Page 100 of GAF Factor

“What?”

She spoke again, her voice distant and distorted. My pulse kicked up as my vision tunneled, almost as if I was looking through a kaleidoscope and the picture was blurring in multiple directions.

I shoved up from the table on shaky legs, stumbling over to the door. I had to get to IKE. Now.

24

IKE

I watchedher weave through the crowd behind that asshole and followed at a distance. I didn’t like this one bit. If she got in trouble, she was too far away from me. But this was what we agreed to.

“Tell me again why she’s going up there and you’re down here,” IRIS drawled.

I clenched my jaw, doing everything possible to keep from punching my fist through his face or the wall. “Because we agreed that it would be less intimidating if it was just her.”

“Isn’t that what you want, though? Intimidation is sort of your thing.”

“That’s not what Isla wants,” I bit out.

“Since when does that matter? This is your wheelhouse, not hers.”

I turned to him with a scowl. “That may be, but this involves her, and I won’t do anything that might stain her conscience if I can avoid it.”

He held up his hands in acquiescence. “Hey, it’s your mission. I’m just along for the ride.”

“Just remember that.”

The music pulsed around me, but where everyone else looked like they were having a good time, I hated every second of this. It was filled with bad decisions and booze, a deadly combination on the best of nights. I scanned the crowd for anyone who might pose a threat. There were plenty, but none to Isla or Jane.

“Okay, she’s got him talking,” IRIS said, like I couldn’t hear every fucking word they were saying. I had an earpiece, too. She was coming in loud and clear.

“Come on, Isla,” I whispered. “Bring him around.” If she didn’t get him talking, we’d have to do things my way. And I knew she didn’t want that.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered. “We should be up there.”

“Five more minutes.”

“Do you know what could happen in five minutes?”

“Yes,” I bit out. “I’m well aware, but they would let us know if they needed an out.”

“Unless they can’t.”

I ignored him and listened as Isla continued her conversation. She was losing him. He was getting up to leave. My eyes jerked to the room upstairs as he said he was getting back to work.

“IRIS—”

And that’s when I heard it. “Shawn is missing.” I swear to God, my heart stopped in my fucking chest. She wasn’t supposed to say a goddamn thing to him about Shawn missing. We knew it was a risk, that if he was concealing Shawn, he might signal him to run.

IRIS’s eyes flicked my way. “Maybe it’s okay.”

“You hope,” I muttered.

“He might be telling the truth. He might really want to help.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. In my experience, that was hardly ever what was really going on. I watched as he exited the roomand hurried down the stairs. The moment he hit the bottom, he was on the phone.

“Follow him,” I told IRIS. “I’m going after Isla and Jane.”

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