“He’s talking to her like she’s a—”
“It’s anact. Cool your head.”
Declan’s a distraction I could do without; I missed whatever the guard said.
“I don’t know where that is,” Cole replies. He turns his back, leaning against the desk, and waves his hand as though mapping a route. “So it’s out of here, left, and left again?”
“No, man,” the guard says. “Down Kearny, then right on Bush and follow it five blocks.”
Cole rubs the back of his neck, looking confused. “That’s… uh…”
I lean on the desk and give the guard my best smile. “Could you show us? Just wave out there, to start us off?”
He didn’t want to get out of his seat for Cole, but he seems happy to do so for me. He walks around the desk, and I make sure to keep my smile enthusiastic and vapid as he takes my arm, pointing out of the glass frontage. “So you just go out the door and—”
There’s a crunch and the guard crumples, Colecatching him before he hits the ground. I didn’t even see what he hit him with.
“Clear,” I tell the others.
It’s only seconds before they walk into view, heading for the revolving doors, equipment bags slung over their shoulders. Declan’s scowling through the windows at us. Atme, like I’ve done something wrong. Cole’s dragging the guard out of sight behind the desk.
Declan walks right up to me, his hand closing around my arm. “What the fuck wasthat?”
I shrug him off, but it takes me two tries. He’s gripping hard enough that I’d have bruises if I wasn’t wearing my leather jacket. “What’s your problem?”
“Myproblemis that you were flirting with Cole,” he hisses, keeping his voice low, pitched for my ears alone. Pointless when we all have mics, but he’s so angry, he’s either forgotten or he doesn’t care.
“I wasn’tflirtingwith him.” I didn’t even respond to Cole’s comments… though I suppose I clung to him. “So what if I did? It was anact. You’re being childish.”
“Childish?” he echoes. “Answer me this: do you and Cole have something going?”
“That’s none of your business.” How the hell can he think that? The smart answer is a straight no, but he’s got me riled up. Where does he get off making accusations like that? He doesn’townme.
“Cut it out, both of you,” Kurt says. “This isn’t the time.”
Declan throws him such a look that I fear he mightget even angrier, but instead he takes a long breath and lets it out. Then he walks past me, not giving me another look.
He choosesnowto have some unfounded jealousy spat? Great.
Cole pulls an ID badge from the guard’s unconscious body and throws it to Dario, then secures the guard with zip ties on wrists and ankles. It’s done in no time, and Dario uses the badge to call an elevator. Declan joins him, his back to me, radiating negative energy and promising the ride up will be fun.
As if we don’t have enough to worry about already.
Cole throws a provocative grin my way. “Coming, sweetheart?”
Declan’s shoulders tighten and his fists clench, but he doesn’t turn around.
“Yeah.” I wasn’t dawdling; I was distracted. Cole did that on purpose, but I can’t blame him. Declan’s being a dick.
We file into the elevator, and Kurt hits the button for the fifty-fourth floor. That’s all the way to the top, but the elevator makes short work of it, skipping through the first half fast enough to pull at my stomach.
Dario uses the time to unzip his bag, pulling out the thermal lance. It’s a tube about six feet long, packed with magnesium, and apparently burns hot enough to cut through steel. Cole has his bag open too, handing out our parachutes and weapons.
I strap my ’chute on then check my pistol, slipping the magazine and slamming it back in, then shove it down the back of my pants. I really hope we don’t need them. The rest of the guys are doing the same, save for Dario, who’s strapping an oxygen cylinder to his back instead.
Kurt presses a finger to his earpiece as the doors slide open. “Tasha? Are you in on their network?”
“Yes. My device is broadcasting. Ready when you are.”
