Sean exhaled heavily after the door slid shut between them, running a hand over his face. He didn’t know what Alexei had just said, but he didn’t sound angry. The last thing Sean wanted was for Alexei to think he’d forced something on Sean that he didn’t want. If he were honest, Sean hadn’t minded the kissat all, for reasons that had nothing to do with the mission and everything to do with his burgeoning attraction toAlexei.
“Fuck,” Sean mutteredquietly.
A traitorous voice in the back of his headagreed.
Ifonly.
7
SnakeEyes
The Wolcotts owneda luxury home in the exclusive Diamond Ridge community where the lowest asking price was twenty million dollars. It was one of many mansions in an enclave catering to the rich nestled in the southeastern corner of Las Vegas. The satellite pictures and hacked blueprints didn’t even come close to showing the wealth of the place. The two-story, nine-bedroom, ten-bath home sat on a two-acre property covered in a lush green lawn and artfully planted palm trees and flowerbeds. Alexei took one look at the brightly lit lawn against the desert sunset backdrop through the biodome andsnorted.
“Waste of money,”hesaid.
“Tell me about it,” Annabelle said as she pulled into the drive crowded with other luxury carsandSUVs.
Madison twisted around in the front passenger seat and eyed where Alexei and Sean sat in the middle. The concern in her large brown eyes was impossible to ignore. “Comms are down. They got electronic jammers running theperimeter.”
Alexei made a face. “Like NewMiami.”
“Yeah, but we can’t followyouin.”
He glanced through the window at the cluster of drivers and bodyguards milling about on the edge of the courtyard, far away from theporte cochèrethat was the main entrance into the stylish home. The circular garden of shrubs and flowers planted behind a low stone wall in front of the entrance helped act as a roundabout for the cobbled drive, though with the way everyone had parked, no one was movinganytimesoon.
Annabelle disliked being boxed in, so she deliberately backed up a few feet to give them more maneuverability in the event of an emergency. The satisfied expression on her face told Alexei it was finally safe togetout.
He unbuckled his seatbelt, meeting Annabelle’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “You know if weneedyou.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Sean muttered as he got out oftheSUV.
“If we hear gunshots, we won’t be the only ones coming in,” Trevor reminded them. “So find an exit and don’t engage if shit goes down. Make it out front. We’llcoveryou.”
Alexei gave him a thumbsup. “Da.”
“Right, let’s go make some fake friends,” Madison said as she shoved open her door. “You guys have funschmoozing.”
Alexei made a face as he got out, tugging at the hem of the suit jacket Sean had said was non-negotiable. Alexei had won the tie fight though, which he was still pleased about, even if Sean wasn’t. But it fit his personality for the cover, and the gold chain hanging around his throat framed by the shirt’s open collar wasn’t out of placeonhim.
Sean, on the other hand, wore a perfectly fitted light gray suit that still had Alexei staring when no one else was looking. When he’d first seen Sean walk out of the hotel bedroom, Alexei hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off Sean now that he’d seen some of what was hiddenbeneath.
The slim-cut suit pants emphasized Sean’s long legs, while the narrow tailoring of the suit jacket showed off a trim torso. The pale blue button-up shirt was tucked in, without a vest over it, and the skinny tie matched his suit coloring perfectly. The light-brown oxfords Sean wore were brand-new, with the surveillance bugs they needed to smuggle into the house hidden inside the heel. The small cavity was expertly created, all the space filled in with protective material around the surveillance bugs to hide them fromscans.
The surveillance bugs weren’t active yet. Once he and Sean were inside, they’d have to locate a blind spot out of the way of guests and security feeds, and release the nanite-driven tech into the house. They would go dormant for twelve hours after being released in case the Wolcotts initiated an electronics security scan after the party. The surveillance bugs were military-grade and capable of being missed by most civilian security systems on the market, but with Adrian’s brother being ex-Special Forces, they weren’t sure how long the bugswouldlast.
“Ready?” Sean asked, pulling Alexei out of his perusal of thehouse.
He nodded and kept pace with Sean as they headed for the front door. Alexei glanced around as they walked, taking in the area. A hint of movement in the yard near the wall had him narrowing his eyes. Looked like the Wolcotts had their own personal security standing guardtonight.
Knowing that, and not wanting anything out of the ordinary to be reported back to the guards’ employers, Alexei wrapped an arm around Sean, pulling him in close. Sean didn’t fight him, and Alexei turned his head, lips brushing over the shell of Sean’s ear to hide what he said from prying eyes. This close and Alexei could smell the shampoo Sean must have used in the shower, like coconuts, the smell lingering in hislungs.
“Have PMC security on perimeter,” Alexei said, pitching his voice low, for Sean’searsonly.
Sean barely blinked. “It’llbefine.”
Alexei liked the way Sean never seemed to back down from a problem. His stubbornness toward completing the mission was admirable, but Alexei really wished Sean would learn to duck. He had a feeling he shouldn’t let Sean out of his sight during theparty.
A maid stood at the front entrance, taking everyone’s scanprint to confirm their invitation. Sean pressed his left hand to the tablet and Alexei followed his lead. The maid smiled briefly at them before gesturing at the hallway other people werewalkingdown.
