Page 46 of Lethal

We’re about to jump feet first into the icy depths of darkness when it comes to rushing into Brent’s house. And with how well his tracks were covered, there’s a strong possibility we haven’t discovered who he really is. I can only hope I’m not dooming us all with my poor decisions.

Chapter 21

Raven

The rough surface of the wall scratches at the bulletproof jacket I’m wearing. This is the second time I find myself wearing tactical gear lately, and I’m once again realizing how spoiled I was with the access I had at Halston Solutions.

I really need to take a moment to make sure we use the back door channels he built into the servers, and ship myself the gear I want, along with anything else that catches my fancy. No need to waste such an advantageous source. But now isn’t the time to be thinking about that.

Cole and I press against the wall on the outside of Brent’s mansion, waiting for Jasper and Vander to get into position. Grayson is sitting inside the SUV with Cole’s computer, watching the live footage. Cole ensured the feeds were looped so they wouldn’t see us coming.

Excitement thrums through me as the cool mountain air blows across my face, lifting the loose strands of hair that didn’t make it into my braid. Jasper told me that today’s weapon of choice will be whatever is closest to me on my right-hand side. He set a challenge for me, daring me to be resourceful and make it work no matter what it is. Along with it came another Ravenmaster rule.

The thirteenth rule of killing: Don’t forget to spice things up from time to time.

He said it with a wink that sent chills down my spine and continued all the way to my toes. Even thinking about it now has goosebumps raising the small hairs on my arms. Jasper is so damn sexy sometimes. Okay, fine. All the time.

Cole glances behind him to look at me. His gaze travels over me from top to bottom for the fifth time. He seems overly paranoid that I’m fully prepared. “Make sure you stay behind me. If we have any surprises, I want to take the brunt of it.”

“What if they come up behind me?” I ask.

A threatening growl rips out of him, and he pins me in place with a scathing glare. “Then I’ll push you out of the way and cut him open so I can strangle him with his own intestines.”

Oh... I haven’t tried that method yet.

I lick my lips and clear the thought from my mind. “You do know it would be faster if I twitched my finger and shot whoever it is, right?”

“Nobody’s laying a finger on you when I’m around.” Cole doesn’t bother to keep his voice lowered, and I can’t help but wince, wondering if we’ll be found before our plan is set in motion. Thankfully, he doesn’t notice. I’d hate to see his reaction if he did. He’s already on the edge of another break. Being this close to finding his sister doesn’t bode well for the most rational state of mind. Not when he’s blamed himself all this time.

“Thank you, handsome,” I tell him instead of pointing out the flaws in his thinking. He won’t listen to anything I say anyway. Better to keep him in a placated state.

“We’re in position and have the gas hooked up. Ready to release on your command.” Vander’s voice filters through the com device sitting snugly in my ear.

“Mask on, Luv.”

Once again, I find myself wishing I already gathered supplies from Halston Solutions. At least I know what kind of rigorous testing our products went through. This brand of gas mask is reputable, and I’m sure it’ll be safe. But I’d prefer to use something I have firsthand knowledge about.

When my face is covered, Cole double checks it’s sitting correctly against me. His care touches something deep in my chest. It’s a glimpse into the version of him I knew a few days ago. Back when his possessiveness was at a manageable level and he had a British accent. Back when I had Ravenmaster stalking me from afar. I can’t wait to have him back to normal. He’s been acting so strange.

“Dispense the gas,” Cole responds, sliding his own mask into place. We’ve been operating by the seat of our pants lately. Never having things fully thought out—which actually takes me back to my beginning days of killing—but he pulled a fairly decent plan together. One he didn’t even tell us about till we were almost here.

Seems I won’t be able to fully exercise him from his secret keeping. At least this kind is acceptable.

“Copy,” Jasper responds.

“How do the cameras look?” Cole asks Grayson. “Anyone patrolling that we should take out before entering?”

“Unless there’s a blind spot where they’re hiding, everything is clear. You’re good to go.”

“Excellent. Let’s kill some bastards,” Cole says, giving the command to enter.

He turns to the front door and kicks it in. It gives way too easily for an entry point on such an expensive home. Something I’ll ensure doesn’t happen at the home we eventually settle into.

“Didn’t think to try the knob?” My voice is distorted from the mask, but he hears me anyway.

“Where’s the fun in that?” A manic laugh reaches me as he strides inside. We both hold our guns in front of us, prepared to shoot anyone that somehow isn’t affected by the gas. We don’t make it very far before we find someone sprawled on the ground, taken out without us having to break a sweat. The gas works to safely knock anyone out who breathes it in, but won’t have long-lasting side effects. In a couple of hours, they’ll wake up. That is if the plan wasn’t to kill anyone we found on the spot.

Cole fires a bullet into their head as he steps over the body without a second glance. We work to clear each room we pass, dispatching anyone we find, a precaution we’re too smart to pass up. Only assholes get cocky and think they can get away with blindly trusting their equipment. It’s a mistake that practically begs to get you killed.

---