I’m reckless in a way I’ve never been before, but I don’t care.
All I care about is killing Orion. Once that’s done, I’ll figure out if there’s anything left for me on this earth.
But until then, I’m going to have some fun with it.
I’ll admit, being back in LA is bringing up some things I’d rather continue avoiding, but at least I’m not prone to panic attacks every time I get into a car anymore.
My latest near-death experience seems to have been the cure for the emotional wreckage that the first one left.
I’m not sure if my therapist would be happy or concerned by that fact, but either way, it’s worked out for me.
I drag my bloodred lip between my teeth and force a calming breath into my lungs. I’m not here for Orion. Not this time, at least. But that doesn’t mean he won’t be there tonight. If the rumors are true, he’s attended every other year, and it will certainly be a perk if he does show his face. But I have another job that brings me to town.
My job is simple. Bid on items and drive up the price so my client can swoop in and get what he wants without issue. And if that fails, I’ll steal them for him.
I’ll admit this is a little outside my usual expertise, but the last few months have taught me to pivot in a way the first twenty-two years of my life never did.
My phone buzzes in my purse, letting me know it’s time to get a move on, and I do one final sweep of the hotel room before stepping toward the door.
I never would have dreamed of staying in a five-star hotel before, but my client was feeling extra generous, and who am I to refuse?
Islip from the back of the town car in front of the nondescript warehouse. There’s no one around, and if I wasn’t certain this is the location of tonight’s auction, I would think I’m in the wrong place.
The driver gives me a quick nod before slipping back behind the wheel, and I step toward the side door.
Nervous anticipation swirls in my belly, but the part of me that has learned to live for the thrill is excited. This kind of job can go sideways at any time, and I kind of hope it does.
I knock on the steel door and take a step back, looking up into the camera they probably think people don’t notice.
It’s only a beat before the door swings open, and a scary-looking security guard steps out, his wide shoulders covered in an all-black suit and his frame taking up the entire doorway.
“Password?” he grunts.
“All the king’s castles,” I reply without hesitation.
His eyes drag up my skintight dress, and I don’t miss the flash of interest he shows me before shaking himself off. It turns out men get a kick out of confidence, something I was aware of to an extent before, but now I use it to my advantage on the daily.
“Walk straight until you reach the elevator. Someone will meet you there to send you down.”
I nod, keeping my face neutral as I step past him into the cool warehouse. My client never said anything about it being underground, but I didn’t really ask either.
The space is quiet aside from my heels clicking along the concrete floor. There’s a reason the cops can’t find this place, and I’m certain it’s not because they haven’t tried.
Another guard, dressed in all black but slightly less intimidating, meets me at the elevator with a curt nod, and I stop in front of the doors.
He pulls a handheld metal detector from behind him, and my stomach rolls at the sight. These things are a little hit and miss,but I’m hoping it won’t pick up the pepper spray I packed as a precaution. If I thought I could have gotten away with it, I would have packed my taser as well, but alas, that would have been frowned upon at best.
The guard moves the wand over me, never hovering for too long in any one place before giving me a curt nod.
The doors to the elevator slide open, and I step forward without hesitation. The longer I linger, the more out of place I look.
Once the doors shut, I take a moment to breathe, but keep the mask I show the world in place. I may not be able to see them, but I’m sure as hell there’re cameras in here.
The elevator car is old and rickety, the sound of screeching metal filling the space as I descend into the unknown.
I wish I could say the fear that thrums just beneath the surface is because I’m walking into a situation I have no control over—God knows how far beneath the ground—with probably just the one exit. But that would be a lie.
It’s the fear of my own emotions that makes it hard to breathe.
