Page 20 of Abandoned Oaths

“Is there a problem?” Javier’s jaw was so tense I wanted to touch it to see if it was as hard as I imagined.

“Nope.” I took him in, thoroughly enjoying the view of his broad shoulders, tapered waist, and thighs that proved he never once skipped leg day.

“Who are you?” Cruz whispered behind me.

“What are you?” Derek grumbled, with his arms crossed against his wide chest.

I narrowed my eyes. “A tool. Just like each of you.”

Javier took a step closer to me. “From now on, you’re a part of our team. We don’t stab our teammates.”

I rolled my eyes. “I didn’t stab him.” I barely broke skin.

Cruz rubbed at his neck, smearing the teeny tiny bit of blood.

“We don’t pull weapons on each other.” Javier dropped his head back and mumbled something like “damned children” at the ceiling.

He was right. His team was a bunch of children. Big babies.

“Look, I think we all got off on the wrong foot. We weren’t expecting you until later tonight, and we didn’t get everything done.” He gestured at the mess. “But now that you’re here, we can get to work.”

“Finally.” I sighed and looked at the couch, brushed away some crumbs and sat. “I’ve been waiting for the person in charge to show up.” I batted my lashes and crossed my legs.

“We work as a group.” Marco moved to stand at Javier’s side like the bitch boy he was.

“Sure, so why doesn’t the group start cleaning while Mom and Dad talk grown-up stuff?”

He lunged for me, but Javier caught him. “She’s right. This place is embarrassing. Clean up after yourselves.”

Marco’s jaw dropped. Then he looked to the others like they might back him up, but Cruz and Derek were slightly more intelligent. The three of them hustled into the kitchen, and Derek pulled out a box of trash bags from a cabinet. Huh. They did know how to not be disgusting. They just chose to live like this.

Javier sat, extending his arm over the back of the sofa so he could face me. “Sorry, I was busy when you arrived. I could have smoothed things over.”

Aw, he was trying to be charming. How cute. Too bad I already hated him and his little crew.

“As I’m sure you’re already aware, I don’t need backup or bodyguards, or whatever the hell you four are supposed to be. I know there are plenty of Pack members in the area I could call on if I needed them, but I won’t.” I cut him off when he opened his mouth. “Rod already told me your presence is nonnegotiable, and I’m not one to waste my time or breath. I’m moving past that. I’m here for the mission. I want it done and closed as fast as possible, like you do. So, let’s come up with a plan and execute it. Hopefully, we can go back to our lives within a few weeks.”

It pained me to say that. My longest assignments usually lasted three or four days. I’d been looking forward to a longer challenge, but the idea of spending weeks or longer with these wolves made my skin crawl.

“That’s fine with me. We’re here to assist you in succeeding, and I believe what we offer will benefit you. Marco’s hacking abilities have already been an asset. He confirmed our target will attend the benefit gala in two days.”

I nodded. “That’s our first contact?”

“Yes, the goal is to make an introduction and pique his interest in the new heiress.”

“That’s it? I could go home with him and set up cameras or mics or trackers.” Or kill him. That would wrap this all up in one go.

He jerked forward. “No, no, we’re playing the long game with him. We want him to come to you. It has to be his idea. It has to feel real.”

I stifled a groan. I knew this. Alpha made it clear this was a recon mission. I was to infiltrate his world and leak information back. If they just wanted to hack into his phone or computers, someone like Marco would have done that already.

I’m here because they want to take down Alessio Dias and his empire from the inside out. Unfortunately, he was straight, and I was the only female qualified and within his age range to play the role of a vapid heiress.

But waiting two days just to say hi to the guy? Then what? Waiting for him to call me? Sit by the window until a horse comes with a messenger inviting me to his ball?

Ugh, I didn’t move this slowly. Ever.

Get in and get out. It was how I lived life.

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