Page 52 of An Epic Voyage
Indy needed to check the walls for something to trigger an opening.There had to be another hidden compartment somewhere, but it could be anywhere, maybe even the floor.It would take time to conduct a thorough search.
Her gaze caught on a remote separate from the one Griffin had used for the television.It didn’t look normal.She punched the red button and watched in fascination as a panel slid open.Indy held her breath, hoping to find what she was searching for.Instead, it revealed four rows of four screens, sixteen in total.None of the monitors were on.If she had to guess, it was a security system to observe activity inside the house.It made sense that a billionaire’s safe room would have advanced features to monitor potential threats.
Indy flipped a switch, bringing them all to life.She’d been right.They were high-definition camera feeds.She looked for one in the kitchen and found Griffin talking on the phone.Her curiosity wondered who was on the other end.The screen was so clear, it was as if she were standing beside him.She wasn’t bad at reading lips, but before she could try, he turned his back to the camera.Darn it.
Had Griffin called Van Houten?A girlfriend?The jealousy that shot through her was totally unexpected and highly irritating, so she pushed it aside.He was probably speaking to another member of the security team, letting them know he was stranded.Hopefully, they wouldn’t send a rescue team too soon.There was a lot of ground she needed to cover before that happened.
Griffin slid his phone into a pocket and opened the fridge.She didn’t have much time, so she ran her hands along the mahogany paneling, feeling for any anomalies.
She’d barely made a dent when she heard the door activate.Crap.Indy had meant to keep an eye on him.With a running dive, she landed on the couch and pretended to be asleep when Griffin pushed a cart inside.
Blinking her eyes open, she sat up and stretched.“You came back.”
“I told you I would.”
“And soldiers never lie.”How coincidental was it that he’d been a marine like the fake boyfriend she’d invented to stave off unwanted matchmaking?
“I can’t answer for everyone, but I don’t.”
Indy pushed to her feet.“Good to know.”She perused the items on the cart.“Looks like we won’t go hungry.”
“Yeah, you’ll be cooking me some tasty meals.”
Indy opened her mouth to lambast him before she noticed his teasing smile and the gleam in his eyes.She rolled hers and helped him unload the goods.
“Since it’s like we’re inside a mausoleum, what did it look like outside?”
Griffin hitched a thumb over his shoulder.“Didn’t you check the monitors?I see you found them.”
Indy was losing it.Spy 101, lesson one, was to cover your tracks.She should’ve closed the panel and let him find them.“Yeah, I noticed a different remote and wondered what it did.And no, I didn’t look outside.”I was too busy monitoring you.
Griffin shook his head.“It isn’t good.I thought the sky looked bad before.Now it’s positively evil.”
“Has it started raining?”
“Not yet, but it’s not far off.How does garlic shrimp pasta sound?”
Indy’s stomach rumbled.She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.“Delicious.”
He pulled ingredients from the fridge.
“Wait ...is Griffin, the big, bad marine turned security specialist, cooking for me?”
“He is.”
She was impressed.Drop-dead gorgeous and he could cook.Griffin Dean was a catch.“What can I do?”
“How about finding a bottle of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc?They complement the flavors of the dish.”
She added oenophile to his growing list of attributes.
