put on the list — assuming there is one — if we can get someone to insert an SD card preloaded with malware.”
Rafe swore and paced through the open doors of the terrace. I looked at Nolan and Jude, but they stayed seated, so I took my cue from them. This was obviously one of those times when Rafe needed to be pissed alone before he was going to see reason.
Finally he stalked back into the living room. “There’s too much we don’t know. What if the masks have to be a certain kind and we get it wrong? What if we can’t get Ghost, or someone else, to insert the SD card into their network? What if someone recognizes Lilah while we’re there?”
“According to Ghost, everyone wears masks,” Nolan said, “even the girls.”
Rafe glared at him. “I’m starting to wish I’d gone to meet Ghost alone.”
Nolan shrugged.
I thought about everything they’d learned. “So we’d need the right kind of masks, spoofed identities for all three of you, and access to the network to get you on the list,” I said.
“And that’s just what we need to get in without getting ourselves killed at the door,” Rafe said. “We don’t know anything about what goes on inside. What if they separate us from you? What if some other fuck tries to touch you, or worse?”
I had to swallow around my fear because I’d thought of those things. It was risky to get within a mile of the party at the estate — especially after what had happened in Greece — let alone get inside.
The stuff we knew about the party could fit inside a thimble. That meant any attempt to crash it would be unpredictable. Anything could happen once we were inside — if we even managed to get that far.
“I’ll be with you,” I said. “You’re soldiers.”
“Not anymore.”
I heard the anger and frustration in Rafe’s voice, knew it was because the fact that he wasn’t a soldier anymore hadn’t been a choice.
It had been because of Sandoval.
“You are,” I insisted. “You know how to plan missions, how to get into and out of dangerous places. The three of you took apart that boat. You took down three times as many men by yourselves.”
“The boat was a contained environment,” Nolan said quietly. “I’m not saying this can’t be done, or even that it shouldn’t be done, just being honest about the risks here, the way this kind of mission differs from the Artemis .”
“Nolan’s right,” Jude said. “The estate is huge. If this guy is as rich as Ghost says, if this party is as illegal as he’s heard, there’s going to be major security. Getting in is one thing. Getting out is another.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “So the two of you are voting no with Rafe.”
Jude grinned. “Did I say that?”
Rafe swore again.
“I’ll agree to crash the party without Lilah,” Rafe said.
He was conceding only because I was winning.
“They won’t let you in without a woman,” I reminded him. “Someone with a brand.”
He stalked to the wall and braced his body with his hands, then bowed his head like he was praying.
He punched the wall and a hole opened up in the plaster. “Goddamn it, Lilah!”
I jumped a little, because I’d seen Rafe mad lots of times, but never this kind of mad.
“It’s the truth.” I hated that my voice shook, hated that it wasn’t because I was scared of him but because I hated seeing him in so much torment. Hated knowing it was because of me, because I couldn’t let this go.
The room fell into silence, Rafe’s head still bowed to the wall.
It was Jude who broke the silence. “Bottom line, it’s not your decision. This is Lilah’s call.”
I looked at him in surprise. “Mine?”
Jude nodded. “It’s been your call all along.” He looked at Rafe. “Isn’t that right?”
Rafe turned around slowly. His face was flushed, and in the moment before he composed himself, I saw the fear in his eyes and knew it wasn’t for himself.
“We’re going to walk through this piece by piece. If there’s something we can’t figure out, something that doesn’t work, we pass.” He looked from Nolan to Jude to me. “Agreed?”
“Agreed,” Jude said.
Nolan nodded. “Agreed.”
I chewed my lip. “How do I know you’ll act in good faith? That you won’t be looking for reasons to say no?”
He held my gaze. “Would it do any good to ask you to trust me?”
Two months ago, a “trust me” from Rafe and a dollar wouldn’t have bought me a cup of coffee.
But something had changed.
“Yes,” I said.
The room was so quiet I could hear myself breathing.
“You have my word I’ll do everything possible to make it work,” he said. “To make it safe. So, will you trust me?”
I nodded. Because against all odds, I did.