Regina pulls a dress off the rack, showing it to me, and I take it.
“What happened when Saint went?” she asks, the screech of metal making me wince as she rattles through dress options.
Dawson steps in closer. There isn’t anyone else in here apart from us and a bored-looking cashier at the desk, but I think caution is instilled into these guys’ membranes. “We got a hire, provided security around the perimeter. Saint snuck in with a bodycam to try catch high-ranking members. Was planning on taking one of the Montgomerys back with us, but someone raised the alarm.”
My heart rate picks up at the thought.
If they caught him, there’s no telling what they’d do.
Especially seeing as someone outside their society knows what goes on.
He’s a known threat.
Dawson said before they won’t know who breached their system, haven’t given any indication they’re aware of it by retaliating, and wouldn’t be able to track down who.
The fact that when he tried again after Saint got caught, and couldn’t penetrate their security, there’s a very high possibility they’ve been combing through their weaknesses.
We’re definitely going in blind to this situation.
Dread pools in the pit of my stomach, and I try to reassure myself.
I’ll be with him.
He has an army of people behind him; we’re not going to disappear into the unknown if we’re caught.
Gathering the four dresses I’ve collected, I head towards the changing room.
“I’ll wait out here with him.” Regina smiles, handing me a pair of heels to try on.
I get through two dresses before I hear voices beyond the curtain, and every joint in my body locks up.
Fuck, this is not good.
My sister’s voice filters through the changing room. “Regina? What are you doing through this way?”
My leg is still suspended in mid-air, ready to step into the dress.
Shit, she thinks I’m in England, and that Regina is with me.
I can force a lie over a phone, struggle through one over video call, but not to her face.
And it’s Regina; she’s going to collapse like a house of cards.
But her voice is surprisingly steady, or maybe I’m imagining it is. “Hey, Louisa. Oh, I’m just out shopping with my…boyfriend. He lives here.”
My eyes flutter shut. If she hasn’t just embarrassed herself with that internally, she’ll have knocked the stride she was about to go on with her lie train.
“Oh?” Louisa trails off, waiting for his response.
“I’m Brian. You’re Louisa Kensington? The state senator?”
At least he sounds like he’s keeping his cool.
I can tell by my sister’s voice that stroked her ego. “Nice to meet you.” Her smile is evident through her tone. “What’s the occasion?”
Regina clears her throat, “It’s Brian’s birthday. We’re going out for dinner in the city tomorrow night.”
Sweat beads around my forehead. We’ve technically been out of the country for over a month, and I’m just waiting for this all to crash down around me.
