26. Millie
The scream of an alarm seemed to vibrate through the darkened kitchen. Both palms slapped over my ears to dull the…
Wait.
That wasn’t an alarm. It sounded like… a cat’s pain-filled screech? Squinting as if that would help my vision in the dark, I searched the kitchen. A small shadow darted, nails scratching along the tile, its disgruntled hisses and meows growing quiet as it bolted away.
Hand on my heart to keep it from beating out of my chest, I heaved in deep gulps of air, hoping my lungs would quickly remember how to function. Eyes wide, I stared at Killian, who, with the low light pouring through the windows, looked just as shocked as me.
“Was that a demon?” he whisper-hissed.
I shook my head, the panic suddenly morphing into a hysterical giggle. I pressed a fist against my lips to quiet the unexpected and inappropriately timed laughter.
“Cat.” That was all I could manage now that my hysteria completely overtook all common sense. Bending forward, I sealed a palm across my lips to stay silent as tears leaked down my cheeks. “You stepped on her cat.”
“So, a demon.” Killian’s white teeth flashed in the faint light with his exaggerated grimace. “Just kidding, I’m a cat and dog person. Just ask my new bestie out in LA. His animals loved me.” He turned in the direction the cat ran, brows pulled in tight. “Pretty sure I stepped on its tail. I should go apologize. Bad juju for this BE is the last thing we need.”
My fingers gripped the soft cotton of his snug, black long-sleeve Henley, keeping him in place. “Focus.”
“But I feel bad. What if I broke something?”
“It ran out of here fine. I’m sure it’s okay, and you approaching it will only make it even more terrified.”
Killian faced the open doorway, lips curved downward. “You sure?”
Oh, my goodness. The genuine worry in his tone melted my heart even more toward the man. He was a deadly spy, went through hell, based on what he’s told me, and yet, still had the same heart that made me fall for him all those years ago.
My arm snaked around his waist. “We don’t have much time. The chief could come back sooner than we expect. Let’s go look for those files we hope are here somewhere. We need that concrete evidence for the FBI to have a reason to investigate and shut that group down.”
With a clipped nod, his features shifted, the forlorn look gone and replaced with steely determination.
“You’re right.” Finding my hand again, he threaded our fingers together and led me toward one of the two doorways. “Let’s go snooping.”
Light from the streetlamps streamed through the slats of the thin metal blinds, giving enough visibility to move through the living room with ease. After a quick squeeze, Killian released my hand and motioned to the opposite side of the room.
Guess that was my cue to be useful.
After getting past the multiple guards around the compound, we called a ride share, which was when Killian pulled me into his lap to whisper instructions for once we were inside the house. He would do most of the heavy lifting, but he walked me through what to look out for. Wall safe hidden behind pictures, beneath furniture, or even in the floor.
I didn’t have the same gut instincts that he did, so I hoped I didn’t fail him. Give me a person, a mind to analyze, and I was golden. This. This was beyond my expertise. They didn’t teach expert-level snooping in any of the undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral classes I took.
The thrill of what we were doing had my heart racing and my hands shaking at my side. Evening out my rapid breaths, I shuffled around the room to inspect the walls and check behind the few pictures that hung there. A tan upholstered couch that seemed well-used sat in front of a massive TV. End tables sat on either end, and a single La-Z-Boy-type chair was the extent of the furniture. Despite the narrow, rectangular room, everything fit well, but the modern art on the wall clashed drastically with the classic furniture.
After lifting each frame to check for a hidden safe under the furniture and tapping along the floor, I waited for Killian to finish his more detailed search. Hands on his hips, he turned with a headshake.
Nothing.
Well, that made two of us.
This wasn’t good. Some of the earlier pulsing excitement bled into nervous energy. If we didn’t find what we needed here, then our next stop was more… daring. We needed to find the blackmail material here, so we didn’t need to move forward with Plan B: breaking into the police station tomorrow night.
In two strides, Killian was beside me and wrapping those thick, strong fingers through my own. Urging me forward with a gentle pull, we slipped into the almost pitch-black hall.
I swallowed hard.
Hopefully, Killian knew what he was doing.
Because I sure as hell didn’t.