22. Twenty-Two
I fucking knew it.
I spent the past hour sitting in the kitchen convincing myself not to go to the shed, not to interrupt their training, reminding myself how important it was for Mads to be able to protect herself. I almost gave in three separate times, sure I would catch them in the act, but no. I sat here. Waiting. Waiting to see if they would come back with that fresh-fucked glow around them.
When the door opens I have to grit my teeth to stop from saying anything. Here they are, walking into the house, looking for all the world like they just got real friendly in there.
Between her too quick glances and his newly assured swagger, it’s clear something happened between the two of them.
It was too obvious Ray was going to pull something; he was so eager to volunteer for the training position. I’m surprised Dane didn’t call him out then and there. He’s so damned protective over his space when he’s on one of his runs or just doing general training, but he was immediately on board to bring her along. He’s probably the best suited for it, but Silas could give him a run for his money had he seemed even vaguely interested when Dane brought it up.
Even if Mads could make direct eye contact with me right now, I would know. An uncomfortable, writhing jealousy forms in my stomach as Ray leans back against the kitchen counter and smirks at me. Smirking. He’s not even trying to pretend that nothing happened in the shed. That envy takes on an angry tint the longer I look at him.
I force my eyes back to Mads and I can’t stop the questions whirring through my mind. What did they do? Did he make her come? Did he taste her? Did she taste him? I can’t slow the train of thoughts that are quickly spiraling into outright fantasy.
We’re supposed to be getting more information right now, and all I can focus on is the thought of his tanned and tattooed skin covering hers. The way they would move together. The sounds they would both make…
Agh!
Thank God I’m sitting at the kitchen table, otherwise the evidence of my thoughts would be more than obvious to everyone else in the room. Even if Mads is doing her absolute best to look anywhere but directly at me as she takes a seat at the table across from me.
A door opens behind me and I know it’s Dane from the way she tenses and quickly looks away. A new blush is starting to paint her cheeks.
I glance back at Dane, and don’t see any recognition on his face. He doesn’t see it. Good, this is good. My stomach knots, knowing he’ll flip his shit if he finds out, and the last thing she needs right now is one of his tirades.
I manage to catch Ray’s eye, and he confirms my suspicions with a satisfied smirk, running his tongue over his teeth and pushing off the counter. He looks like he might as well have just declared some sort of victory as he takes the seat next to Mads.
I shouldn’t be jealous but, fuck, do I wish I had been there.
Silas exits his own room as Dane sits down, and just like that, the gang’s all here. I check his face when he sits down beside me, and he definitely knows. Silas’ gaze cuts back and forth between Mads and Ray, jaw tightening the longer he looks.
“Good session?” he asks, his voice deceptively even.
Ray’s eyes light up, “Very productive, thanks for asking, Si.”
The twisting in my chest is quickly turning into anxiety and I have to stop myself from picking at the rough skin on my fingers. I can’t imagine how Mads is feeling right now if I’m this wound up.
Dane clears his throat, drawing my attention back to him at the head of the table. It’s the distraction I need to take a deep breath and focus on the information he’s finally ready to share with us.
“In five weeks’ time we’ll move in on the Giordano compound.” He bends forward, resting his weight on his forearms, forcing us securely back into work mode. Each of us, Mads included, focused entirely on Dane while he lays out his plans.
“That’s when the family will be abroad and the security on premises will be the most relaxed. By my estimation, there should only be half a dozen guards and the live-in staff who maintain the property.”
I flick my eyes to her, just a quick look to see how she’s taking everything. Her face is hard, no expression other than determination, she’s not blushing or averting her gaze. She’s not nervous, not terrified about the job. To an outsider she might even look like she’s been a part of this team for years. Her calm makes the muscles in my stomach start to relax.
Dane continues, “We shouldn’t have too much trouble, but I’m not interested in going in and half-assing this. Everyone is in, and everyone, save for our plant, is armed.”
From the corner of my awareness, I see Silas tense slightly. I feel that same trepidation. Who’s the plant? Who’s going in vulnerable? I don’t dare raise the question; I’m not dumb enough to interrupt Dane when he’s in a sharing mood, especially when this is the first time he’s given us this much information about the job.
Dane opens the laptop in front of him, turning it around so we can all see the schematics he’s pulled up. I don’t need to lean in and squint at the graphics, already knowing every inch of the compound. I was the one who hacked into their systems and pulled the blueprints when I couldn’t find the financial records Dane was looking for.
“Once we’re in the underground parking zone, Tucker has five minutes to loop the cameras. We need to move fast. They’re going to have a satellite team ready to move in the moment we raise any alarms.”
Of course it’s me. I should have known it would be me. I mentally scold myself for not realizing it sooner. My heart rate ratchets up. I’m going to be vulnerable here. I’m the one without any protection.
Dane takes no time to gauge our reactions before barreling forward. “We escort Madeline to the vault, and Tucker cracks into the system from there. Then she will step in and activate the failsafe, a fire suppression system that will act as a booby trap and vacuum out all available oxygen from the vault. Tuck says it should only take him 5 minutes to get past that system, but we’ll plan for 10, not taking any chances. While he’s shutting down the systems, Madeline will find the-”
He’s interrupted by a harsh and demanding tone blaring from my pocket. All five of us freeze in confusion for a moment, a millisecond, before everything grinds to a halt. That tone, that alert, has never been activated since I set it up. I almost forgot what that bone rattling sound meant.
