Page 43 of The Cousins and the Brunette

“Cover me.” I took out my lock-pick set.

Sebastian kept watch, his gaze scanning for any sign of trouble.

The lock to Shoemaker’s lab was a high-end biometric scanner with a ten-digit keypad—an amateur’s nightmare, but I was far from that. I popped off the face-plate, exposing the tangle of wires beneath. With practiced skill, I crossed two wires, held my breath, and entered a code I’d memorized from Elizabeth’s intel.

Funny how a few crossed wires could make the difference between success and a one-way ticket to a detention center. Not that I was planning on the latter.

A soft click, and the door eased open. Elation rose up my chest from my stomach, and I tamped it down. Celebrations could wait until we were out of this house.

“Nice work.” There was something akin to admiration in his gaze—or perhaps it was just the reflection of the florescent lab lights in his pupils.

I shrugged, stepping into the lab. “Let’s grab what we came for and get out of here.”

Sebastian followed, closing the door behind us. Rows of gleaming Nant-bots lined the shelves, their intricate designs both intriguing and frightening in their potential.

“Over there.” I pointed to a secure storage unit nestled in the far corner of the room.

We approached cautiously, aware that even a single slip-up could trigger an alarm. I knelt before the unit, slipping picks from my sleeve. I tried to hurry. Time wasn’t something we had the luxury of squandering—not tonight. So, when the tumblers fell into place and the unit beeped open, my relief was short-lived.

Because that’s when all hell broke loose.

The instant I swung the door open, a piercing siren blared, the sound slicing through the sterile air of the lab. Red strobe lights pulsed blindingly, creating a nightmarish hue.

Shit! I’d successfully broken into the most secure lab in New Boston, only to be foiled by the world’s most obnoxious alarm clock.

“Damn it!” I cursed, heart hammering against my ribs. Panic clawed at my throat, threatening to choke me.

“Grab them, quickly!” Sebastian’s voice cut through the chaos, steady as ever.

I snatched up the sleek, metallic Nant-bots, tossing them into Sebastian’s waiting backpack. They clinked together, precious and perilous all at once.

“Let’s go!” I yelled over the din.

It was when we turned to flee, I realized my mistake.

In the tumult, I had lost sight of Sebastian. The corridors sprawled like a labyrinth before me, each one identical and foreboding. The shriek of alarms echoed off the walls, disorienting me further.

“Sebastian!” I called out, but my voice was swallowed by the noise.

Shit, shit, shit! I’d gone from master thief to lost puppy in the span of thirty seconds. Kay would never let me hear the end of this one.

I darted through the nearest doorway, my breaths coming in ragged gasps. My heartbeat was thundering in my chest, keeping time with the strobing emergency lights. I had to find Sebastian and the others before—

“Look what we have here,” a gruff voice slurred from the shadows.

Two men appeared and blocked my path.

My blood ran cold. Standing before me were Shoemaker’s henchmen, their bulky forms hindering the only exit. The same brutes who had nearly ended me months ago on Shoemaker’s orders. The shorter one stepped around me, now I had them blocking any escape.

Trapped like a rat in a maze, except the cheese at the end was more likely to be a face full of fist. Delightful.

“Lost, girly?” the larger one sneered, his grip tightening around a baton as if relishing a repeat performance.

“Actually, I’m part of the new security audit team,” I said, straightening my spine. “Surprise inspection. And, um, you two just failed miserably.”

Lying through my teeth had become second nature, like breathing or disappointing my parents. Not that I had parents to disappoint anymore.

The smaller one, muscles bulging beneath his too-tight uniform, grabbed my arm. “Nice try. What’re you really doin’ back here?”

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