I leaned on the gate and helped her through, grinning when she straightened and combed her fingers through her wind-torn hair.
“You know you could be arrested for breaking and entering. This is a government building.” Her wide eyes trapped the moonlight. She turned away, breaking eye contact.
I snorted and shrugged, taking her hand and leading her toward the side door.
The blueprints I’d snagged online showed that door led to a small side room, connected to a hallway that fed into the main control room.
Right where I needed to be.
I knelt on one knee when we reached the door and worked my way around the lock. “They’re begging to be broken into. These locks wouldn’t stop a kindergartener.”
I glanced up at Noelle, my growing sense that she was hiding something burning brighter with every word out of her mouth. “You know an awful lot about the law for a reporter.”
Her mouth clamped tight, and a different kind of flush swept across her face.
She buffed her arms through the thick coat.
She couldn’t be cold, so she must be uncomfortable at the turn in conversation.
“I know the lawbecauseI’m a reporter. I have to know what I am and am not allowed to do.” Tossing her hair, she glared down at me. “I’ve never broken the law before.”
I pushed open the door, revealing the dark interior. “Welcome to the club, sweetheart.”
I winked and stood. “Sounds like I’m getting to be all your firsts.”
Except for her adventure with Rafe.
I might not be able to give her that, but I had other options.
I popped another candy into my mouth and led her across the room, down the hallway, and into the control room.
I checked every corner before turning on my flashlight.
The beam lit up the long gray panel where a series of switches and buttons would normally light up or blink.
Nothing appeared out of the ordinary, which led me to the wall.
“Ash?” Noelle stayed close enough behind me that her breath stirred the hair around my neck. “What are we doing here?”
“Looking for the reason the electricity is out.” I could keep drawing out the tension, but I needed to concentrate.
I dug into my tools, found the wire cutters I needed, and held them in one hand while I handed Noelle the flashlight. “Hold that.”
Without waiting for her answer, I jimmied open the slate gray control panel door.
Noelle slid the light along the interior. “Where?”
I wrapped a hand around her wrist and repeated the motion of scanning the wires, only slower. “I’ll know when I see it.”
Rafe hired me for more than my mechanical prowess with bikes.
I trailed a finger down the line of wires. “Found you.”
To anyone else, the wires looked fine.
To me, they were a hot mess of trouble. “Keep the light right there.”
Noelle nodded and wrapped both hands around the flashlight handle.
