Chapter Thirty
Sasha
“It itches.” I scratch the bodice of my fancy dress. It’s made up of bunched-up fabric that gathers together in long lines of wrinkles along my torso. Who the hell wears this shit? “And tights? Why the f—”
“Sasha,” One snaps. I’m getting on his last nerve, but I don’t care. “You said you wanted to do this. You came to me, remember? Do you want to go to the party or not?”
I squint my eyes at him. Merc is suddenly starting to look like a much better option as far as mercenary friends go. “It’s my party.”
“It’s Harper’s party. You’re just there to ruin it.”
“Yeah, well…” I got nothing. It’s true. I’m just there to fuck it all up. And save Nick. And Harper. But mostly Nick. After we made all those plans about getting the files back, he thinks he can go off and try and do it alone? I don’t think so, buddy.
“Now,” he says, straightening my hair. “What will you say when the Admiral confronts you about being shot on the boat?”
“Sir, my Uncle One—”
“Skip the uncle part, kid.”
Asshole. “Sir, One alerted me to Tet’s plan to kill me and brought me a special bulletproof life vest.” I had to cop to that part of James’ plan. Obviously, One needed to know how I survived.
“If he asks anything else, you just defer to me and act like a kid. Just drink some fucking punch and eat cookies.”
Right. I have to control the eye roll.
The car pulls up in the valet area and One and I exit the hotel lobby and get in. The compound is about a thirty-minute drive north, so we have a lot of time to think about what’s happening.
The problem I have is, I don’t know why he agreed to this. I leveraged the missing file over his head. The one Merc still has. The one everyone needs in order to make both files work. The one Nick and I would have right now, if this asshole next to me hadn’t drugged Harper and stolen it at the last second. I told One that James has the missing file. I feel bad for James. Using him to lure all the players sucks. But he’s the only one who can handle what I’m sending. He’s the only one who can deals with gang members and assassins. Nick is not experienced enough. Harper is probably useless. And I’m not big enough.
So…
“OK, put on your game face, kid.”
I’ve been wearing my game face since last Christmas when Ford left my grandparents’ ranch.
The car pulls up to the gates of the private community and the driver slides his window down and hands over the paperwork.
It’s not legit. It’s not even an invitation. Why try and fake it? So we decided to just announce who we are and see what happens.
After twenty seconds on the phone inside the gate house, we’re waved through.
The driveway leading up to the main house is flanked on both sides by towering palm trees waving in the wind. There’s so many flowers blooming, the scent of them is almost overwhelming. Almost enough to make me sick.
We’re met by our own little welcoming committee when the car stops. Several men, none of whom have visible weapons, pat us both down. I have a knife strapped to my calf that gets confiscated.
One shoots me a dirty look as we’re escorted inside, but I figure it’s more suspicious to show up with no weapons than it is to get caught with one knife.
This place is packed with people. The sun is just setting, and there’s music and that loud rumble of voices you hear in a crowd.
I search for my target.
Nothing.
I see the Admiral. But he’s not my target.
I see James’ drunk mother. But she’s not my target either.
I see… Nick.
And he’s holding hands with a dark-haired girl who has the same brilliant green eyes as James.
Nicola. I’ve never met her before, but I know that’s her. Is that the girl Nick was referring to?
I’m just about to make my way over there and start shit when a hand grabs my shoulder. I look up to see the Admiral.
He’s not looking at me, though. He’s looking at One.
“One. You continue to surprise me,” he says, lifting his champagne glass in a fake toast.
“Six is not the only one with surprises,” my uncle answers.
“I should say not. Have you come to deliver the file you stole from my daughter?”
“No,” One says evenly. “I came to pick one up.” I’m still in the Admiral’s grasp when they both look down at me. “She’s got some very interesting information. It seems that you, Admiral, have been set up by a little girl and her—”
James has One in a headlock and he’s choked the words off. “You made a big mistake coming here tonight, One.”
“Vincent,” the Admiral says with a chuckle. “Please. We’re not going to finish this here—” And then he must look James in the eyes, because the realization of who he is flashes across his face.
James snaps One’s neck and is easing him down to the ground before anyone actually realizes what just happened. In fact, only the few people closest to the Admiral understand. I’m just about to search One for the file while everyone is distracted by James when I see my target being pulled out of the room.
I leave the ballroom just as the room erupts in panic and follow Harper and her would-be abductor down the west wing of the palatial mansion. She’s pulled through the door, not fighting or crying out, either. So that alarms me. What if Harper is working for someone else as well? It seems we are nothing but a clusterfuck of double and triple crossings tonight.
I stop at the closed door to the room they entered and then open it a crack to see what’s going on.