She closes her eyes briefly. When she opens them again, they’re moist. “Thank you, Remy. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“You have nothing to thank me for.” I’m a shameless people pleaser, I know, and today, I’m wearing that hat with pride.
Isabella guesses that someone will be guarding the room where George is currently being held. From her tablet, she does something to the security cameras on level fifty-seven; I don’t ask what. Then, she unlocks the door to the executive suite from the inside, and we slip out into the corridor.
It’s quiet.
I’ve lost all sense of time and reality since I sat in Cash’s private booth in the casino. When this is all over, I’ll sleep for twenty-four hours and restart my body clock, but until then, I’m just wading through a time zone of our own creation.
A middle-aged couple step out of the elevator when we’re a short distance away. Isabella pulls me into an embrace, turning my back to them and hiding my face.
I hear the woman click her tongue in disgust as she passes us by, and I bite the urge to snap that we’re not interfering in anyone else’s lives, and she should consider doing the same.
Isabella gives a brief shake of her head. She holds my gaze, keeping me grounded.
When the door to their suite closes behind them, we step into the elevator and press the button that will take us down to the basement.
My pulse is racing again now, and I feel every beat like a gong being bashed inside my head. My plan is still only half-baked, and I’m praying that I can wing it when I see George. Or better still, that he’ll play straight into my hands.
Isabella stares at the control panel, willing it not to stop for anyone else.
It doesn’t. Maybe the universe is finally on our side.
The elevator door opens, and a chill brushes my arms, raising goose bumps that might be caused by what we’re about to do.
We spot the guard dressed in black before we’ve even taken a step.
He is instantly on alert, raising a radio to his mouth.
“Wait!” I blurt out and run to him as quickly as I can considering that my head isn’t fully aware of which way is up. “I have a message for Terry.”
I hear Isabella’s gasp behind me and ignore it. This is the only way. We’re not getting past the guard otherwise, and I’m not ashamed to name drop Terry if it achieves the desired result. It was Terry or Cash. And Cash would take one look at my swollen face and handle George his own way.
There’s every possibility that Terry will do the same of course. But I’m not carrying Terry’s babies, and I sense that he’ll at least hear me out first.
The guard narrows his eyes as I approach and steps backwards, closer to the door. “Stay where you are, ma’am. Don’t come any closer.”
I stop dead. Isabella catches up with me but doesn’t step forward. She’s taking no chances that the guard will recognize her and call time on our plan before the start whistle has been blown.
I nod to confirm that I understand and am willing to comply. “A message for Terry, and no one else.”
He doesn’t respond either way.
“Tell him that Remy Jones is in the basement, and she wishes to speak to him alone.” Behind me, Isabella clears her throat. “Can you also tell him that I’m not in danger? Please? It’s important that he knows this.”
Or all hell will break loose, and Isabella will be on the receiving end. Yes, what she did was wrong, and yes, she undoubtedly could’ve handled things differently. But would I go to the same extremes to save my unborn babies from a life of misery? Hell yeah.
The guard’s eyes roam my face, and I feel the heat rising to my cheeks. His gaze flickers to Isabella half-shielded behind me. “Who is this?”
Before I can speak, Isabella steps forward. “I am Isabella Leone.”
I study her profile. If I met her now for the first time, I would think that she was one super-cool woman with the kind of privileged life that a lot of people might envy. She has practiced this façade to perfection, and I admire her for appearing to hold it together while her heart is silently breaking.
The guard maintains eye contact with us while he speaks into the radio at his shoulder. “Code zero. I need you to come down to the basement.”
“Was that Terry?” I hear the tremor in my voice.
If Code zero means that Cash will come barging out of the elevator, he’ll never agree to me speaking to George, and who knows what will happen next.
