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I’ve got to get my head on straight and remember that this hotel comes first. This is my life, and there is no room for error.
Walking through my apartment, I pay close attention to any sounds behind me. I wouldn’t put it past Teagan to follow even now. When I don’t hear anything, I open the hidden panel on the wall and place my hand on the biometric scanner. The console turns green, unlocking the thick titanium door and sliding it open.
I step inside the panic room that doubles as a secure command center with a high-tech security and defense system for the hotel. My team waits, sitting around the conference table in the center of the space.
Natalie, Tank, Griffin, and… “Dallas?”
Shit.
I almost didn’t recognize him with his hair gone all the way gray now, and his face covered in a beard. Only his icy stare remains the same. A stare that could kill.
“Happy to see you too,” he jokes.
I’m actually happy to see him. Dallas is not only one of my best friends, he’s also been my mentor for many years. There are not many people I trust. As a matter of fact, most of them sit in this room right now.
“I just didn’t expect you, old man.” I take a seat at the head of the table.
“Hey, gray is the new black.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’ve been called gray fox more than once now.”
“I’m sure you have. Is that why you came here, to show off your new hairdo?”
“No, old friend, I came here to warn you.” The lightheartedness in his voice is gone.
Of course, he did.
Leaning back in my chair, I get ready for the lecture about letting civilians into the hotel, letting my guard down, and risking this whole operation for some girl and her brother.
Surprisingly, that lecture never comes.
“The people who hired those lowlife criminals to plant a bug on you are more dangerous than you think. This isn’t just a random operative pissed he didn’t get into the hotel.”
Alarm bells go off in my head, and I straighten up. “What do you know?”
“I’ve filled him in on everything we’ve dug up so far,” Natalie cuts in. “I sent everything to him yesterday, and he’s been looking into it.”
Dallas leans forward, propping one of his elbows on the table. “The more I look, the deeper it goes. Even with all our tools, including the FBI and CIA database, I haven’t been able to pinpoint who’s behind this.”
“That’s…” I struggle to process what he’s telling me.
“A huge pile of dog shit? Yeah, I thought so too. That’s why I came. You need all hands on deck.”
“Thank you for coming so quickly. Sorry to drag you out of retirement.”
“Nah.” He waves me off like it’s no big deal. “Retirement is overrated.”
“All right, what’s the game plan?” Griffin asks.
“If we can’t find anything out using the system, we have to go old-school on those fools.” Dallas seems way too excited about this. “Whoever it is, they know how to stay off the grid, not to leave a paper trail or come up in any database. The phone numbers we do have are all untraceable.”
“We have to set a trap,” Griffin suggests.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” Dallas agrees. “We know they’re trying to get to you, and they are not above using civilians to do so. They don’t care about casualties either. We use that knowledge to our advantage. Set a trap and get those assholes.”
We all agree and start brainstorming immediately. Once we have a couple of plans set, Natalie, Tank, and Griffin clear out, giving me a minute alone with Dallas.
“I heard you left the hotel earlier.”
“Yes, it ended in an explosion and a run-in with the cops.”
“Sounds like my kind of party.”
We both chuckle. There was a time when explosions and life-and-death situations were the norm. Dallas always did enjoy working more than me.
We get up from our chairs, and I slap my hand on Dallas’s shoulder. “Glad to have you back.”
“Glad to be home. Don’t worry about those fuckers. We’ll get them,” he promises. “Now, tell me about the girl in your room.”
“Her name is Teagan.” Dallas’s eyebrows raise at the defensive tone in my voice.” I clear my throat. “And there’s not much to tell. I’m just letting her stay here until this is resolved.”
“All right, buddy, whatever you say.” He grins at me before walking out of the room.
I follow him into the hallway, giving him a final goodbye as he steps into the elevator.
After he’s gone, I head straight back to my bedroom. I open the door, and my gaze falls onto the now-empty bed. The only proof she was here is the open first-aid kit on the mattress.
Fucking Christ.
Did she really sneak out again?
I’m about to turn around and search the apartment when I see the bathroom door opening in my peripheral vision.
