Page 31 of The Eagle's Vault

Scarlett’s expression softened. “Leigh, it’s a perfectly legal test. Nothing is going to go wrong. You’ve got Declan and Jayce with you. They’ve done this so many times, they could do it blindfolded.”

Taking a deep breath, I nodded.Perfectly legalwas exactly what I needed to hear. “Okay. I need to get my plainclothes disguise on over the thermal suit.”

“And pack a go bag.” With a wink, she headed for the door. “You’re part of my team tonight. You play by my rules.”

Chapter 12

Leigh

Theminivansatinconspicuouslynext to Cassaforte Caetani, our sleeping target in the center of Rome. Inside the blacked-out van, our only illumination came from a trio of computer screens shared between Scarlett and Rav in the front seats. One screen displayed Brie and Will, who would monitor our progress remotely. Another screen fed us a live tour of Cassaforte’s interior, every gleaming corner of the vault exposed. The last, all squiggles and valleys, dominated Rav’s attention.

“Sixty minutes, tops.” Rav pointed to the array of graphs. “That’s how long the suit batteries keep you warm against the chill. If you’re cutting it too close, call a pull out, or deal with the cold.”

Rav’s clipped commands contrasted with the joking the team did most of the time. Maybe it was their way of dealing with the stress, or maybe they were so used to these activities that the stress rolled off them.

Jayce, one of her gloves resting on her lap, dug into a bag of chips. She smirked at Declan, pointing a potato chip at him. “Try not to rip it this time, big man.”

He peeled off his long-sleeve T-shirt and cargo pants to reveal a thermal suit clinging to every muscle. Every. Single. Muscle. “Try not to leave too small a hole in the chain-link fence next time.”

Heat simmered under my skin, pooling low in my belly. The rational part of me wrestled it back. We were here for a job, not romance.

But wow, his suit left nothing to the imagination.

My own thermal suit suddenly felt too tight again. Too revealing. As he knelt to pack his clothes in his go bag, I ordered my gaze away from his ass.

Baggy sweaters and worn jeans, that was my style. But here I was, poured into a skin-tight suit, something Finn would’ve sworn I was incapable of. His words played on their continual loop in my mind. “You’re not one of those girls, Leigh. Not like you’ve got anything to show off, anyway.”

I shoved the memory down, attempting to squash it. Tonight, I wasn’t Finn’s Leigh. I wasn’t Isaac’s little sister. No. Tonight, I was part of Reynolds Recoveries, like Scarlett had said.

And it was showtime.

Pulling off the layers of my plainclothes disguise, I squirmed in my seat, my movements a far cry from Jayce and Declan’s fluid efficiency.

Isaac shifted, jostling past Jayce to get access to me, the worried crease between his eyes deepening. “You okay? No headaches?”

“I’m fine, Isaac.” Irritation flared, but I swallowed it. It was the umpteenth time he’d asked since we arrived in Rome. I should’ve hadI’m finetattooed across my forehead for his benefit.

Isaac leaned over, adjusting my collar with a frown. It was typical Isaac, the overprotective older brother, fussing over the fit of my thermal suit. I swatted his hand away, feigning a smile.

In the front seats, Scarlett spoke in hushed tones with Rav. “Emmett’s headaches are getting worse. The fucking clowns… I think it’s a concussion.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Rav didn’t even look at her, but his tone made it clear he cared deeply about the Reynolds siblings. “I was surprised Malcolm left you in my hands again, but that explains it.”

“I was so wrong about him.”

“Which one?” He glanced at her, an intimate moment that seemed out of place in the van.

“Good point.” Scarlett lifted her chin and pivoted, her moment with Rav vanishing faster than it had happened. She handed an earpiece to each of us, her voice raising to business levels. “Comms for the night.”

It was the same tiny device as I’d worn for the reconnaissance. But this time, when I slipped it into my ear, the explosion of chatter from Will and Brie was a comfort rather than a distraction. An anchor to latch my confidence onto so it didn’t float away.

“Everything’s green on my end,” Brie’s voice came in crisp and clear. “Our inside man’s done his part. Security feed’s looped. Cameras are blind.”

Time to go.

We all pulled on our head coverings, masking our faces, holding in any stray hairs that might try to escape. My fingers moved over the straps of my backpack and over the pouches on my thighs. Key blanks. Files. Filing box. The most important tools were all there. All ready.

Isaac cut through my focus. “Last chance, Leigh. You sure you’re okay?”

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