51. Orion
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
ORION
F aking your own death is a lot of work.
Not something I ever thought I’d have to do, but it’ll be worth it if Lucas makes the mistake of bringing Ember out of whatever hiding hole they’re cooped up in.
Killian and I trudge into the penthouse five hours after the explosion, both covered in soot and God knows what else.
We had to crawl through the basement window to get out without being detected by the cameras, and I hate to think about all the things that are attached to me right now.
I need a shower and a drink.
Max and Darius appear, both visibly relaxing when they see us standing in the entry.
“What the fuck?” Max snaps.
Killian chuckles, pats me on the back, and takes off in the direction of the bathroom.
Lucky asshole.
“It was a trap,” I explain.
“Yeah. I got that much when Lucas sent me a video of the two of you walking straight into it.” He frowns. “How the hell did you get out of there without a scratch?”
I chuckle, but there’s no humor in the sound. “Whoever rigged it wasn’t very good at his job. I knew as soon as I turned the handle that there were explosives inside.”
“And you walked in anyway?” Darius asks.
“They didn’t rig them to the door itself. I’m assuming because they wanted us in the house to ensure we wouldn’t make it out. It was trip-wired, and they made no effort to hide any of the explosives. We walked in, bunkered behind a table, and tripped it with a broom.”
“Are you fucking insane?” Max snaps.
“Careful, Max. I’m going to start thinking you like me if you keep this up.”
He huffs out an irritated breath. “If Lucas is taunting me with that explosion, don’t you think he’ll be doing the same thing to Ember?”
“I know.” I nod. The thought had gone through my head as I stepped into the house.
The idea that my little flame could be hurting because of this plan doesn’t sit right with me, but it’s our only hope of getting her back.
All the leads we have are shaky, and we need Lucas to make a mistake.
What better way to ensure that than taking the main competitors off the board?
“But by them thinking Killian and I are dead, we have an opportunity. An element of surprise they won’t be expecting. ”
“As long as Ember can hold on that long,” Darius says softly, and my chest clenches.
I don’t want her to give up because she thinks escaping would mean coming back to a life without me.
A week ago, I could have rationalized that she wouldn’t care if I lived or died.
But everything changed since the night of the auction, and I saw her heart opening back up to the idea of loving me.
“I’m going to shower and change, and then we’ll go over the rest of the plan.”
H alf an hour later, Killian and I are both clean and dressed in fresh clothes.
We’re back in my office, which has become the hub of our strategy sessions, but I’m hoping one day soon it will return to the quiet place Ember and I share while we work.
I pour four glasses of whiskey and hand them out, taking a seat on the couch rather than around the desk.
We may have come out of the explosion relatively unscathed, but my body is fucked. The blast slammed the table into us, and while it protected us from the initial impact, the heat and smoke are wearing on me more than I would like.
“Tell us your plan.” Darius takes a long drink, and I follow his lead.
“By taking Killian and me out, Lucas won’t be able to help himself.
His need to inflate his own ego is too great for him to sit on this information until after he’s got Ember locked down.
He’s bound to come out of his hiding place in order to try to take over our business, and that will give us an opportunity to follow him without him knowing, because he thinks we’re dead. ”
“This is all based on a lot of what-ifs,” Max points out.
“It is. But I’ve worked with Lucas for many years, and I make a point of knowing everything about the people who work for me. I know he’ll need to rub in the fact he took out the Hunter, and that will trump the rest of his plans.”
Darius considers me for long seconds, and I think he’s going to tell me my plan is stupid.
He’s told me so with every other one I’ve brought to the table, but instead he nods slowly.
“I agree. I obviously don’t know Lucas, but I know men like him.
Their egos are their greatest downfall nine times out of ten. ”
Max sighs, running his hand down his face before draining his glass. “I swear to god if you get my best friend dead with this plan, I’ll kill you.”
I nod. “I’ll hand you the gun.”