Walker nodded. “If Webb is doing a public ask sort of thing for you...”
“He knows I’m not dead,” Elena finished. “Which means he’s figured out I survived whatever happened in Prague. He probably knows I’m in Seattle.”
“How?” Terrel asked.
Elena sank onto the edge of the bed, the pieces clicking together. “The facial recognition upgrade he made to WATCHDOG. If he’s got access to traffic cameras, airport security, even ATM surveillance...” She looked up at Reed. “He could have tracked me from the moment I landed in Seattle.”
“Then why hasn’t he made a move?” James asked.
“Because he doesn’t know exactly where I am yet,” Elena said. “The contract is him casting a wide net, hoping someone else will do the legwork for him.”
Walker was quiet for a moment. “Or it’s bait. Draw you out by making you think you need to run.”
Elena considered this. “Either way, it means our timeline just got shorter. If Webb knows I’m alive and in the area, he’ll either disappear completely or accelerate his auction schedule.”
Reed’s phone buzzed again. He glanced at it and cursed under his breath. “Three more inquiries about the Elena Vasquez contract in the last ten minutes. Word is spreading fast.”
“We need to move up our timeline,” Elena said. “Leave tonight instead of tomorrow.”
“Agreed,” Walker said. “How long do you need to be ready?”
Elena looked around at her single bag, already packed. “I’m ready now.”
Reed nodded. “We’ll leave in the morning—my helicopter will pick us up at 0600. Everyone get some rest, and we’ll finalize details during the flight.”
His brothers headed for the door, but Walker paused. “Elena? For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re not actually dead. Reed was pretty unbearable for a while there.”
Elena felt tears prick her eyes at the acceptance in his voice. “Thank you, Walker.”
After they left, Reed sat beside her on the bed, close enough that their shoulders touched.
“You really promise?” he asked quietly. “No disappearing acts?”
Elena turned to face him, seeing the vulnerability he was trying to hide. “I promise. No matter what happens in Vancouver, no matter what we find, I won’t run again.”
Reed nodded, but Elena could see the tension still coiled in his muscles.
“Reed… What if this goes wrong? What if I end up getting you or your brothers killed?”
“Then we face that together too,” Reed said simply. “I’d rather die fighting beside you than spend another five years believing you’re dead.”
The words hit Elena like a physical blow, carrying the weight of everything they’d lost and everything they might still lose.
Reed moved to her and pulled her into a hug, holding her for a long time. Elena felt some of the tension leave her body as she leaned into his strength.
She finally pulled back. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “We leave tomorrow. Get some sleep.”
After Elena finally settled into bed, she couldn’t help but think she was falling in love with Reed Star again. Maybe she’d never fallen out of it. But she hated that he was risking his life again. She hated that so badly for all of the Star men.
CHAPTER 10
Reed watched Elena climb into the helicopter at exactly 0600, noting the tension in her shoulders and the way her eyes constantly scanned their surroundings. The contract on her head had changed everything—what should have been a covert insertion had become a race against time before every mercenary and assassin with access to the dark web closed in on Seattle.
His pilot, Marcus, was former Army aviation with twenty years of experience in hostile insertions. Reed trusted him completely, which was why he’d been cleared for this operation despite not knowing all the details.
“Flight time to Vancouver, two hours and fifteen minutes,” Marcus announced through their headsets as they lifted off. “Weather’s clear, but I’ll be staying low to avoid detection.”
