Page 14 of Abandoned Oaths

I stopped and spun. “An apartment?”

He sighed. “Yes, Millie.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Couldn’t we have found a house?”

“No, too much space to cover. We don’t have enough men. Condos have limited entrances and built-in security.”

“But . . .” I looked back at the building. “I thought I had a role to play.”

He laughed, with actual sound and a stupid smile.

“What?”

“The unit costs twenty grand a month. It’s in the most exclusive building on the island with private roof access. It’s exactly what a rich princess would move into. You have all the privacy you could want while also still being close to the heart of Miami.”

He didn’t need to go into the full sales pitch. I didn’t have a say, and it wasn’t changing, so I had to get over it.

“Is that boat for my use anytime?”

“Maybe not that one specifically, but yes, you always have one on call. The number is in the email I sent you.”

Yeah, I should get around to reading it sometime.

“Let’s get going.”

He urged me forward to the entrance of my temporary home. The lobby was like something out of a movie. Gleaming white marble floors and pillars and floor-to-ceiling windows made up three of the four walls. The best part was the enormous chandelier. It was at least twelve feet wide and caught the natural light, casting rainbows around the room.

Rod didn’t bother pausing to gawk. He moved to the elevators and tapped a card against a small black rectangle. “Only those with access cards can use these. If you ever have anything delivered, someone will have to meet them down here.”

That would keep out the average criminal, but people like me? It was more like a fun little game to make a mission more exciting. I’d break into the system in under a minute and be at the door of my target before anyone knew I’d gotten in.

But I wasn’t me.

I wasn’t a mafia asset.

I casually pulled out my phone and skimmed over the first paragraph of his precious email.

I was Millie Torres, heir to a new money fortune made of unethical businesses, mostly overseas oil.

A place like this was exactly where Millie belonged. She didn’t need to worry about hackers or assassins. She was rich and young and looking for a good time.

This was my chance to live the life I’d never have.

He tapped the card again and pressed the button for “P.” We made it to the top floor without having to stop and the doors opened to a hallway with a single black door at the opposite end.I guess that was the penthouse and not parking.

“Only your keycards can get to this floor. There’s a separate staircase in case of emergencies that connects to the main one, two floors down.”

More security. A cute illusion.

“And how do I know there aren't more of those floating around? What about previous residents?” I eyed his card as he slid it back into his wallet.

“Building staff changed the entire security system before we arrived. There are only six cards.”

“Six? Why so many?”

He ignored me, pointing up. “We took over the feeds as well.”

I looked along the ceiling before finally spotting an ultra-discrete camera in the corner facing the apartment door. “How many inside?”

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