Page 85 of Savage

“Right. Of course. Sorry.”

I couldn’t be sure, but I thought King’s lips twitched.

Lachlan stepped forward. “I could go down and?—”

“No,” King said. “You are to stay here with Cooper. If we need to send anyone, it’ll be Alessio.”

Lachlan’s jaw bunched, the idea of being held on a leash not sitting well with him. Or maybe it was the idea of babysitting me.

“I could get more cameras down there,” he said.

“I said no. We can’t risk Mick’s men getting jumpy. If they spot someone sniffing around, they might change the date or time?—”

“I wouldn’t get caught.”

“How about we send up a couple of drones?” Alessio interjected, clearly trying to defuse the situation. “They can check out the surrounding buildings, and they’d be less likely to be detected.”

“Or,” Lachlan said, “I could slip in and out the way I said. A drone can get caught.”

Alessio scoffed. “I’m taking offense to that, just so you know.”

“Lachlan?” Everyone’s attention turned to King. “You stay put.”

“I don’t think he’s learned his commands yet.” The freakin’ Prince of Monaco winked at Lachlan, and I couldn’t stop gapingat him. Was I supposed to bow? What did you do in front of royalty?

But King had made it clear whoever these men were outside these walls, they were something altogether different inside, and I was dying to know what part Theodore Rinaldi played in all of this.

Stop staring before they kick you out.

“Right,” King said, “Alessio, get your drones in the sky and get us the up-to-date visuals we need so we can formulate a plan.”

“On it,” Alessio said, shooting King a salute.

“Since you’ve all determined you want to be involved in the takedown, stick close to the city.” He was looking at Theo specifically. “Estimated time is end of the week, and once we get the call, there will be no waiting around for you.”

Everyone nodded their agreement, and the interest and excitement was palpable, like they all couldn’t wait to get in on some action.

I was living in the fucking Twilight Zone.

“Cooper,” King said, and gave a curt nod. “Good work.”

Why was it a compliment from a practical stranger had me feeling like a badass? Sheer luck had put the key card in my possession, but being in the right place at the right time was smart on my part.

Damn, who would’ve thought a week ago I’d say that night in the alley was actually the right place and right time? Not me.

Something like hope filled my chest as Lachlan tied the blindfold back around my eyes. These guys were going to get justice for Alex, I could feel it. Finally the people responsible would pay for what they’d done, and it would prevent so many more unnecessary deaths.

It wasn’t until we were heading back to the penthouse that the question entered my mind of justhowthis eclectic group of men planned to make them pay.

28

LACHLAN

THIS WAS BULLSHIT.

I didn’t bother objecting to King again. There was no point. He wanted me locked away while the plans were made, but why? I’d been in situations that would make his head spin, and he thought I couldn’t handle a simple scoping out of a location?

Again with the bullshit.

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