Page 108 of Reckless: Collision

“Two minutes to target.” Her voice again, all business now. Through my side mirror, I watch Quinn’s van maintain perfect distance. Inside, she’s surrounded by screens and servers, finally back in her element. No trace of the woman who fills my pack with laughter and confusion in equal measure. “Thermal imaging shows minimal activity on the lower levels.”

I turn down another street, this one darker than the last. The Sterling Labs building looms ahead, all glass and steel reaching toward a starless sky. Somewhere in there are answers about the omega attack. About their experiments.

About her.

“One minute.” Her voice drops lower. “There’s a loading bay off the west entrance. Perfect blind spot for both vehicles.”

“Lucky number seven,” Theo’s voice comes through the comms as he parks the van with perfect precision. He shouldn’t be here—we never take him on missions like this. Too much risk.

“All units in position,” Cayenne confirms. Through the van’s window, I catch one last glimpse of her bathed in blue light before Theo seals her in. Alone with her tech. Alone with whatever secrets she’s keeping.

“Comms check,” Finn says, already moving to the back of the SUV for his equipment.

“Check one,” Jinx, vibrating with contained violence.

“Check two.” My own voice, steady despite the tension coiling in my gut.

“Check three.” Theo, unusually serious.

“Check four.” Cayenne’s voice fills our ears, crystal clear through the new tech. “I’m into their primary security feeds. First rotation starts in forty seconds.”

I gather my team—my pack— close. “Remember the objective. Get the sample, confirm the source, get out. No heroics.” This last part directed at both Jinx and Theo, who share the same dangerous glint in their eyes.

“Twenty seconds.” Cayenne’s voice takes on that edge of excitement that always makes my alpha sit up and notice. “The moment I kill the feeds, you’ll have exactly?—”

“We know,” I cut her off, because I can’t afford distractions. Can’t think about how her scent lingered in my office this morning, how her unpacked bags mock our tentative pack bonds. “Maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary.”

“Copy that, Alpha.” Defiance wrapped in protocol. Always testing limits.

Theo gives the van one last check before joining us, his usual artistic flow replaced with predatory grace. This is why we don’t bring him on missions— he’s too much like Jinx, too prone to letting instinct override control.

“Ten seconds,” Cayenne whispers.

Jinx rolls his shoulders. Finn checks his collection kit. Theo’s eyes gleam with barely contained darkness.

“Five.”

I meet each of their gazes. My team. My pack. Whatever Sterling Labs is hiding, whatever connection Cayenne has to all this, we face it together.

“Three.”

The night holds its breath.

“Two.”

Jinx and Theo flank me, lethal bookends to our formation. Finn readies himself between us.

“One.”

We move.

“West entrance camera loop engaged.” Cayenne’s voice is all business now. “You’ve got eighteen seconds to clear the loading dock.”

We move as one unit, shadows among shadows. Years of training, of fighting together, make us fluid. Deadly. Finn takes point with his tablet, Jinx and I flanking while Theo covers our six.

“Fifteen seconds.”

The loading dock door has a keycard reader. Top of the line. Supposedly uncrackable.

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