Page 2 of Curvy Hostage Mate
“Not to mention last time we waltzed in half-cocked was how we got in this whole mess in the first place,” Nolan chirped up.
Will let out a warning snarl, and Declan’s eyes narrowed, a sure sign he didn’t find Nolan’s antics particularly amusing.
Nolan held up his hands defensively. “Don’t blame me for telling the truth,” he grumbled.
The problem was, Nolan did have a point. We hadn’t been fully prepared last time. This time, we needed more structure.
“I’ll lead,” I said, raising my hand. I wasn’t going to leave this in the hands of someone else. If I were in control of the mission, I could make sure things went smoothly.
Declan blinked, a small crease forming between his eyebrows. “Are you sure? Because you’ve been there before. There’s a chance Cain will recognize you.”
“You need someone who’s been there before,” I pointed out. “Otherwise, they aren’t going to know how to move around the area. It’s a labyrinth in there. ”
Letting out a puff of air, Declan considered this, looking me up and down. I waited, trying to keep how badly I wanted to get back in there off my face. All I could think about was Morgan, her forced betrothal, the frightened and yet steely expression on her face when Kendra had last managed to speak with her.
My fist curled without my realizing it, and I had to bite back the snarl rumbling in my throat.
“I just want to make sure you’re up for it,” Declan said. “I know how rough it was down there. If you would rather sit it out, I doubt anyone would blame you.”
The thought of not going back, of leaving Morgan and not having any idea of what was going on, rankled me, making my wolf bristle with rage and pace inside me. I didn’t know what it was about Morgan that elicited that sort of reaction, but I didn’t care. I needed to be on this mission. I needed to make sure it succeeded.
“I want to go back and make sure that asshole pays for all the pain he’s caused,” I growled.
Declan studied me for a long moment, then gave a slow nod.
“Who do you have in mind to join?” Declan inquired.
I turned to Will, raising an eyebrow in question. He shook his head.
“If the portal has shown up again, I want to stay by Kendra,” he said. “I don’t want Cain getting any ideas about coming after her for revenge. I’d rather be close to home, if that’s all right.”
Nodding, I glanced over at Nolan and Trent. “How about you two? Up for a bit of fun?”
“If by ‘fun,’ you mean kicking Cain and the rest of those assholes into the dirt, then absolutely,” Nolan said.
“All right,” Declan said. “But you’ll want to use disguises.”
“My time to shine!” Nolan exclaimed, beaming and rubbing his hands together. “I’ll be able to set us up something fun.”
“No dresses this time,” Trent groaned.
“That was one time,” Nolan argued. “And it worked!”
“Effective over fun, please,” I said.
Rolling his eyes, Nolan nodded. Satisfied, I addressed the group at large.
“We’ll set up a plan to get in,” I said. “Nolan, Trent, come by my place after work. We’ll have a couple of beers and go over some strategies. I’ll make some notes and come up with a few ideas before then. Nolan, write down as much as you can remember about the Underside. Will, if you could do the same, I’d really appreciate it. Do you think Kendra would be willing to do the same? She’s the best source we have right now, but I don’t want to stress her out or anything.”
“If it means a chance of getting Morgan away from Cain, she’ll construct a life-sized model of the place in the span of an hour,” Will said.
“Less impressive, considering she’s a witch, and I’ve seen her do things even wilder than that in all of a minute,” Nolan remarked.
“Point being, she’ll help in whatever way she can.”
Declan held up a hand, causing all of us to stop and turn toward him. “I get the enthusiasm, and I’m glad we’re starting to get a plan formed,” he began. “But I need you all to use caution. This first bit is recon. That’s all. We need to know what we’re dealing with.”
Will let out a low growl, barely audible. Though, based on the way Declan’s dark eyes flickered toward him and narrowed slightly, I had a funny feeling he’d heard it as plain as if he’d shouted.
