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TWENTY-TWO
Seraphina reviewedevery aspect of her plan over and over. She’d memorized it step by step and still went through it again for good measure. There could be no room for error. This started with Jarad and would end with Jarad.
She eyed the things she’d laid out on her bed at the rental she’d obtained under a layer of false trails. These were the only supplies she’d brought to take in a small easy to carry case. Her gaze landed on the nano suit. The new level 5 armor Rook insisted she get was pretty impressive.
Thinking of his worry and caution curved her mouth upward in a smile. He knew she was coming. He knew she wouldn’t be dissuaded by his warning. So he did the next best thing. The care in his effort to protect her wouldn’t be taken lightly. She had every intention of being careful and making sure she did nothing to mess up the culmination of this moment.
Her comm buzzed, drawing her attention. A frown pierced her brows. No one had her comm code. She did transactions under a secure code through an untraceable line with layers built in through incognito walls she’d paid a hefty credit sum to have installed.
The comm buzzed again and she moved away from her bed to stare at the device on the scarred bedside dresser. Curiosity won out. She morphed into a throwaway image and accepted the call. Rook’s face immediately appeared on screen and her heart leaped.
She stepped closer. Excitement clanged inside of her only to freeze. Puzzlement replaced her pleasure at seeing him. “Rook, how did you get this contact?”
His mouth tipped down in the corners. Had he expected someone else? Then she remembered the morph.
“Fina?”
She blew out a breath. “Yes. How did you find me?”
His expression lightened. “You aren’t the only who has access to tech.”
“But...” She didn’t understand.
He kept glancing over his shoulder. Urgency lent an edge she’d only heard once to his voice. The day he’d told her to run and let her go. “I don’t have long, Fina.”
Shoving her emotions to the side, Seraphina forced her brain to engage. “What’s wrong? Are you in trouble?”
Mentally, she started readjusting her timeline and plans, work arounds to figure out how soon she could get to him if he needed her.
“Am I in trouble?” Shock widened his eyes. “I—Fina, are you worried about me?”
Cheeks flushed, she snapped. “Of course I am. You reached out to me after warning me to stay away and while it might seem minor to you, my encrypted security measures are better than good. They’re pretty damn unbreakable yet you managed.”
He huffed. “Theyaregood, I admit and actually gave our tech team member some annoyance.”
That was beside the point. She rolled her eyes at his not so subtle boasting. “Rook, if you don’t need me, why are you calling?”
His brows drew low and his eyes narrowed. “Youwereworried about me. What would you have done if I said I was in trouble?”
The hard expression he wore implied he wasn’t ready to let this go yet. She sensed how important her answer was and gave him the truth. “I would have blown that place apart to get to you.”
His mouth dropped open. He ducked his head, hiding his face from view. She waited, her heart pounding, to see how he’d react. There was no need in pretending. She’d laid her feelings bare for him to accept or refuse.
When Rook lifted his head at last, her chest seized. The hard glint in his brown eyes glowed with deep seated passion. “Then it’s good that I reached you. I want to ask you again to think twice, no—three times about whatever you have planned. Jarad’s been in talks with the ERS and the Alliance. He’s convinced them that Tempest worked with Umir Azri to kill Niehl Quai.”
Umir Azri. She knew the name because she’d researched the person who snatched her target from her. In the end, it didn’t really matter. Her only concern was that Niehl die and he had. One less vermin for her to clean up.
Still. “Tempest had nothing to do with Umir.”
Rook nodded. “Iknow that andyouknow that. But for obvious reasons, there was no way for me to share how I knew without a doubt you had no involvement with him.”
Another blush filled her cheeks, but she shook it away. Her answer remained the same. “I won’t turn away from this, Rook.”
“I didn’t think so. I just want...Ineedyou to be on your guard. This situation surrounding Jarad has deeper implications. He knows the Alliance will protect him and wants to garner sympathy before his public appearance. As a son of the House of Oolun, there is the political dynamic to consider as well.”
She shrugged. Politics would have to get over it. Rook growled and the sound reverberated through her. She met his frustrated stare. “I promise I’m careful. I’ve taken your warning to heart. Was there anything else?”
He hesitated and her throat went dry. Could this be more than the professional call he implied?
