Page 29
“Former safe house. Compromised by a mole who I’ll soon catch and feed to the fish.”
The room cooled.
Scarlett’s eyes lifted to Lucian’s. A muscle ticked in his cheek, and I knew exactly where his mind had gone—Hayes walking through a door he should never have found and Scarlett nearly dying because a safe place hadn’t been safe enough.
“DarkMatter will have eyes on the property before Lach gets within a block,” Nik said. “Rory, coordinate the ground team. Gabriel and Julian will watch the perimeter. I’ll monitor the camera feeds, communications, and surrounding data from a mobile command.”
Rory nodded once. “Yes, sir.”
Gabriel smirked. “Finally. Something useful for me to do.”
Julian gave a short nod. “Understood.”
“The rest of the on-site men will be DarkMatter,” I said. “Too many of us in one location draw attention.”
“Already arranged,” Nik said.
Lucian crossed his arms and focused on me. “And you’re going in alone?”
“She’ll come with me because I’m the only one she knows. To her, the rest of you are just more men with guns.”
Rory’s gaze settled on me. “If you miss a check-in or we see movement we haven’t accounted for, we breach.”
“If she panics at the last second, I may need time.”
“Then say so. As long as the perimeter stays clean and you keep checking in, we hold.”
“My phone is the only line in,” I said. “No earpiece. No live transmitter. Delgado’s men have been hovering too close to her all week. If they sweep her or that house and pick up anything that feels like an operation, we don’t just blow the extraction. We put a target on her back before she ever reaches the door.”
Nik nodded. “Ciro has spent too much money on technology for us to assume his men are blind. Phone only. Limited check-ins. Nothing that ties Lachlan, Xyst, or The Syndicate to her unless we have no other choice.”
Lucian rubbed a hand over his mouth. “I don’t like it.”
“I don’t either. But if this goes wrong, the trail needs to end with a woman running from Delgado, not with us standing beside her.”
Silence settled hard over the table.
Lucian’s phone buzzed.
He glanced at the screen and cursed under his breath.
Scarlett reached for his hand. “Jack?”
“Second time today.”
Every eye in the room focused on Lucian.
I frowned. “What does Uncle Jack want?”
“He’s calling in the family card.”
Rory lifted a brow. “The Irish king summons.”
“Apparently.” Lucian pocketed the phone without relaxing. “He gave us this week. Now he wants me in Boston.”
“Wants?” Gabriel asked. “Or demands?”
Lucian gave him a flat look. “Demands.”
