Tony came in for the final touches. They each had an earpiece, microphone, a hidden camera in their bodices, and a diamond-encrusted ID bracelet that doubled as a tracking device. She felt a little bit James Bond.
Meghan took a deep breath when Tony finally left. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“One last thing,” Meghan said. She handed Reyna a box. Inside was a delicate black lace mask with sewn-in beads and glittery sequins.
“Wow,” she whispered.
Reyna let Meghan secure it to her face. When she looked into the full-length mirror, she hardly recognized herself. She looked like some dark ethereal creature.
Death.
She was death.
Come to claim her next victim.
Meghan nodded her approval. “Killer. Ready?”
Reyna put the mirror down and smiled grimly. She was ready.
A knock on the door surprised them both. Meghan checked her watch before answering. Washington was standing on the other side.
He seemed out of breath. “I know that we don’t have much time, but I need a word with Reyna.”
“Now?” Meghan asked in exasperation.
“Only a minute. It’s important.”
Reyna raised her eyebrows in surprise. What could be so important that Washington had to speak to her now? They were about to leave. She couldn’t imagine anything he had to say that would change her mind.
“Five minutes and then we have to go,” Meghan said, crossing her arms over her dress.
Reyna stepped out into the empty hallway and closed the door. “What do you need?”
“I had to come tell you that I have results for you!” he said enthusiastically. “It’s a scientific breakthrough.”
Reyna frowned in confusion. What was he talking about?
“I realized that I’ve seen blood like yours once before. Very early on when I was first studying blood type matches. Actually, the very idea came to me because I found a perfect blood match.”
Reyna tilted her head to the side. “A blood type match? Aren’t there millions of them?”
“Yes. But this was a blood match.”
“Okay,” she said in confusion. “What’s the difference?”
“A blood type is exactly what everyone already knows. But a blood match is a snowflake. It’s a fingerprint. It doesn’t have to match the blood type. It matches the blood composition itself. As far as I’ve ever seen, it is an extremely rare, one-to-one match between two people’s blood.”
Her heart stopped beating. “What exactly are you saying?”
“I’m saying that the reason that Beckham can sense your blood has nothing to do with him drinking it. William shouldn’t be able to sense you. Because there is only one perfect blood match for you.”
Reyna held up her hand. “Wait, you’re telling me that Harrington can’t sense me?”
“As far as I know, no. Though you should still be on your guard tonight. There might be more to your blood than I know,” Washington warned with a stern look. “But the fact that you and Beckham found each other is truly incredible.”
“Wait so…Beckham is my…blood match?”
“A once-in-a-lifetime match. I never even considered looking for it again, because it’s so uncommon.”
“What does that even mean for us?” Reyna asked. Her brows furrowed beneath the mask. The composition of their blood was the same? It sounded odd. Was it even a good thing?
“I believe the concept is very similar to a soul mate,” Washington told her.
“Soul mate,” she said, the breath rushing out of her.
“Yes. Your one true match. Beckham claims to be able to sense you at a great distance. Have you ever been able to sense him?”
Reyna shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Though…had she ever tried? There had always been an awareness of Beckham. The knowledge of him. The feeling of him. They had clicked. Even from day one through her terror.
“Though…I don’t know. Something.”
“Well, we’ll do more testing with it later. I simply wanted to bring you the news and wish you luck. Be careful out there.”
“I will.”
She turned back to the door with her head in a daze as the realization washed over her of what Washington had said. Soul mate.
“And Reyna?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t underestimate William.”
Reyna’s heart hardened around the words. Harrington. She needed to keep her head in the game. She was out to destroy the destroyer.
“I won’t.”
She hurried back into the dressing room and Meghan quirked an eyebrow at her. Reyna waved her hand as if to say she would tell her later, and they left.
A stretch limo was waiting for them in the parking lot. Reyna couldn’t help but let her eyes widen in shock. She’d never been in a limo before. Somehow despite all the grandeur that constantly pervaded Beckham, a limo still managed to make her giddy.
Gabe stepped out of the backseat. “Ladies.”
Reyna’s jaw dropped. Only a few hours ago, he’d been training her to shoot, wearing a faded black T-shirt and black sweats. Now he looked…like a gentleman. He wore a slick black tuxedo. His red hair gelled to perfection. His green eyes as charming and devious as ever. A plain black mask dangled from his hand.