Page 14 of Final Sins

But her cousin plowed on. “You meet the team?” he asked Jason.

“I think so,” Jason said. “Big guy, super smart. Pretty blonde lady. Super scary. And Lexie, here.”

She winced at his use of her nickname. Too soft. Too ... powerless. In her world, people didn’t cede you power. You had to take it.

Gabe slurped from his mug. “How’d we end up with two clients?”

“Long story,” she responded tersely. “Tell you later.”

But Jason butted in, explaining about Munsinger’s call, the airport shooting, insisting they were all in danger.

“Clients get attacked all the time,” she responded. “It’s not ideal, but it’s the price of doing business. People don’t arrange to be disappeared for no reason. If Mr. Munsinger had followed protocol and come alone?—”

“He’d be dead,” Jason interrupted.

“Possibly.” The word tasted bitter on her tongue. He wasn’t wrong.

“How can you say that so lightly?” His incredulous tone set her teeth on edge.

Fury rose in her chest. “Do you have any idea how many bounties my team and I have on our heads?”

“I can guess.” His voice softened. “My crew and I have earned a few, too.”

No doubt. Her research hadn’t told the whole story, but she could read between the lines. The man had tangled with the Consortium and lived.

“Speaking of my peeps, I need to contact them,” he said.

“No.”

The rising tension drove Gabe off. Utterly conflict-averse, he retreated to his lab, leaving them alone. Though technically a part of RAVEN, her cousin had his own venture cooking. A world-expert in holographic and VR technology, his latest invention, the NeuroVerse, planned to be a groundbreaking leap in the field. His cutting-edge VR company wasn’t just about disappearing into virtual worlds; it was about revolutionizing how humans interacted with technology.

Or so he continually explained. She was more rooted in the actual universe.

Once perfected, his tech would allow users to experience virtual environments with all five senses, creating immersive experiences indistinguishable from reality. The potential applications were staggering—from advanced medical training to therapeutic treatments for PTSD, from revolutionary educational tools to entirely new forms of entertainment.

Alex shook her head, refocusing on the immediate situation. Groundbreaking technology or not, she had a job to do.

She eyed Jason, sensing his determination. It would take another day before he’d be content leaving Munsinger. Might as well let him make his call. She handed him a phone.

He held it up. “Any place I can talk without you overhearing?”

She bit into the peach. “Nope.”

He muttered something under his breath and headed for the farthest couch, leaving her to ponder the complications he brought to her carefully ordered world.

She could practically see the wheels turning in his head, no doubt formulating plans and contingencies. It was what she would do in his position.

“Let your team know we’ll get you home as soon as you’re ready to leave,” she called out, her voice carefully neutral.

Jason glanced back, a hint of surprise flickering across his face. “Appreciate it,” he replied, before turning his attention to the phone.

No. Probably not.

A wry smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. He’d be a lot less appreciative if he knew about the complimentary drug-induced nap that came with the return trip package. But then again, the best exits were always the ones you didn’t see coming.

As she turned back to her peach, Alex couldn’t help but feel a twinge of ... something. Regret? Respect?

It didn’t matter. Jason Reilly, with his stubborn determination and inconvenient competence, was a liability she couldn’t afford.

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