Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

SHEP

I got out of bed the next morning, joy and fear battling emotions in my chest. JJ had confessed that he loved me, and Four believed this Alabastrine Consortium would beat us. Not what I was hoping to hear but it was what it was, and we'd need to figure shit out.

JJ was sound asleep, so I was quiet as I showered and dressed. I shut the door and made my way to the kitchen.

Maxwell and Angel were sitting at the table, Maxwell reading the paper and Angel scrolling on his phone.

"Coffee's made," Angel said by way of greeting.

"Thanks, want breakfast?"

Angel quirked a brow. "Don't start the day asking dumb questions."

I snorted, poured my coffee, and got to work. Maxwell was quiet and when I checked him out it didn't appear as though he were really reading the paper.

"How you doing, Max?" I began cracking eggs into a large bowl.

"I'd like to go see my daughter."

I nodded as I gathered up the shells and tossed them into the trash. "You know if you do that, you could put her in danger, right?"

"But they aren't there. You all said you felt like she wasn't in trouble."

Angel placed his phone down and regarded Max. "Do we think they'll harm her? No. But that's because they can't find you, so to them you very much could be dead. It doesn't mean they don't have eyes on her, seeing if you'll show up. Four hasn't surfaced, so they have no idea what's going on. Don't give them a reason to make it worse for you."

"Can I call her?"

Angel and I shared a look before I answered. "We'll see if the twins can secure something for you to speak with her."

That seemed to appease him for now, and he went back to actually reading the paper.

"Interesting," he mumbled, and Angel and I perked up.

"What?" Angel tilted his head, trying to see what Max was reading.

"You all were talking about Harper Reese, right?" He put the paper on the table and pushed it toward Angel. I walked over to see.

"A charity ball?" I grimaced. "He probably has a bunch of those. Hell, he has a whole floor dedicated to his charities."

"Read the article." Max tapped the paper, and Angel started reading it out loud as I went back to cooking.

"Harper Reese, known for his charitable nature, is holding his yearly charity ball at his very own building. Never has he opened the structure up to any public willing to pay the price per plate. This will be monumental to anyone wanting to get a peek inside the building."

"Makes no sense." I grabbed a whisk and began scrambling eggs. "He has meetings there all the time; people have been there."

"True, but why would they be making such a huge deal about it if this wasn't rare?" Max cocked his head.

"Because he holds most of his meetings on the fourth floor, and there's a special elevator that leads directly there. No one else has access to it." Nick walked in, sleep rumpled and scratching his head. "Employees who work in the building only have access to the floor they work on. Their key cards take them strictly there and once the doors open there is security making sure they belong on that floor. And no one can get onto a floor he's on unless accompanied by a guard. The doors won't even open."

"He's very guarded, and that's suspicious." I poured the egg mixture into two different skillets. With so many people, I needed to make a lot of food.

"I'd understand it if it was a government building, but this?" Nick snorted. "Definitely sus."

"Which makes this ball rare, indeed." Angel pursed his lips. "It would be a great opportunity to get in and see what we could find."

Nick sat at the table, cradling his steaming cup of coffee. "Security will be insanely tight. We're talking on top of bodies, that building has a comprehensive surveillance system, controlled access systems, emergency response protocols—I can't even begin to fathom what they'd be—and their defense if they did need protecting would rival their offense. It would take months, maybe, to deconstruct their systems. Noel and I are busting our asses just trying to get a pattern on that cell phone. We're two people; it can't be done."

"Can we at least get in?" I asked.

"For what reason?" Angel scoffed. "Mingle and spend a ridiculous amount on a plate?"

"Well, Angel of Death, my man has a point." JJ entered the kitchen with Four. He guided him to the table and then came over to kiss me. "Morning."

"Morning." I beamed at him.

"Focus." Nick snapped his fingers. "How did Shep make a point?"

JJ rolled his eyes and faced Nick. "You can learn a lot by mingling, talking to people. You can gain insights and you never know, might even be able to entice the big man himself. What I'm saying is, never give up on an opportunity that could lead to something."

I pulled JJ close and he leaned his head against me. "So smart."

"Um, smart?" Angel stood. "It's like fifty K a plate. You want to pay that much for a hopeful mingle?"

"It's a tax write-off," Maxwell responded, earning a glare from Angel but a chuckle from the rest of us…minus Four, who just watched everyone.

It was interesting. He usually stared at the table. This morning, while still silent, he was taking in his surroundings.

"What's a tax write-off?" Noel stepped into the kitchen and beelined it to the coffeepot.

We caught him up on everything. JJ sent a text to Mason, who was at the shop with Gabe, to get their thoughts and while no one was happy about the price tag, it was a smart plan.

We ate breakfast and talked about what we were doing for the rest of the day. Noel and Nick were computer bound. Aziza was coming by in the afternoon, Angel was amping up security around the house, just in case. Maxwell said he'd like to call his daughter…again, so Noel told him to come with them, and they'd figure something out.

Before Max left the kitchen, he turned. "It's fifty thousand a plate. I'm sure two of you are planning on going, right?"

Fucking fuck math. "Yeah, shit."

Max snorted. "I'll put up the other fifty thousand. It's the least I could do to thank you for keeping me alive."

"Wow, thanks." JJ got up and hugged the man, who was surprised for a beat, then hugged him back.

"I'll ask one of the twins where to send it." He left after that, and I was relieved Max had thought ahead for us.

"Now to decide the two going to the ball." I walked to the sink while Angel and JJ cleared the table.

"JJ, of course," Angel said. "He's got the mingling down pat. He shot JJ a wink.

"Then I go too." I wasn't letting JJ go without me.

"You sort of stick out like a sore thumb, Shep." Angel cocked his head. "You want to sort of be forgettable by the time you leave, and you're not."

"Wait." JJ slammed the glasses on the counter. "Are you implying I'm not memorable?"

Ha-ha. I was loving this. I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. Angel gaped at JJ.

"No, you're amazing, of course we could never forget you."

"Uh-huh. Bullshit, fuckface! You're saying no one will remember me, but if Shep goes, he'll forever be ingrained in the minds of the elite evil?"

"Elite evil?" Angel looked over at me, but I wasn't helping him.

"So tell me, dickbag, who should be my equally forgettable partner?"

I knew who he was going to say before he said it, and I instinctively took a step away from them.

"I dunno." Angel shrugged. "Probably Mason."

JJ's eyes widened. "I hope you're a fast runner, Angel. I'm about to fuck you up."

Angel laughed. Genuinely. But JJ wasn't kidding. He'd get in the car and chase him if he had to.

"JJ, come on." Angel snorted, trying to convince JJ he was joking. No dice.

JJ slow-panned and faced me. "Can you keep an eye on Four for a little bit?"

"You do what you have to, babe." I chuckled when Angel bolted out of the kitchen, JJ hot on his heels.