The King (Gentlemen Rogues 2)

He nodded. "There is no box."

"Oh, a Matrix reference. Careful King, your nerd is showing."

"That's hardly nerd. That's part of the lexicon."

I had to laugh at that. He pulled down one of the fire escapes and adjusted it for me to climb up first.

“I have to tell you, I've never seen a trainee do this."

"Which makes me feel like maybe it just might work."

“I'm not allowed to tell you what will work and what won’t. You just operate within the directive."

He nodded and then gestured for me to climb up. I did, and he followed behind, telling me where to pause and what apartment to climb into.

He couldn't know that we owned the building. But still, he was moving with the confidence of someone who did not care and had a mission to complete.

We paused outside a window, and he said, “I was watching the front of this building for the last hour. It's weird. Not a single person went in or out of this place, which makes me feel like it's not real."

I lifted a brow. "Oh, does it?"

“Yeah. And if it's not real, that means Rogues Division owns the building."

"Okay, is that what you're going with?"

“Yes. So when I break this, no alarm is going to go off, and the police aren't coming."

"That's a lot to stake your mission on, but you're free to try."

He laughed. “Yes, it is." And then he broke the window.

The next fifteen minutes were a mad dash. He led me quickly through the apartment, just in case he was wrong. And then we ran through the flat, out the front door, and all the way downstairs. But instead of going out the front of the building, we went through the courtyard to the next building over. With my hand tucked in his, he led the way.

His decision-making was fast. He'd studied the specs of the surrounding buildings and apparently knew this building was the real deal. It had real people. He still didn't choose to go out the front door, but instead led me around past the laundry room to a side exit.

He kept checking his watch. Just as we reached the fire door, he paused, holding me still. All I could do was wait for him to make a decision.

He took a deep breath then shoved it open. Right outside were a line of taxis, and across the way, there was a theater. We hopped in a taxi before some of the waiting theater goers.

I lifted a brow. "Well then."

“Don't be impressed yet. Something tells me Gabriel Webb is not going to let me make it to the top."

He was right. But I was curious as hell to see how he was going to work this one. Lachlan King had deftly avoided capture twice. When he'd double-backed, sensing the charged air, I knew for a fact one of the agents was waiting to nab us if we came out that alley. When we'd gone inside the flat instead of going through the front door, we'd gone off the side, and across the courtyard. That was wise because there was someone waiting at the front door to grab us.

What was truly astonishing was his timing. He'd been given specs for the mission. He'd studied the area around it and used it to his own advantage.

I hated to admit it, but Gabe was right. He was good. The real question was, exactly who was Lachlan King? And how was it that the one man I'd let come near me in two years was also a skilled agent? I didn't want to give any credence to what Tabs said, that he was a plant by my brother, because there was no way my brother was going to plant somebody and let him touch me. So I was going to need to find out everything I could about Lachlan King.

When we made it to the target location, Lock leaned forward and told the driver to keep driving one more block. I pointed back at the building. "What are you doing? That's the way in."

He rolled his eyes. “You think I haven't learned by now that the direct way isn't the best way to go?"

I laughed. “You are a quick study."

"Come on, out you get." I followed him around the back of the building where cargo were loading. "We're taking the freight elevator."

I chuckled softly.