"Yeah, this could be hard. That’s a lot of people to get through."
I hesitate, then carefully lean out again to get a better look at them.
Harvey Bram’s people are chatting in a small group, relaxed but alert. The other guards stand in silence, rigid and formal, two on each side of the door like disciplined sentries.
Then something catches my attention.
"Holy shit. I can’t believe my own eyes," I mutter.
"What? What is it?" Salt whispers, with excitement in his voice.
"I think I recognize one of those guards. But that’s impossible…"
"Who is it?"
I lean out again to make sure, squinting and scrutinizing him. No, I’m not mistaken. Not at all. Incredible.
I pull back and look at Salt. "One of my last fights in cages was against a guy who was a title contender in my weight class. Gabriel Nolan. He was aiming for a championship belt."
"So what, is he one of them?"
I exhale and rub my forehead in disbelief. "It sure looks like it. The one with dark copper hair. But what the hell would he be doing here?"
"Is it really that strange?" Salt raises an eyebrow. "If he was a fighter too, couldn’t he have gotten a job as a bodyguard? He’d make a pretty solid one for Blue, considering how often people try to kill him," Salt adds, slightly sarcastic, with a fleeting smile.
I shoot him a skeptical look. "I don’t know. Fighters aren’t necessarily trained in security protocols. But that’s not the weirdest part. From what I remember, Gabriel had trouble with the law, he never even made it to the title fight. He was supposedly involved in an attack on a certain facility. Brace yourself… It was Malden Pharmaceuticals!"
Salt’s eyes go wide. "Wait a second. He was involved in an attack on Blue’s company?" When I nod, he lets out a gasp. "And now you’re telling me he’s Lowen’s bodyguard? Crazy!"
I rub my temples. "I don’t know what the hell is going on. But one thing is certain: he and I knew each other pretty well. This is our chance, Salt. I can ask him to let me talk with Blue!" I lightly grip his shoulders.
"He’s not Lowen’s PA, why would he help us?"
"We’ll see, I’m optimistic," I say confidently, flashing a wide grin as I grab his hand and pull him toward the corner.
We step out together, and the moment we enter the corridor’s light, every head turns toward us. The alphas close ranks like a well-trained unit, while the betas move toward us like an advance line.
I have no intention of letting them get too far from Gabriel. I stride forward quickly.
"Hey, stop right there. There’s no passage here. Turn around," one of the betas shouts.
"Gabriel. Gabriel Nolan!" I call out even louder, cutting straight through his voice.
One of the guards, a man with rust-colored hair, tilts his head as if listening more closely.
"Gabriel, it’s me! I need to talk to you."
Silence falls.
The betas turn toward Gabriel, who stands there for a moment with a dazed, almost bewildered expression. I’m sure he doesn’t recognize me at first. He’s used to seeing me with long curls, and now my hair is short. Besides, this is probably the last place he would expect to see me.
Then something clicks.
"Eliano?"
"Yeah. It’s me. Can we talk?"
He curses. "Fuck. This is not a good time. I’m working. You really shouldn’t be coming up here," he says, his tone sharp, almost unlike him.
