Chapter 36

"They'll charge us for the worn spot on the rug if you don't stop pacing," Finlay said, as Seb crossed the living room space in Finlay and Drake's hotel suite for probably the hundredth time.

Frustrated, Seb scrubbed his face and winced. He'd forgotten about the shiner. Whatever numbing cream Finlay had spread over the bruised skin seemed to have kept the pain suppressed enough to be ignored. Both he and Drake had scoffed at her when she'd pulled out the jar. He was glad she'd stared them down.

"It's a good thing the guy was off balance," Drake said, as he entered the room and sat down beside Finlay on the couch. "Your eye would have been shut by now."

"Sit and drink your coffee before it gets cold." Finlay pointed to the to-go cup on the coffee table in front of her.

Seb heaved a sigh and sat on the armchair facing Finlay. She pulled out a blueberry muffin from the bag of baked goods they'd picked up on the way to the hotel and placed it on a napkin. She slid it over to Seb's side of the coffee table.

Finlay took out a second piece of pastry. "Would it be rude if I ate the last chocolate croissant?"

"Very." Vala sat cross-legged on the armchair beside Seb, hunched over the laptop on her thighs, typing furiously away. "Save it for Emery. Also save her a muffin. She'll be hungry when she wakes up."

Finlay glanced toward the bedroom where Emery was fast asleep, sighed, and put the croissant back in the bag. She pulled out a chocolate chip muffin and set the bag back in the middle of the table.

"At least it's chocolate," she mumbled, pulling off a piece and popping it in her mouth.

Seb grinned and shook his head. He gulped down half the coffee before starting on the muffin.

The baked goods and coffee had been Drake's idea. Seb had wanted to go directly to the hotel after they'd spoken to the detective who'd shown up shortly after the police cruiser had arrived on the scene. They'd stood on the sidewalk, well away from any cameras Antoine had placed on the exterior of Butler's home. Like the numbing cream, the treats and coffee had been a good idea.

"We don't have enough information to figure out where Antoine has taken Alexis," Seb said, helping himself to another muffin.

"We have enough," Finlay said, took a sip of coffee and then picked up Alexis's cell phone. "Antoine wasn't aware Alexis had been recording her visit with Butler. We have their recorded conversation. Also, we know he was wearing a disguise. According to you, a very expensive prosthetic."

"The police weren't impressed to learn that," Seb grunted. They had been less impressed when Seb had told them Antoine had worn expensive leather gloves.

Vala was certain she'd heard Antoine's voice before, but couldn't connect it to a name. She was also certain he'd never been introduced to her. He'd been present in the background, which would fit given what Leo had shared. Antoine was his employer's man on the ground, ensuring everything went as planned.

None of them pushed for more. Her past was as closely guarded as Antoine's identity. Javier trusted her and it had been enough for the four partners. Bringing her onboard had been one of their best decisions. Her tech skills rivaled Javier's.

"Second," Finlay held up two fingers. "We've learned that they didn't know there was a problem with the formula intended to give them control over the genetically engineered algae."

"What we have doesn't help Alexis," Seb grumbled and finished his coffee.

"Actually, it does."

They all looked at Finlay.

"Whatever they have planned, they'll put on hold until Alexis corrects what is wrong with the second formula. She'll be safe until then. All of you underestimate Alexis." She crossed her arms and glared at them. "She'll stall, even insist on redoing research. I know her. She'll find the answer because it's the only way to stop the tainted algae, but she'll buy us time to find her."

"But it will cost her. You didn't see the bruise forming where Antoine gripped her arm." Finlay was right, but it didn't make it any easier to accept that he wasn't there when she needed him. Seb rolled his shoulders and stood. Pacing would wear off some of his frustration.

"Seb has a thing for Alexis," Drake said, raising his eyebrows, and giving him a knowing smile.

"A thing for Alexis." Finlay exploded and her eyes narrowed to glittering slits. She jabbed her index finger in his direction. "I'd made it clear. Hands off. Alexis is not one-night stand material. If you do anything to break her heart, I'll break your balls."

Even though she'd never admit it, Seb was sure Finlay had added a few lethal moves to her kickboxing skills during the short time she'd spent in China. His balls were in so much trouble.

