“Deck has some big-ass monsters hanging in his closet and I won’t even get into what I think delicious Vic has going on in that head of his, but you find the good and you hold onto that because it’s what will pull you both through the hell. I think Kai wants to be pulled out, London. I think he’s been trying to get unstuck for years and those bastards kept dragging him back down into the sludge. But you and him”—she nodded toward Kai—“you have the rope. Just don’t let it go, because my guess, if you do, that guy isn’t ever coming back from the darkness again.”
I peered over at Kai again as he leaned forward and said something to Vic, that subtle smile barely visible as Vic glared back at him and I knew he’d said something to piss him off. Yeah, he definitely had no fear.
“Prepare for landing,” the pilot announced as the seatbelt lights went on.
“Georgie, what happened with Alfonzo at your house—”
“Don’t go there. Not your fault. Alfonzo was the lowest of scum and there was nothing you could have done. Kai was handling it and you needed to do exactly what you did.”
“Except I should’ve turned the gun on him,” I replied.
She snorted. “Yeah, and then all those girls in that shipping container would be dead right now or worse, for Jacob to ship them off to God knows where.” She pushed back her pink strands behind her ear. “Besides, there was no way in hell you would’ve pulled the trigger.” She smiled. “You would now though.”
“London.” Kai walked down the aisle toward me.
Georgie smirked and leaned over to whisper, “You see… that man has it bad for you. He even wants to hold your hand during landing. You think your cupcake is scared?”
I laughed, glancing up at Kai as he approached. No, he didn’t look scared or annoyed. He just looked delicious. I got up. “I don’t think Kai has that emotion in him.”
Georgie sobered. “Yeah. I didn’t either—until you.”The tunnels were damp and cold with cracked cement walls, and I could hear the occasional squeak of mice or worse, rats, but I tried not to think of it as I closely followed Kai. We jogged most of the way with Kai’s hand in mine, his other holding a pencil-thin flashlight that gave off a blueish tinge.
Deck took up the rear with Georgie behind me. I was completely out of my element, carrying a gun and wearing a bulletproof vest that Kai insisted on. Georgie and Deck had them on, too, but Kai didn’t. He’d said he’d never worn one and wasn’t starting now. It made me nervous because, despite Kai being as experienced as he was, I still wondered if he didn’t fear death because he didn’t care if he died.
And that was the scariest of all because I cared. I loved him and I couldn’t bear the thought of being separated again.
Kai’s light hit the steel door and we stopped. I was breathing heavily from the jog, but I was the only one. Now, I was kicking myself for not taking some kind of sport or doing an exercise program. But a few years ago, I never thought I’d be holding more than a test tube and sitting on a swivel stool, rolling across linoleum floors as I conducted experiments.
“You good?” Kai asked.
“Yeah.” I was as good as I could be breaking into a lab I’d spent more time in growing up than my own house. A lab that had dangerous men watching it. A lab that had developed a drug we knew nothing about, but my dad did. “My dad…” His car was in the parking lot and it was past eleven at night. I was terrified that maybe they’d already gotten to him. That his car was here but he was…. I couldn’t say it.
“He’s here. We’ll get him out,” Kai said, knowing exactly what I was thinking.
I nodded then gestured to the door. “There is another door at the top and it opens into a hallway where there are two labs.”
“Deck.” Kai stepped back, taking my hand and urging Georgie back, too. Deck approached the door and shot the padlock off then unraveled the chain on the metal bar and pushed it open, his gun still drawn.
“Clear.”
We ran up the flight of stairs and Deck was already crouched and fiddling with the lock on the door handle. “Need me to do that?” I asked Deck.
He snorted and shot me a scowl. I’d easily picked his lock in his penthouse.
Deck stood. “We’re doing this in five minutes.” Deck looked at me then Georgie. “You got me, Georgie? No distractions. If London’s father isn’t there, you get in the computer, find what we need, copy, delete, and then get out.”