“You must be Zach Wilson. Eric Cross. I’m glad you could make it.”
Okay, so Eric was more formal than some of the others. He had a deep voice and a sophisticated way about him. He spoke a full sentence without a swear word. What was he doing hosting a party that had the vibe of a frat party mixed with a biker bar?
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Zach said.
Eric chuckled low in his chest. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
There was a pause before Zach spoke again. “Nick. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Same to you. In fact, I don’t see your face that much anymore. Ever since you got out of prison, it’s almost like you’re too busy to do your job.”
Oh, wow. Nick wasn’t holding back. He must have a death wish if he thought it was a good idea to talk to Zach like that. She’d heard plenty of stories about the things Zach and his brothers had done over the years. Surely Nick knew about them too.
“I don’t have to punch your clock.” Zach attached a colorful name at the end that had Lauren’s eyes widening. The next few sentences made her want to crawl into a hole.
Lauren watched everything, but she was being too obvious. There had to be a way to do this where she didn’t look like a hall monitor.
“Hi.” A thin woman appeared at Lauren’s side and handed her a drink. “Thirsty?”
Lauren accepted the drink and lifted it in a mock toast. “Thanks.” There was no way on this earth she would be drinking whatever was in the cup, but at least she had something to hold on to.
The woman’s short, straight hair brushed her jawline as she rested her back against the wall beside Lauren. “You haven’t been here before, have you?”
Lauren looked down at the dark liquid, still trying to listen in on the conversation happening beside her. “Is it obvious?”
The woman laughed. She looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, but her petite frame might have skewed Lauren’s assessment. The girl’s face wasn’t one Lauren remembered from the briefings.
“You’re literally being a wallflower. I’m Zoe.”
Lauren shook the girl’s hand. “Nina.”
Using her fake name was both fun and ridiculous. The authorities didn’t want anyone to be able to link her to her history with Anthony or her educational background. Any of that would give them away.
Nick stomped off, shoving people as he made his way through the room and disappeared into the kitchen. What had she missed while talking to Zoe?
Zach was beside her in an instant. His big hand wrapped around her upper arm, dragging her a few feet away from Zoe. “He wants to show me something in the basement.”
Her heart beat wildly as she took in his rushed words. “That sounds like the beginning of every horror movie.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“Then take me with you.”
Zach shook his head. “He won’t let you.” He took a few deep breaths. “We shouldn’t separate.”
“You have to go. He’s going to be suspicious if you keep talking to me. You’re not supposed to care that much about your fling of the night. Plus, I’m talking to Zoe, so I’ll just hang out with her until you get back.”
Zach glanced over Lauren’s shoulder at the girl waiting by the wall. “Say help, and the guys will know what to do.”
“If they come, our cover is ruined,” Lauren reminded him. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
He was going to hyperventilate and blow their cover if he didn’t calm down soon. “Okay. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
Lauren narrowed her eyes. Was he seriously talking to her like this after everything they’d been through? “I learned my lesson, remember? Now go!”
Zach pressed a quick kiss to her lips and turned to follow Eric to a door leading downstairs. They knew about the basement in this house, but they didn’t know what Eric was keeping there or what he might want to show Zach. Maybe Eric just wanted to talk without all the listening ears, mainly hers.
It was fine. Zach had a mic on him—one that the authorities claimed was undetectable.
