Kenzie stepped into the hallway that—according to the reports she’d studied—led to Dr. Huisman’s personal office. The one she now had the code to because while Huisman was super evil and wanted to blow up the world, it wasn’t like the dude was picking up after himself. And surprise, he also didn’t pay well which is why that keycard was in her pocket.
“Did you find it?” Lou was in her ear. She was in a safe spot working to try to gain control of this mountain base of Huisman’s.
And Ben was here.
It seemed like forever since the last time she saw him. Last time she’d kissed him and sat on his lap and made the decision to be with him even if it was only once.
That night she’d flown to Virginia and with the help of Zach, they’d managed to save Kala and Devi. Well, Zach had sort of, kind of kidnapped Devi. That girl was racking up points on her bingo card. Kidnapped three times now, if one counted the Zach encounter. Which Kenzie didn’t because according to Kala, their cousin had been playingsome serious kinky games with Zach in a barn.
Not how she would have gone, but good for Devi.
“It’s ahead of me. It looks like the outer door is already open,” she replied.
“Comms are in and out,” Lou said, her voice crackling a bit over the connection. “Be careful. I’m looking at this system, and I think he’s got traps everywhere. I’m worried, Kenz.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll get the key to Ben and circle back to help find Devi.” She moved down the hall, the sounds of gunfire in the distance. “I take it we’re already at work.”
“It’s chaos,” Lou said and then the comm went dead.
“Lou?” She touched her earpiece. “Kala? Anyone?”
Dead air. She was on her own.
Well, that was what happened when an evil villain decided to put his lair in the side of a mountain in the middle of the Himalayas. Where the Internet was sketchy. It was annoying. She would bet they had electricity problems, too. And it was cold. If only she was…
Ben was here and she was not feeling like the cool, competent agent she should be because they hadn’t seen each other since that day at Top. She’d called but they’d had work stuff. Ben and his tech Tim had stumbled into an op being run by Henry Flanders and his daughter, Lucy Brooke. Or LB, as Kenz called her. Or Lucifer, as Kala called her. LB answered to a lot of names.
Deep breath. She looked good. She was in Lou’s latest, a snowy white winter uniform made entirely of nanites so it could adapt as she needed it to. It fit perfectly and could double as body armor.
Also, she could make it go away with the push of a button. She could literally melt her clothes off if Ben looked at her in a panting, melting way.
Damn it. Her father was right. She was a mess when it came to this man. Deep breath. It was time. She stepped into the antechamber. If the reports were accurate, this space served as Huisman’s office, research center, and private rooms.
And there was Ben. Tall and gorgeous in all white, too. He and Tim had come up the hard way, but he looked fresh as a daisy, not like a man who’d climbed a twenty K mountain and squeezed through air ducts to get here.
He stared at her and for a moment she hesitated. He looked cold.As cold as the air around them. Huisman liked it chilly.
Maybe he’d rethought his position. If he had, then she better get through this.
“Ben, I’m sorry I’m late.” Kenzie pulled back the hood of her parka as she approached him. “We had trouble with the helo, but it looks like you handled everything with your usual aplomb. That was a lot of bodies out there, buddy.”
He studied her for a moment, his eyes taking her in, and not as cold as they’d been. “I didn’t realize you were late because you’re not supposed to be here at all.”
What kind of game was he playing? “You know we were responsible for getting the code. How did you think I would get it to you?”
“Text works.” Yep, he was upset with her.
Maybe he hadn’t felt what she had that night.
Her heart threatened to break. Somehow she’d thought this would be a happy reunion. They both worked in a job where they couldn’t be available all the time. He had to know she’d tried to contact him the only way she could, so this was his answer. She was going to have to admit to everyone that she’d been wrong and this man wasn’t the be all, end all of her existence. Professional. She could find a little of that. “You need this along with the code. I took it off one of Huisman’s men last night at a bar. He’s still sleeping it off, so I doubt he’ll miss it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll open that door and we can be home in time for dinner.”
He stopped her before she could get to the door. “Did you get the vaccine?”
Well, at least he didn’t want her to die. They knew Huisman was working on a weaponized version of inhalation anthrax. Or he was hoping she wasn’t prepared so he could leave her behind. He was about to find out that even if he didn’t want her anymore, he wasn’t getting rid of her. Not when it was her cousin in this facility.
She rolled her eyes, something she never would have done if he’d been even halfway nice to her. If he had, she likely would have knelt at his feet. Because she was a dumb girl. “Of course. Do you think I have a death wish?”
He seemed to consider the problem for a moment, and Kenzie worried she might have to fight him.
