Muffled responses have me leaning harder into the wood, straining to hear. When it swings open suddenly, I stumble into Matteo’s arms.Busted. My gaze slides to his, then darts to his full lips. The urge to close the distance rages through me, but I force my eyes back to his. I am struck by the gold flecks through them, framed in dark lashes that all females would envy. Why do guys get the best lashes?
Akio clears his throat then directs a pointed smirk toward his brother’s arms that just so happen to still be circling me. Heat rushes to my cheeks as we jump apart. I turn my attention back to Akio and his dark almond-shaped eyes zero in on me. There’s something about those eyes, like they can see right into my soul. Like he knows how badly I want them all.
I shake off those thoughts. “So I’m coming with you, huh?” I toss a cheeky grin at Dec. “Can we bring Hades?”What the fuck? When did I start to think of him as Dec?
His eyes flare in annoyance. “We’re leaving in five minutes. And no, Hades stays here.”
“And put on some fucking pants.” Matteo adds, his voice gruff. I flip him off.
Well, shit. No puppiesandwearing pants, two things I hate.
I all but skip down the stairs ten minutes later, the prospect of freedom sending zings of energy through me. The guys gather in the foyer at the base of the stairs, so I walk over to stand beside Akio. Their conversation cuts off with my approach and Akio nudges me before leading me outside to the waiting vehicle.
With all four of us in the giant blacked out tank of an SUV, I feel better than ever. Will I play nice? Sure. Will I try to get away? If the opportunity arises. Do I want an opportunity to arise?Fuck.
Dec stays focused on driving,In this Momentplaying through the interior. It’s harder to stay irritated with someone who has the same taste in music.
Surprisingly, Akio took the passenger seat. Unsurprisingly, he has about three screens up and running with shenanigans I can't begin to understand. From this angle, I get a chance to study him, watching the flex of his sharp jawline move under his smooth olive skin as he taps away at the screens. Akio seems completely engrossed in what he’s doing until he looks back at me and smiles warmly. My cheeks heat as our gazes clash. Heat scatters through the rest of my body as I look away.
Matteo leans forward to turn down the music, catching a scathing look from Declan. When he settles back in his seat, he looks at me. “Here’s the deal. We know that a meeting is taking place with one of Clay’s contacts, we just don't know who. When we get there, we’re going to stay far enough back that the SUV can’t be seen, because we don't know where they will stop. Once we have eyes on them, we split into two groups. You will go with Declan.”
My gaze goes to Declan, catching his eyes in the rearview mirror which are already on me.
“Look at me, Menace.” Matteo has my chin in his grip as he turns my head to face him. “You stay with him. Under no circumstances do you give away our positions. You will be quiet. And you will pay attention to anyone there in case you know them. Understood?”
I jerk my head out of his grasp. “Ow.”
He levels me with a glare.
“Fine. I will be on my best behavior. Scout’s honor.” I give him a mock salute before turning to look out of the window for the rest of the drive. I don't miss his huff of annoyance.
I stay quiet with my eyes open, knowing this is going to be my best shot at getting away from them. I’ll have to play nice enough for them to let their guards down, but not so much that they are suspicious, because let's be real,friendlyis not exactly a Fallon Helix personality trait. I find myself torn between wanting to get away and back to my old life, and wanting to follow through on this deal we made. The connections growing between me and these guys are confusing as fuck.
It’s when Dec kills the headlights that I realize we just pulled into our destination – a warehouse district. Our vehicle is tucked in behind a building.
My palms are sweating and despite my bravado, I know Akio sees the fear in my eyes when he turns to face me. “It’s fine, Siren. We’re just going to watch and listen. No big deal.”
I nod, trying to absorb some of his calmness. “Yeah. Okay, I’m good.”
“Good girl.” His deep voice shoots heat through me. I catch Matteo rolling his eyes, but I don’t care; I just give Akio a smile.
Twenty minutes later, we hear the crunch of tires on the gravel through the windows, which are cracked open a few inches. Afternoon light spills in, warming my skin. I hold my breath, as if that will keep us from being seen. I scan for a path that would allow me to outrun the guys or get me to a public place to call for help. So far, no luck. It must be a weekend, because there’s no one around.
I force an exhale when a familiar BMW pulls to the side of a storage unit. I knew my instincts were right about Clay. He steps out, but he’s not alone. A burly man trails behind him, taking in their surroundings, but he can't see us. As he moves out of view, Declan speaks up.
“Any minute now. Let's get closer. Remember, no noise.” His gray eyes meet my own in the rear-view mirror, that last part clearly directed at me. We exit as one, shutting the doors quietly. Splitting up, I go with Dec, while Akio and Matteo go around the far side of the building. I lean against the wall, eyes zeroed in on my silent companion. A second car arrives, and I’m shocked to see a police cruiser.Holy shit, why is a cop here? Is Clay about to get busted for something?
It comes to a stop next to Clay’s vehicle in the storage center alleyway. Clay and the stranger are already standing between the two cars. We position ourselves so they can’t see us, but we can see them.
Declan’s sharp jaw ticks as the officer emerges from his cruiser.Could this be my chance to get away?On impulse, I move toward the cruiser,only to be brought up short by powerful arms that pull me flush against Declan’s chest.
As I struggle to get free, he claps a hand over my mouth, muffling my protests. Leaning in, his warm breath grazes my ear, each whispered word sending an electric tingle down my spine. “Just watch. Don’t make me regret bringing you with us.” He keeps me secured against his chest as the cop gets out of his car, his back to us, and calmly approaches Clay. I glance up at Declan, taking in his clenched jaw and sharp intake of breath as the cop turns and we’re able to get a full view of him. He’s short with a bald head, beady eyes and a reddish birthmark on his face. Declan tugs me further into the shadows to make sure he can’t see us.
“Anything new?” Clay glances around as he speaks.
“I told you that things need to die down. I can smooth over a lot, but only if I am first on scene and only in smaller steps.”
“I didn't ask you to cover this up, I told you to find her.”
