Page 60 of Bound By Valor

Yeah, Logan was right. I’m oblivious sometimes.

The squad had their keys, and I walked Leora to our room, unlocking the door to reveal a flood of light from the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the courtyard. The room boasted a massive king-sized bed framed in gold metal, set against dark teal walls—luxury far beyond our usual safehouse digs.

“Nice job, Blackthorn,” I muttered under my breath.

Leora, unable to hide her delight, flopped onto the bed with a contented sigh. She seemed to adore thisplace more than I anticipated.

After freshening up, we regrouped with the squad at the reception, where Delara Booth’s voice floated through the archway opposite us. Delara, a petite blonde known for her ability to disappear into a crowd, was someone I’d worked with on several CIA missions. Today, she was all business, clad in a formal blue dress and beige heels that barely made her taller than Leora.

“—let’s hold off on sending in the team. I’m still tracking their movements,” she was saying into her phone.

As she ended the call and noticed us, her face lit up. “Zarek darling,” she greeted, pulling me into a hug with her posh British accent.

“Delara,” I responded, feeling Leora’s tense presence beside me.

Leora cleared her throat conspicuously, and I quickly stepped back from Delara.

My little possessive Leora.

Suppressing a smile at her barely concealed jealousy, I watched as Delara turned her attention to Leora. “And you must be Leora, Zarek’s new trainee,” she said cheerfully.

“And his girlfriend,” Leora corrected her sharply.

Girlfriend. I like the sound of that.

“Lovely to see you again, Delara,” Leora let out her hand. Confusion filled Delara’s face followed by a quick recognition.

“You are Dr. Leora Mateez, from the Toronto Penitentiary. I knew I recognized that name,” she smiled.

“We call them Detention Centres. And yes, that’s me. We worked together briefly a few months back.”

“Oh I remember,” Delara’s smile morphed into a rather mischievous one, “No one has ever called me a bitch to my face before. I liked you immediately.”

Leora’s eyes widened and she looked at me. I shrugged.

“C’mon, let’s get you all downstairs. Zane and Sebastian are very excited to show you what we’ve got.”

She led us to a different elevator, one hidden from general view, requiring both a retina scan and a code. The doors slid open, revealing a descent into the heart of Blackthorn’s operations.

As we entered, I saw that this elevator had levels going down to ‘-5’. It immediately made me wonder if -5 wasn’t still the last underground level they had. Perhaps, there was another elevator here with higher security access.

As we descended to level ‘-4,’ the elevator doors parted to reveal a stark transformation from the upper floors. The ambiance shifted dramatically, evoking the interior of a high-tech spaceship. The walls were painted in shades of dark grey and black, accented with sleek silver touches that caught the light as we moved.

“Let’s head to the command center,” Delara instructed, her voice echoing slightly in the expansive space.

She led us across a sprawling lobby, its sleek black suede couches scattered strategically, offering a stark contrast to the stark, utilitarian design. We approached a corridor ending in a large opaque glass door that looked more like a portal to another dimension than a simple entryway.

After another retina scan and a quick input ofcodes, the door slid open with a soft hiss, reminiscent of airlocks in sci-fi movies. The immediate buzz of activity hit us—the rapid clatter of keyboards and low murmurs of concentrated conversation created a background hum of efficiency and urgency.

I glanced at Leora, who surveyed the scene with a cool, impassive gaze, seemingly unphased by the high-tech surroundings.

“This is where the magic happens,” Delara said with a hint of pride, gesturing broadly to the sprawling room filled with glowing screens and busy personnel. “Welcome to the nerve center of Blackthorn.”

Someone from my squad whistled at the back.

“We need a bigger budget, Ghost.Thisis what I call Command Center.Damn!” I heard Kabir.

Delara looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink.

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