Page 83 of Hell to Pay

“Ghost said he’d get back to us with more from his other source,” Nolan reminded him.

“What other source?” Jude was sitting on the couch with his legs spread, silk shirt still unbuttoned to show off his flawless inked chest. Manspreading had never looked so good.

“Some other guy who works IT on the estate,” Nolan said. “Ghost isn’t sure he can get more out of him, but apparently that’s where he learned what he knows so far. Apparently the other guy likes to talk.”

“Right, and people who like to talk will get us killed in situations like this one.” Rafe stood like a king, legs spread, arms crossed, issuing edicts like he had every right to make the rules.

Except he didn’t.

“It’s not just your decision,” I reminded him. “I think we should go. I have the brand. It has to be good for something. We might never get another chance.”

I was thinking of Rain Adakai, wondering if she might be there, if I might be able to get her home to her mom and sister.

“We don’t have invitations,” Rafe said. “Even with you, we wouldn’t be on the list.”

“I already called Pythe,” Nolan said. “He can get us some spoofed identities, access the system at the estate, and get our names put on the list — assuming there is one — if we can get someone to insert an SD card preloaded with malware.”

Rafe swore and paced through the open doors of the terrace. I looked at Nolan and Jude, but they stayed seated, so I took my cue from them. This was obviously one of those times when Rafe needed to be pissed alone before he was going to see reason.

Finally he stalked back into the living room. “There’s too much we don’t know. What if the masks have to be a certain kind and we get it wrong? What if we can’t get Ghost, or someone else, to insert the SD card into their network? What if someone recognizes Lilah while we’re there?”

“According to Ghost, everyone wears masks,” Nolan said, “even the girls.”

Rafe glared at him. “I’m starting to wish I’d gone to meet Ghost alone.”

Nolan shrugged.

I thought about everything they’d learned. “So we’d need the right kind of masks, spoofed identities for all three of you, and access to the network to get you on the list,” I said.

“And that’s just what we need to get in without getting ourselves killed at the door,” Rafe said. “We don’t know anything about what goes on inside. What if they separate us from you? What if some other fuck tries to touch you, or worse?”

I had to swallow around my fear because I’d thought of those things. It was risky to get within a mile of the party at the estate — especially after what had happened in Greece — let alone get inside.

The stuff we knew about the party could fit inside a thimble. That meant any attempt to crash it would be unpredictable. Anything could happen once we were inside — if we even managed to get that far.

“I’ll be with you,” I said. “You’re soldiers.”

“Not anymore.”

I heard the anger and frustration in Rafe’s voice, knew it was because the fact that he wasn’t a soldier anymore hadn’t been a choice.

It had been because of Sandoval.

“You are,” I insisted. “You know how to plan missions, how to get into and out of dangerous places. The three of you took apart that boat. You took down three times as many men by yourselves.”

“The boat was a contained environment,” Nolan said quietly. “I’m not saying this can’t be done, or even that it shouldn’t be done, just being honest about the risks here, the way this kind of mission differs from theArtemis.”

“Nolan’s right,” Jude said. “The estate is huge. If this guy is as rich as Ghost says, if this party is as illegal as he’s heard, there’s going to be major security. Getting in is one thing. Getting out is another.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “So the two of you are voting no with Rafe.”

Jude grinned. “Did I say that?”

Rafe swore again.

“I’ll agree to crash the party without Lilah,” Rafe said.

He was conceding only because I was winning.

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