I drop the towel onto the marble counter.
I walk to the massive walk-in closet. I unzip the hanging garment bag in one clean motion.
The blood-red silk dress hangs ready for tomorrow night. Plunging neckline. A dangerously high slit. Pure armor. The uniform I’ll wear to play the perfect, oblivious sister one last time.
My bare toes curl against the floor.
They rest directly over the loose floorboard. The stolen USB drive sits an inch below the wood.
The tiny silver object presses up through the floor like it weighs a thousand pounds.
Three massive, lethal operators stand fifty feet away. Heavily armed. Hyper-vigilant. They hunt for active threats. They have no idea the true bomb is hidden right here in my closet.
Tomorrow is the deadline. Thirty-six hours.
The security contract ends exactly at midnight. Nick, Rafe, and Jude will pack up their tactical gear. They will walk out the heavy front doors and vanish forever.
I just have to keep the drive hidden until tomorrow night.
I also have to prevent an incredibly stupid mistake. Like begging one of them to press me against a wall again.
I grab my phone off the messy mattress.
The screen illuminates. The security group chat stares back at me. The humiliating text message sits at the top.
Nick did not delete it. The communication channel is still active.
I tap my thumb over my message. A useless gesture. They already read it. They already memorized every word.
I open my contacts. I tap Steph’s name.
I press the phone to my ear. My bare feet carry me out of the bedroom and into the dark sitting room. Amber streetlamps spill faint light through the gaps in the heavy drapes.
The line rings twice.
“Lucia?” Steph answers. Loud and frantic. “Where have you been? Are you okay?”
“Keep your voice down.” My own drops to a bare whisper. “I am fine.”
“You disappeared for two hours,” Steph shrieks softly. “I was about to call your brother. Did the new security detail arrive? Are they hideous? Tell me they look like trolls. It will make this so much better.”
“They do not look like trolls, Steph.” A heavy sigh escapes. “They look like actual monsters. Beautiful, terrifying monsters. And I did something completely insane.”
“What did you do?”
“I meant to text you.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I drafted a message about how hot they were. A very graphic message about masturbating to their security files. But I did not send it to you.”
Steph inhales sharply. “Who did you send it to?”
“The newly created security group chat.”
“Oh my God.” Steph laughs, wicked and delighted. “Wait. All three of them?”
“All three.” My bare toes hit the cool marble tile of the kitchenette. “The Commander is arrogant. Bossy. He cornered me in the kitchen and basically demanded my total submission. And the big one…”
“The big one?” Steph practically purrs. “Details. Now.”
“His name is Rafe. He is the size of a mountain. Completely feral.” The memory sends a fresh wave of heat to my core. “He did a security sweep. He patted me down. His hands were everywhere, Steph. Everywhere.”