The room was upscale—white plaster walls covering eighteen-inch concrete walls reinforced with thick steel sheets.If someone just stumbled into it through the master bedroom closet, it would be easy to assume it was a luxurious dressing room, given the ornate cabinets lining two walls, the island in the center topped with a slab of fancy granite, and the massive leathersofas.
That was, until you locked the door and engaged the hydraulics, and the whole place gave itself a little makeover.The cabinets pulled away to reveal a security center with dedicated landlines separate from the rest of the house, and a cell-signal amplifier strong enough to penetrate thewalls.
This was the second main access point to the security system, with the first being in the garage with Carver.I’d hooked up my laptop and gotten to work.Instead of using my cell, which I wasn’t entirely sure was safe, I set my number to work through a secured VOIPconnection.
I’d texted Rhett through another secure channel, and decided to keep Carver unaware until I knew whether he could betrusted.
Now, I was set up with my laptop on the luxurious queen-sized bed that had transformed from one sofa when the hydraulics kicked on.I’d helped myself to a bottle of water from the fridge and a package of Oreos from the pantry—both stocked for theapocalypse.
As I twisted the cookies apart and ate the creamy filling, I focused on what I knew as I waited forRhett.
The things I thought were true, weren’t.Which made me an idiot for not digging deeper into Carlos’s background from the beginning.But he’d given me no reason to.A fellow tech-lover, he’d talked about rebelling against his family’s expectations when he’d gone to Berkeley and graduated a few yearsbeforeme.
It hadn’t occurred to me that I should have checked his records to make sure he’d really gone there.Brace for the spoiler—he hadn’t.No, Carlos had had an education of a verydifferentsort.
Part of me hated getting Rhett involved in this, especially if it put him in danger, but I didn’t see that I had any choice in the matter.Besides, if they touched a single hair on his head, I would use every skill and resource I had to burn them to theground.
I wouldn’t let Rhett suffer for my badjudgment.
Iwouldn’t.
40
Rhett
The ridein the patrol car to the hospital kept playing through my head as I hauled ass to Ari’s place, my knuckles white as I clutched the steering wheel.When I finally pulled up to the gate, I punched in the code and my vision turned red at the sight of Carver washing the car in the driveway.I wanted to rip into him for whatever had Ari spooked and locked in a goddamned panic room, but she’d obviously made the decision not to tell him, so I didthesame.
He gave me a nod as I jumped out of the Jeep.“She knows you’re coming?She’s been quiet all day.I’ve been staying out ofherway.”
“She asked me to come by.We’d appreciate someprivacy.”
He schooled his reaction, but I knew what he was thinking.He’s here togetsome.
No, motherfucker, I was here to handle whatever scared her enough to go into lock-downmode.
I jogged up to the front door, closing and locking it behind me before charging toward the master suite closet.I had no frigging clue where the panic room door was as I scanned the mostly empty white racks and shelves.I’d just found my way out of a maze at Mount’s place, and now I was faced with another hiddenentrance.
Turning toward a shelf, I pushed on the side, hoping something would move but knowing it was a long shot.When it didn’t budge, I pulled my phone from my pocket and tapped hernumber.
“I’mhere.”
“Oh, good.Hold on, let me hitthelock.”
“I don’t see a damned door or where it’shidden.”
“Give me a second.Wait, should I have you answer a question first?To make sure you’re not being held at gunpoint orsomething?”
“Ari ...”My patience was wearing thin, but her tone had lost a little of the fear from earlier, whichreassuredme.
“Who was your favorite comicbookhero?”
Why did this question not surprise me?“Superman.”
“Because you wanted to save the world and everyone in it,right?”
“Open the damndoor,Ari.”
“Okeydoke.”