Page 88

Note to self. For the safety of mankind, don’t ever wear anything provocative out in public.

Rowan schools his face, then taking my hand, he leads me toward the door.

“I don’t have shoes on,” I remind him.

I washed my socks, hoping they would dry quickly.

“That’s okay, my light. We’re not going outside.”

I move closer to Rowan as we head down a hallway, and when we reach the back of the mansion, I’m taken into a room.

Luis gets up from where he’s sitting by a desk that’s situated beside a vault door. Besides potted plants, there are monitors up on the walls, some showing the grounds while others are off.

“Your companion will have to wait up here,” Luis says.

“No.” Rowan’s tone is unforgiving. “She doesn’t leave my sight.”

The men stare at each other, and just as I start to worry that things might escalate, Luis nods. “I’ll only make an exception this one time.”

He keys in a code and spins the wheel on the vault door, then it opens with a heavy creak.

When I see the narrow passage descending into darkness, my eyebrows fly up, and I shake my head. “I have a thing about dark, narrow spaces.”

Rowan lets go of my hand, his eyes searching mine. “At the bottom of the passage is a big room. Do you think you can manage that?”

I notice Luis is growing impatient, a displeased look on his face. Not wanting to cause Rowan further stress, I nod.

We can’t walk beside each other, and I end up between the men. The narrow steps down into the pitch-black darkness don’t help, and I brace my hands on the walls on either side of me so I can catch myself if I accidentally miss one.

Oh God.

My heartbeat begins to speed up, and I second-guess every step, while it feels like the walls are closing in on me. It’s so dark, I can’t see Luis in front of me, and I begin to worry that I’ll bump into him.

Suddenly, Rowan’s arm curls around my front, and I’m hauled against his chest as he lifts me off my feet.

He moves with ease as I practically hang on his arm, but feeling safe with him, I instantly calm down.

“How can you see anything?” I ask.

“I have good night vision,” his voice rumbles near my ear.

Suddenly, a light flickers on, and as Rowan takes the last few steps, I notice Luis walking toward a wall that’s covered in safe-deposit boxes.

Holy shit.

Rowan sets me down, then moves around me to join Luis in front of a specific rectangular door. They both key in a code, and when a metal drawer slides out, Luis steps away, heading in my direction.

I’m very curious to see what’s inside the drawer and walk closer until I stop beside Rowan.

Oh my God.

The inside is lined with dark padding, and stacks of cash are packed neatly on either side of the drawer. In the middle is an ID card with Rowan’s photo and a black Visa card.

Reid Callahan.

There’s also a phone, but what really draws my attention are the two guns in the middle of it all. Their chrome handles touch, making it almost look like a pair of wings.

A wolf’s face is engraved into the chrome, half of it on each handle.