Ewen wanted to argue, wanted to protect Lamont the way his mate kept trying to protect him. His logical mind already knew hellhounds were immortal - in other words impossible to kill - but that didn’t mean they couldn’t feel pain. And yes, Lamont could translocate away from any danger, but still… Just the thought of someone targeting Lamont - especially if it was because of him - made his fox feel bitey.
Crossing to the desk, Ewen examined his laptop without touching it. He leaned down and sniffed the case carefully. His fox’s senses were sharp enough to detect the foreign scent immediately, cologne he didn’t recognize, a particular brand of hand soap, and underneath it all, the metallic tang of someone who spent time around weapons.
“Someone handled my laptop.” Ewen straightened. “Recently. Within the past few days.”
“Can they crack your encryption?”
“Not without the password, and I used a sixty-four-character randomized string with symbols. It would take weeks, maybe months.” Ewen smiled grimly. “I have it set to wipe everythingafter three failed attempts. If they tried to break in, all they got was a factory reset.”
“That was clever thinking.”
Ewen’s fox preened at the praise, but he didn’t have time to enjoy it. He moved to the fitted desk in the corner, the cheap prefabricated kind that hotels bolted to the wall. The single drawer pulled out smoothly, revealing nothing but a hotel notepad and pen.
Ewen set the drawer on the floor.
Then he knelt and reached up into the empty cavity where the drawer had been mounted. His fingers found the envelope immediately, still sealed with packing tape exactly as he’d left it. He pulled it free and brought it to his nose.
Just his own scent. No one else had touched it.
“Got it.” Ewen stood, clutching the envelope.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. Multiple people were heading in their direction.
Lamont’s head snapped toward the door. “We need to go.”
“One more thing.” Ewen was already moving toward the bathroom.
“Ewen…”
“Thirty seconds.” Ewen hit the bathroom light switch and went straight for the shower. The showerhead was one of those cheap detachable models mounted on a slider bar. He grabbed the round chrome head and twisted it counterclockwise.
The faceplate came off in his hand.
Inside the hollow interior, wrapped in three layers of plastic and secured with waterproof tape, was a USB flash drive containing every encrypted file from his investigation. Bank records, shellcompany documents, emails he’d intercepted, whistleblower testimonies - everything.
The footsteps in the hallway got louder.
“Ewen.” Lamont’s voice held a warning growl. “Now.”
Ewen shoved the flash drive in his pocket and bolted from the bathroom.
Someone pounded on the door. Hard. The kind of pounding that said they weren’t hotel security asking politely about checkout times.
“Block the door,” Ewen ordered, crossing to Lamont’s side.
Lamont didn’t question it. He moved in front of the door, putting his considerable muscles between Ewen and whoever was trying to get in.
The pounding intensified. A shoulder hit the wood, making it shudder in its frame.
Ewen grabbed Lamont’s arm with both hands. “Get us out of here.”
“Where…”
“Anywhere safe. Your choice.” Ewen’s grip tightened. “I trust you. Just go.”
The door splintered. Not broken yet, but close.
Lamont’s eyes flashed with flames. His arm came around Ewen’s waist, pulling him close against the hellhound’s chest.
