Page 59 of Rafe’s Future

At first glance, the sexy black car looked like nothing more than a luxury vehicle. But Lena had driven one almost identical to it for an op a couple of years back.

Designed for government use, the car’s entire frame was armored, protecting its occupants from blasts or shrapnel. Multi-layer ballistic glass with polycarbonate coating resisted bullets and prevented splintering. Even the tires were run-flat, allowing them to continue driving in the event of full-pressure loss. Add in its 530 horsepower, 750 Nm of torque, and off-road capabilities, and it was the perfect choice to fit their current needs.

“You know your cars.”

“I know this car.” She turned her doe-eyed gaze his way. “Any chance I can drive?”

With a rumbling smirk, Rafe rounded the back bumper on his way to the driver’s side door. “Don’t push your luck.”

He pressed the key fob he’d just pulled from his pocket. A low beep and a flash of the car’s exterior lights let them know the vehicle had been unlocked. They tossed their bags into the back, got into the car, and buckled themselves up for the ride.

Speaking of⁠—

“Okay, Mr. Bond.” Lena teasingly used her best English accent. “Are you finally going to tell me where it is you plan to take me?”

“I will in just a moment.” He tapped the screen on his dash. “And your accent leaves much to be desired.”

Her chuckle came softly as his cell automatically connected to the car’s hands-free system. Rafe tapped Derek West’s name, and two rings later, the former SEAL answered.

“I was beginning to wonder if you changed your mind,” West drawled.

Rafe fired up the engine and shifted into drive. “Lena and I are in the car.”

“You’re headed south, right?”

“We will be once we reach the highway,” the man beside her confirmed. “Though I still don’t know where you’re sending us from here.”

Lena shot Rafe a look. “You don’t know where we’re going?”

“I believe Derek is about to fill us in on that part of the plan.” He winked.

And why did she find the playful gesture so damn sexy?

Focus.

“Owens and I didn’t have a lot of time to talk when I called him earlier,” West chimed back in. “So I told him to call me back from the road.”

“I knew to go south,” Rafe explained. “But that’s all.”

“What’s south?” Lena spoke to the man they couldn’t see.

“Sunset, South Carolina. There’s a cabin tucked away between Sunset and the Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area, which is next to Jocassee Lake.”

Okaaaay . . .

“And what’s in this cabin?”

Rafe adjusted his grip on the leather steering wheel. “West tracked down Pascal and your old boss,” he answered first.

“Damien and Roger?” Lena’s chest grew tight.

It was Derek who answered.

“When my system alerted me,” he began, “I ran a deep dive into the address. When it didn’t produce any known connection to either man, I decided to follow a hunch.”

“What kind of hunch?” She listened closely.

“You ever hear of SafeHS?”