“No,” he tried again before she turned back toward them, her heart stopping.
She cocked her head as she stared at the images on the screen. With a flutter of her eyelashes, she whipped around to face him. “What is this?”
He shrugged. “Research. Give me the flash drive.”
“Research?” Her voice went an octave higher as she threw a hand toward a screen with images of her home plastered on it along with a tracer, showing her cell phone’s location. “You’re watching us. You’re tracing my phone.”
“I need to keep you safe. You’re important to my cause.”
“Really? You’re not tracking Alex’s phone.”
“The Board still needs Alex. They won’t kill him. You…” He tugged his gloves tighter. “You’re a different story, Ava.”
“Oh, right, so this is all just to protect me.”
“Give me the flash drive,” he answered, holding his hand out toward her.
She narrowed her eyes at him before she took another look at the screen. “Who else are you watching? What are all these other cameras?”
“Not your business,” he answered. “Flash drive.”
“Uh-uh-uh,” she said. “We’re a team now, remember? We’re supposed to be full access with you.”
“I never agreed to that.”
“Yeah, you did. Last night on the beach. You agreed to it. Now, it’s time for you to start living it.”
“I’m taking all the risks here, and–”
Ava scoffed. “Hardly. A few days ago, I was dangling from the roof, breaking into a secure server room for you. I wentinto the hotel room of a man involved with both The Board and the Russian mobfor you.”
“I helped you rescue Alex. We’re even. You don’t make demands. Now, give me the flash drive.”
Ava heaved a sigh, realizing she wouldn’t learn anything from him on his own turf. She’d need to finesse this in a better way.
With a sigh, she took a sip of water before she reached into her pocket and withdrew the drive, handing it over to him. “Here.”
He wrapped his gloved fingers around the drive before he skirted past her to sit at the desk. He placed the drive into the tower before he tapped at the keys, pulling up a decryption program called Relion.
Ava leaned over his shoulder, staring at it. “What’s Relion?”
“Board Decryption software.”
“How did you get it?” Ava glanced at him, wondering if she could be fast enough to pull his mask off and how he managed to have software from The Board.
“Ava…maybe you’re right,” he answered. “Maybe it’s time I told you more.”
Her heart hammered, as she waited for the coveted answers they’d sought so many times before.
Before he could speak again, alarm klaxons blared in the room and red lights flashed. He twisted back toward the computer before pounding a fist against the desk. “No!”
“What is it?” Ava asked, her chest tight.
“Trouble. We’re being invaded.”
Ava’s heart rose into her throat as she spotted masked gunmen opening a door that she presumed led to their location. Her mind raced, trying to calculate their next move. This was no longer about getting information; it was about survival.
CHAPTER 5
