Opal issued a laugh. “This is Caius Sinclair. Known to all as Sinner. Sinner, you saw Ellory in the briefing.”
He gave her a nod. “Good to meet you.”
“A pleasure.” Her voice, quiet and yet oddly intense, put Ash instantly on alert and sharpened his attention to a point.
“And you already know Ash. We’ll let them make the pizzas and you can talk to them more at dinner.” Opal was already swinging away with Ellory on her heels. Ash watched her go for a beat, taking note that her hips swayed as much in jeans as that tormenting skirt.
Sinner slid another pizza onto a peel. “You got something against an accountant?” he threw out casually.
Ash didn’t look up as he took the peel and pushed it into the flames. “Nothing in particular.”
Sinner cocked a brow.
Ash had learned long ago to give people at least a portion of himself in order to satisfy their curiosity, or else they’d keep asking questions he didn’t want to answer.
“She’s secretive.”
Sinner let out a snort. “We’re Blackout, Ash. No one here is without secrets.”
He gave a noncommittal grunt in response.
Picking up the ladle, Sinner placed sauce in the middle of another crust. “Since we’re talking, whyareyou so distant from everyone?”
Ash stared at him.
“Just because you’re the last man on the team doesn’t mean you get to play lone wolf forever. You can let down your walls.”
He scattered a blend of cheese over the sauce Sinner had spread in perfect concentric circles. “There aren’t any walls.”
Sinner eyed him. “You don’t join us in the home theater. Or the hot tub. You’re never around on casino nights. Not once have I seen you in a cutthroat game of pool volleyball.”
He said nothing. Because the truth wasn’t something he could say aloud.
He knew how this went. You let people in, you gave them the power to hollow you out. He’d been hollowed out enough.
He thought being dead on paper would take care of that. Then he got here and realized the men didn’t only act like teammates—they acted like blood brothers. And the women…they’d bound themselves together into something dangerously close to family.
Sinner pulled a pizza out of the oven. “Just sayin’. We work hard. We play hard. You only work.”
His attention drifted to the French doors. Through the glass he could see everyone gathered around the kitchen, eating, drinking, laughing. Everyone except Ellory.
She wasn’t with them.
His jaw tightened. “I have something to do.”
He started away.
“Ash,” Sinner called out.
He twisted his head to acknowledge his brother-in-arms. “Catch you later.”
He walked through the halls of the mansion that Charlie used as a base, his steps quiet on the marble floors. A glow at the end of the corridor drew his attention.
The computer lab lights were on, but he’d seen Dante and Elin in the kitchen.
Ash slowed, but his heart took on an extra beat. Did Ellory have high enough clearance to connect to their system? He had doubts.
He stepped into the room without announcing himself.
