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Gabriel has a daughter to think about.
In my thoughtfulness, I look around and notice a more modern structure attached to the castle, just off the east wing. It’s a large metal and glass structure —an extension to Van Straus’ otherwise medieval villa. My heart skips a beat.
“What is that?” I ask.
Gabriel looks. “Looks like one big sunroom.”
I whistle quietly. “Can you imagine the view from in there? Surrounded on all sides by…” An idea suddenly pops into my head. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but a renovation of that size would need a construction permit, right?”
“Do you really think Van Straus is the kind of man who’d go through the proper channels to get something as trivial as a construction permit?”
“If he wants the authorities to stay off his radar, yeah? He’s not going to risk anybody’s suspicions or give the police a reason to come search him for something as stupid as breaking a zoning bylaw.”
“Where are you going with this?”
“He’d have to file this sort of thing with town hall, provide blueprints and such.”
“Perhaps.”
“I need to get my hands on those blueprints. It’ll give me a better idea of the layout. From there, I can better plan our entry point and escape route.”
Gabriel’s quiet for a moment, likely turning my idea over in his brain. I can practically hear the gears turning inside that handsome head of his.
“It’s better than nothing,” I say softly. “We either try to find the blueprints, or one of us has to figure out a way in there to see what we’re working with. And who knows how many more bodyguards Van Straus has in there.”
He works his jaw. After a second, he mumbles, “Fine.”
I grin and start to turn back toward our rental car. “Excellent, we’ll just—”
Out of nowhere, the sound of angry barking fills my ears. I’m not sure how we missed them, but a pair of patrol guards come up behind us, quickly approaching. Their dogs yank on their leashes, snarling and growling, flashing their sharp teeth and frothing mouths. The guards point their bright flashlights in our direction, shouting at the two of us in German.
My heart drops to the pit of my stomach.
“Fuck,” I hiss. “Shit, how did they—”
“Come here,” Gabriel says.
“Wha—”
Without another word, he circles my waist and crashes his lips to mine.
Chapter 14
Gabriel
She kisses me like her life depends on it. At this moment, it probably does. Raquel’s hands fly to my face, her soft palms cupping my cheeks as I part her lips with the tip of my tongue. She moans as I press her against the trunk of a nearby tree, her right leg hooking over my hip to let me get that much closer. I savor the sound, her breathlessness, the way her cheeks flush a lovely dusting of pink. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last.
“Hey, you!” one of the guards shouts at us in German. “Identify yourselves at once!”
I jerk away from Raquel slightly and whisper against her mouth. “Not a word.”
She nods her understanding, her bottom lips red and swollen.
“Hey!” the guard snaps again, taking a step forward. “I’m talking to you!”
I turn slowly and smile innocently. “Hello there, friends,” I reply in their language. My German’s rustier than my English, but I think I can get my point across all the same. “Lovely evening, isn’t it?”
“What are you doing here?” the second guard demands. He looks like a strong man, but it’s clear he’s struggling to hold his dogs back.
