“Equipment malfunction,” Roman explained. “The fuel truck broke down in the middle of the runway and is losing fuel. It’s blocking takeoff completely.”
“And with the storm coming in,” Mila added, gesturing to the darkening horizon. “We might only have a very tight window. Weather radar shows it hitting within the next two hours. If we don’t get off the ground before then, we’re stuck here until it passes.”
“How fucking convenient,” Vince muttered.
I couldn’t agree more. The timing was suspiciously perfect—almost as if Grey had arranged it.
Ivan’s face hardened. “How long to clear the runway?”
“Maintenance crew estimates at least an hour, maybe more,” Roman replied.
“We need to check this out ourselves,” Ivan said, his voice controlled but tight. He turned to Cristo and Dom. “Can you two stay here with the women? The rest of us will verify the situation and see if we can help speed things up.”
I didn’t appreciate being lumped in with “the women” who needed protection, but I kept my mouth shut. This wasn’t the time to pick a fight about gender politics.
Cristo nodded. “Sure. We’ll make sure everyone’s safe.”
Within minutes, Ivan, Vince, Matt, Alex, Roman, and Anton had piled into two Jeeps and disappeared down the road toward the airstrip. I watched until they vanished from sight, my mind racing with possibilities.
This was it—my chance. With Ivan gone, Grey off the island, and time on my hands, I had a perfect window of opportunity.
The Paraskia database had given us valuable information, but if I didn’t trust the source, why should I trust the information?
What if the Paraskia, or Grey, or his allies had manipulated what we found? What if there was more incriminating evidence hidden in Grey’s personal files? I needed to see both sides, to form my own complete picture.
“I’m going to hit the bathroom and grab some waterbefore the storm hits,” I told Mira casually. “Want anything?”
My twin looked at me suspiciously. “I’ll come with you.”
“No need,” I said quickly. “I just need a minute alone. I’ll be right back.”
Mira’s eyes narrowed fractionally, but she nodded. “Don’t be long.”
I slipped away from the group, heading not toward the kitchen but toward Ivan’s room to grab the external drive I’d found while snooping around his room after waking up and finding the door locked.
Ivan would be furious if he knew what I was planning. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the evidence we’d found was too neat, too convenient, as was the fact that whoever cleared our path could’ve planted it there. I needed to get into Grey’s personal systems, see what he was hiding. And I might never get another chance.
I grabbed the drive, and as I turned to leave, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Nina stood in the doorway, watching me with an unreadable expression.
“I know what you’re planning,” she said quietly.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I considered denying it, but something in her eyes told me she wouldn’t buy it anyway.
“Are you going to stop me?” I asked and raised my chin defiantly.
To my surprise, Nina stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. “No. I’m going to help you.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You’re trying to hack into Grey’s computer, right? Get access to his personal files?” Nina raised an eyebrow. “You’ll need help.”
Suspicion bloomed in my chest. “Why would you help me go against your brother’s orders?”
Nina leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “Because if the organization Ivan and all of us have dedicated our lives to is truly corrupt at its core, we deserve to know the unfiltered truth.” Her eyes met mine, fierce and determined. “Ivan has given everything to the Paraskia. If they’ve been lying to him—to us—all along…he deserves to know.”
The raw honesty in her voice caught me off guard. Her eyes glittered with the same fierce loyalty I felt toward my own brothers—the need to protect them, even from painful truths.
“Okay.” I nodded.
