Chapter 54
ERYX
The moment we touch down it’s a race to Thoren’s safe house.
It’s one of the few locations he frequents when he’s sent out on jobs for Sebastian or his fights.
Lucky for us it’s fully stocked. It’s also the perfect place for us to rest and get our plan put together.
We only get one shot at this so we can’t mess it up.
Caine was able to keep us out of the aerospace radar so we didn’t alert any one of our arrival.
He’s set up with his monitors and has Shina on speaker as they get their systems synced.
She’s going to bypass the security and put the video feeds on a loop.
That will allow us to move about the compound without being seen by their cameras.
We’ll still need to keep out of sight of security guards.
The plan as it stands is to blend in with the catering staff.
It’s the easiest way in and out of there without raising suspicions.
Thoren hands us each two handguns and four clips to have on our person. We’ll have to sneak more in if we plan to get out of there alive.
I pull out my cigarettes to calm may nerves. I’m about to light it when he stops me. “No smoking in here pendejo. Take that shit outside.”
I don’t have it in me to argue with him right now, plus its his place, I won’t be a bitch about it.
I lean on the back porch and light up my cancer stick and take a deep inhale.
Letting the smoke fill my lungs, before letting out an exhale.
Its a beautiful view here, Anastasia would love it.
She loves the ocean and the crash of the waves.
“You want to pass me one of those?” Caine leans over next to me. I pass him one. “Got a light?” I pass him the lighter and roll my eyes.
He lights his, the red ember lighting up the space around us. “We’re going to find her and bring her home.” He says on the exhale. “We have a solid plan, it’s going to work.”
“Yeah,” I stub out my cigarette.
“Now, come on. You need your rest. We all do.”
I just nod and follow him back inside.
3 hours before the wedding
I wake before the others. Those three hours of rest were much needed. Now we’re ready to get this show on the road. My hands twitch for something sharp, violent. Instead, I count the hours left until I have Anastasia back.
Roman moves methodical as always, already double-checking the weapons laid out on the table. Caine follows, coffee in hand, looking like he hasn’t slept. He’s always struggled with sleep though. Thoren’s last, coming out of the side room. We circle the table, and Thoren starts.
“Catering crew gets cleared at noon. You’ll slide in with them. From there, split.” Thoren’s expected to be there. Sebastian doesn’t know that he made contact with her. We’ll use that to our advantage.
Caine taps at his laptop. “Security grid’s tight, but I can loop the cameras. Shina will feed me coordinates from the apartment. She’s sharp, she won’t miss a thing. But I’ll need ten uninterrupted minutes once we’re inside.”
Roman nods. “So we buy you ten.”
Thoren leans forward, his eyes on me. “Diversion happens at the main entrance. Fire alarm, small explosion, whatever it takes. Roman and I draw eyes. You—” his lip curls, “—you get her.”
My jaw clenches. “I’ll get her.”
Caine cuts in before Thoren and I can start again. “Once she’s in our hands, we push through the East service corridor. Vans waiting two clicks out. If things go—”
“They will,” I mutter.
“—then we reroute through the stables. Last resort, but it’ll take us straight to the perimeter wall.”
Roman gives us all that steady, unshakable look. “No freelancing, no heroics. We stick to the plan.”
I nod, but inside, I already know. I’ll burn the place down if I have to.
The Wedding
The uniform feels wrong on my skin. White jackets, pressed slacks, caps pulled low. Catering staff, trays in hand. My gun is a heavier weight hidden beneath the disguise. We made it onto the grounds without any issues. With Shina’s help, Caine was able to get us company I.D.’s to get us inside.
We slide into Sebastian’s hacienda with the rest of the crew, unrecognizable in the tide of workers. Roman keeps his head down but his eyes are everywhere. Thoren went in through the main entrance, camouflaged with the rest of the guests. He’s expected here.
Caine’s voice is in my ear, low and controlled. “Feed’s looped, you’re clear. East corridor cameras are down. Move.”
The wedding is chaos above us—music swelling, guests laughing, champagne flowing. But I can hear it, the announcement. The bride is coming.
My blood roars.
I slip past the archway, through the hall lined with marble and guards. Roman and Thoren pull the diversion—a blast of smoke and shouts from the front doors. Security scatters.
And there she is.
White dress, veil trembling as she steps into the corridor.
My chest caves. For a second, I can’t move.
She looks like something holy, something I’ve bled for a thousand times.
Then I’m on her. My arm clamps around her waist, hand over her mouth before she can scream.
She stiffens, fighting me, but I drag her back into the shadows.
Her body’s shaking against mine when I hiss into her ear, “It’s me. ”
I pull her out of the hall, into the service corridor. Finally, finally, she twists in my grip, eyes wide as she looks up at me. And when she sees me, her lips part, her breath catches.
“Eryx.”
I don’t have time to answer. Shouts cut through the air.
Boots pounding. Sebastian’s men. We’re almost clear when the corridor chokes with bodies.
Guns up. Too many. Hands rip her from me, others pin me back.
The butt of a rifle slams into my ribs, another across my skull.
Anastasia screams my name as they drag us opposite ways.
The last thing I see is her veil torn from her head, her face twisted in terror as they pull her back towards a side door.