Page 386 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

When Rike is gone, Riley looks them both over. ‘You’re OK?’

‘No thanks to you,’ Lachlan mutters like he just can’t help himself and Kade grits his teeth hard to deny himself the reaction it stirs.

Riley offers a bland, humourless smile that goes nowhere near his eyes.

‘Trust me, you wouldn’t like what I could contribute.’

‘You have mastered containment from your side of the Knot,’ Lee tells him, perched on Cole’s side of the console, examining holographic files in mid-air. ‘I believe you could have selectively controlled—’

‘You didn’t need me anyway,’ he interrupts. Kade has never seen Riley speak to Lee in such a way. ‘Tanner’s clean now. That’s all that matters.’

‘Let’s go over security,’ Kade suggests.

‘Every entrance is covered, but we have to assume Roman has exposed more than our location,’ Riley says as Cole brings up a slowly revolving schematic of the Tower. ‘Manual overrides are being installed on the gates and internal doors.’

‘Roman has no knowledge of that.’

‘But Tanner does. I can’t take the chance that he and Roman didn’t do some…’ Riley makes a swirling gesture. ‘Mind-meldy thing and Roman telepathically reported it to Penhalyx.’

‘What a sentence,’ Cole whispers.

‘Maybe he’s known it since he broke in here,’ Kade says, but Riley shakes his head.

‘If he doesn’t sleep, it doesn’t transfer.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘I just do, but either way, we have to prepare for the worst.’

‘I really don’t think—’

‘No, he’s right,’ Lachlan tells Kade. ‘I’d do the same. It’s smart.’

‘Careful, Bodyguard, that was almost a compliment.’

‘Almost.’

‘Roman remains under constant watch with rotating guards. I don’t want anyone visiting him, especially not Sorrenko.’

‘It’s his brother. This is hard on him.’

Riley gives Lachlan a somewhat pitying look.

‘You do realise Vasily knew this entire time Roman was alive and that’s the reason he asked you to meet him at the Estate? He wanted you to help capture him. He knew you’d falter when you saw him.’

‘You don’t know the first thing about the Sorrenkos.’

‘Oh my God!’ Riley snaps, laughing. ‘Are you fucking kidding me, Bodyguard? I know everything about them!’

‘Riley,’ Lee warns quietly, green eyes locked on him.

Kade’s brother bites his lips into his mouth, expression sour, muscles taut. ‘Fine. I know nothing about anything. Great. Let’s move on.’

‘No, you have something to say, say it.’

‘I have nothing to say to you.’

‘Oh really? Because Kade didn’t think you could speak ASL but I know for a fact you can.’