Chapter 4

4

Paige glanced around the vault, her mind racing. Four minutes. She needed to buy the team four more minutes. The ticking clock of their plan echoed in her head, each second precious.

This vault was different from a bank's sterile storage. Stacks of chips in vibrant colors lined the shelves, a kaleidoscope of potential fortunes. The air hung heavy with the scent of money and secrets.

Secrets, like the ones that had turned Cody into a hard man. Time had etched lines around his eyes, weathered his features, but damn if he didn't look even more handsome. The years had added a layer of complexity to his rugged good looks, a hint of vulnerability that made him infinitely more dangerous.

This wasn't the cocky, unflappable Cody she remembered.

This version was more like a wounded lion—still powerful and lethal, but with a new unpredictability. And more anger. So. Much. More.

Did he notice the changes in her as acutely as she cataloged the changes in him? The thought sent a flutter through her stomach, equal parts anticipation and dread.

A good thing this new Cody was easy to dislike.

She wandered the edges of the vault, fingers trailing over cool metal surfaces. "Why did you initiate contact?" Her voice echoed in the confined space. "Why lure us all the way to Croatia just to leave a message?"

"Like I said, it's complicated." He shoved his hands on his hips and stared her down. "Can you stand still? We need to talk."

She arched an eyebrow. "I don't know. Can you say anything that's not a lie?"

He huffed, the sound oddly endearing. "Fine." His hands made a ‘come on' gesture. "Get it all out."

He waited, arms crossed, clearly bracing for her anger. But Paige found herself unable to unleash the vitriol she'd stored for years. No one was listening. The team couldn't hear her inside the vault. And yet ... she couldn't bring herself to hurt him.

She shrugged, the motion feeling impotent. "Not in the mood. I'm here. What do you want?"

Cody's eyes, those stormy gray eyes that had once captivated her, met hers. "I need your help."

A laugh bubbled up, sharp and unexpected. Even though she'd figured as much, hearing him say it was ... something else entirely.

She stretched her arms, feigning boredom, but the movement bared the watch on her wrist. One more minute and Mason and Tai would be at the door in their casino security guard uniforms. Another minute for Tai to use her electronic code breaker on the lock and they'd be free.

Well, she'd be free. Cody would be their new guest.

"I'm not going to help the Consortium," she said, her tone dripping with faux sweetness. "Sorry. Not sorry."

"This has nothing to do with them. I need your help. Just me." Cody fidgeted, a flicker of discomfort crossing his face. He looked almost ... vulnerable.

Paige squashed the twinge of sympathy threatening to surface. Had he learned to be a great actor over all these years? She couldn't let herself be taken in.

"Go on," she prompted, her voice carefully neutral.

"I want out." The words hung in the air between them. "You and your team are the only people I trust enough to help me."

"And we'd do that because?" Paige resisted the urge to check her watch again. The team would have worked their way past the first level of security by now.

"Because I can help you save Jason Reilly," Cody said, his eyes locking onto hers. "He's going against the Consortium alone. Given enough time, they'll win. I help you, then you help me."

Paige's mind raced, calculating. Ninety seconds.

In one fluid motion, she pulled a weapon, leveling it at his chest. "The Glock at your back, the knife in your boot, and whatever else you're hiding," she ordered, her voice sharp. "Drop them. All of them. Now."

Those gorgeous eyes widened. "Don't do this, Paige."

She lifted her chin defiantly. "I'm not afraid of the Consortium. I've got my own plan."

"Like what?" Wariness crept into his voice.

Pride swelled in her chest as she announced, "My people will be here in a second."

Fury flashed across his face. "We don't have a second!"

She aimed the tranq dart, but Cody moved like lightning. His hand deflected hers, wrenching the gun from her grasp. In a heartbeat, she found herself staring down the barrel of her own weapon.

"We have to get out," Cody insisted, his voice low and urgent. "Now!"

The tables had turned so quickly, Paige's head spun.

Cody's eyes darted around frantically. He yanked the vault door open and shoved Paige outside, his grip on her arm unyielding.

The hallway stretched empty before them. No sign of Mason or Tai. Her stomach dropped.

She tapped her earpiece. "I need extraction. Little emergency going on here."

"On it," a male voice crackled back. Bridger? Graham? She couldn't be sure.

But no one appeared as Cody hurried her back through the service corridor and up the stairs. He shoved the door at the top open and they burst onto the casino floor, the cacophony of slot machines and chatter assaulting her senses. Men in dark suits converged on them, their movements too precise, their eyes too alert.

"They're Consortium," Paige breathed, her heart racing.

"Yup," Cody confirmed, his voice grim.

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. "Not part of the plan."

"Nope."

Suddenly, Cody pulled her into his arms. For a split second, the familiar warmth of his embrace overwhelmed her. Then his fingers found her earpiece, plucking it out. He dropped it to the floor, crushing it beneath his heel.

"Sorry," he murmured, his breath hot against her ear.

Before she could react, he was dragging her through the casino, weaving through the crowds toward the casino entrance. They burst into the cool night air, feet pounding on pavement.

A sleek black car loomed ahead. Paige's mind whirled, trying to piece together an escape plan, but before she got past the first step, the world exploded.

Heat seared her skin as the car in front of them erupted in a fireball. The concussive force knocked them back, Cody's arms tightening protectively around her.

As debris rained down and screams filled the air, one thought crystallized in Paige's mind: nothing was going according to plan.