I pull the computer across the table, and immediately punch in the code to open the security feeds. Three unmarked trucks make their way up the road to the clearing with God knows who, or what, on board.
This is bad.
They’re moving slowly, having difficulty navigating the narrow road, but they’re close. Too close. My system should have alerted me minutes ago, and now they’re nearly on us.
I look back up to everyone at the table, all waiting for answers. “Four minutes out at most.”
Everyone’s moving in seconds, everyone, except for Madeline who has no idea what’s going on right now. At least she’s showing the appropriate amount of panic.
“Stay here!” I shout at her as I run to my room. I have a go bag packed, but she has nothing. She should have one already. Why the fuck haven’t we made one for her yet? I grab the first backpack I can find and throw random pieces of clothing into it along with my laptop and every device I can manage to save in the few moments we have left.
Whatever doesn’t come with us now is never going to be seen again.
Mads is still frozen at the table staring at the screen, watching the trucks slowly pull closer and closer up the road. I glance at the feeds.
“Only a mile out now!” I shout to whoever can hear me. At this rate, we have only a few minutes to clear out before they get here.
Silas and Ray run down the stairs, their faces grim. We all know what this means. We all know this is the last time we’re going to be seeing this place. I take a scan of the room around me, one last look at the place I’ve called my home.
“Can she keep up?” Silas barks at Ray, packing up final essentials from the living room.
My heart stutters in my chest; he’s the only one here who knows what she’s capable of.
“She’s good.” He sounds sure, but his jaw ticks. The only sign of anxiety he’s going to allow to show.
Silas nods, accepting Ray’s word as fact before moving quickly to Dane’s room.
But she is still frozen, refusing to look away from the screen. She knows exactly who is coming. She knows they’re coming to reclaim their property. I want to comfort her, to tell her it will all be okay, but we don’t have the luxury of time.
I slam the laptop shut and shove it into the bag before handing it to her. Her eyes are unfocused, her body tight with panic.
“Mads, look at me.”
Her eyes drag across the expanse of the living room before connecting with mine.
“I know you’re freaked, but we need to move. Now.”
She nods, still not fully alert, but she’s come back to herself enough to move with a little more urgency. I grab her arm. I don’t want to manhandle her, but I can’t let her fall behind. I won’t let Omni steal her back.
I pull her along, practically dragging her across the living room, and into Dane’s room. The moment we clear the threshold, I freeze, my mind desperate to make sense of the chaos in here. Hundreds of pieces of paper are taped to the walls, and pictures I’ve never seen before are piled up and strewn about the floor. It’s been years since I’ve been in here. I never needed to invade Dane’s space since the last time we drilled this route, but this is new.
There’s no room for more, no room to add to his chaos. I don’t know how he’s sorting through any of this information, but he’s darting back and forth, tearing down pages and pictures, shoving them into his bag in a desperate attempt to save the most important pieces.
Unlike me, Silas and Ray waste no time. They move Mads and I out of the way and shove the bed against the door before grabbing a dresser and piling it on top. They pull away the rug and reveal the hatch patiently waiting for our return.
I check my phone as they open it, the cool musty air filling the room in a welcome rush. The trucks are almost to the clearing, moving faster now.
“We have a minute, max.” Dane doesn’t stop, doesn’t acknowledge the threat, he’s still moving through this space, gathering everything he can.
“We need to move.” Silas grabs his arm, halting Dane’s movement through the cramped space. His eyes are manic, his muscles tense, and it takes a second for him to register Silas is holding his arm. That he’s pushing him forward and away from all of his work, the manifestation of his obsession.
Like a switch has been flipped, Dane schools his face back into a hard blank mask and steps toward the open hatch. He doesn’t look back before crouching and dropping into the darkness.
Ray is next to go, looking back to the three of us remaining in the room, his jaw ticking. He disappears, and my stomach drops as the sound of engines fill the clearing.
Madeline’s hand was already gripping my arm, but now she’s grown claws. Every bit of tension in her body digs into my bicep, five sharp distinct points, each underscoring her silent panic.
“We need to move, Mads.” I pull my face into her line of sight as I speak. She needs to focus. She needs to center herself. Otherwise, we won’t make it out.
“Madeline!” I break the unwritten rule and shout at her. It seems to break through the haze and her eyes focus on my mouth, on the words coming out of it, then snap up to meet mine.
Too fucking slowly, she releases her grip on my arm, and I pull her towards the hatch. Silas hasn’t said a word, but the tension radiating from him is palpable, his breathing coming in heavy, rapid succession.
He steps forward and places his hand between her shoulder blades, nudging her forward.
The engines grow louder, and the sound ends Silas’ patience. He shoves her forward, headfirst into the darkness. She hardly reacts, just falls. A quiet grunt floats up from below.
“Got her.” Ray’s voice, just barely audible from the tunnel, calms some of the panic in my chest.
I take one last look, a final glance at the state of the room and drop down myself, letting the quiet void swallow me whole. Two steps aside, and Silas joins me without a sound.
We set off running, leaving everything behind except what we were able to carry with us.