"You didn't sleep with her, did you?" Acid dripped from every word.

He was screwed.

Seb flopped down in the armchair and buried his hands in his face. It was his fault Antoine had her. He should have gone with her to confront Butler.

"You're not crying, are you?"

Seb whipped his head up. "SEALs don't cry."

Finlay was biting down on her lip as her mouth twitched, a strained expression on her face. Seb already felt miserable. He couldn't take it if she started crying. Physical violence he could take, but not tears.

Finlay burst out laughing. "Sebastien Tremblay, I'd say your days of hanging out in nightclubs have ended. Confirmed bachelor," she muttered.

"Hey, guys. I hate to interrupt your fun," Vala looked up from her laptop and reached for the to-go cup in front of her. "You said Leo was relocating his family. Did that include Xenia?"

"She's family. Leo wouldn't turn his back on the spoiled brat even after what she'd done," Seb said, shaking his head. "One of his men escorted her to the seaplane to make sure she didn't cause trouble."

"Then what's she doing in Miami?"

They all stared at Vala in silence.

"Instagram doesn't lie."

The three of them huddled around Vala's chair as she clicked to Instagram and the posts Xenia had put up from the nightclubs she'd been at last night.

"Ahhh. She feels bad for her poor boyfriend, who has to work. He's missing a great party." Finlay tapped a fingernail at Xenia's sad face and read, "My baby had to work and is missing a fabulous party."

"Her baby was busy killing Butler." Drake snorted.

"Butler's going to make it," Vala said as she clicked to the next post. "I've been monitoring the hospital reports. They routed the ambulance to the hospital in Coral Gables, where Butler lives. The short ride probably saved his life. Javier moved the men he'd assigned to Finlay and me to Butler's hospital when dispatch confirmed the destination."

"He's still not out of danger," Seb said, relieved the man was alive, but knew they had a tough job ahead to keep him alive. "Before this, there was nothing to prove Antoine was involved. He can't let Butler live. He was an eyewitness to his own shooting."

"We'll get Antoine," Drake said.

"Here's the post I love best. A pool shot taken yesterday afternoon at our hotel pool. And how do I know it's our hotel pool?" Vala shot Finlay a dirty look. "Because someone said we didn't have time for a dip."

"We didn't. Get over it already."

"Xenia Sokolov's suite is two floors below ours. She showed up yesterday and booked it for a week."

"I say we wear off our sugar high from the baked goods with a friendly confrontation." Finlay raised her hand for a high five, and Vala slapped her hand.

Seb looked at Drake. He shook his head.

"Let's go," Emery said, and they turned to her. They hadn't heard her enter the room. She picked up the pastry bag and took out the chocolate croissant.

"We need a plan," Seb said.

Emery took a huge bite out of the croissant. Her mouth full, she mimed knocking on a door and said, "Knock. Knock. Hey, bitch."

"She thinks like me," Finlay grinned as Emery stuffed the rest of the croissant in her mouth and wiped her hands on her jeans.

Vala reached into her laptop bag, sitting at her feet, and pulled out an envelope. She held it out to Emery. "This is for you."

Emery looked at her quizzically and pulled out a passport. She opened it. "Emery Anne Foster."

"Anne is a common enough name. You're a redhead. My research says they have more fun." Vala reached into her bag once more and pulled out a cell phone. She tossed it to Emery. "It can't be traced. You'll need to set the password. I've added all of our contact numbers."

"Thank you," she said, her voice barely audible as she stared at the cell phone. She swiped the screen, reset the password, and stuck it in her jean's back pocket. She placed the passport in the other pocket. "Would Xenia's cell phone help locate Antoine?"

"Very helpful. I'm sure she'd have his number in her contacts. It's a simple hack unless she's added extra layers of security. Depending upon what she's installed, it could take me a few minutes," Vala said as she clicked away on her keyboard. "It would be quicker than what I'm doing now. There are only a handful of traffic cams in Butler's neighborhood, and an all-night party near his place ended about the same time as Antoine snatched Alexis. Since I don't know what Antoine is driving, I have to track every car I pick up on a traffic cam."

"You've got a plan?" Seb asked Emery as she picked up the bakery bag and shook the to-go cups.

She nodded and held up a cup. "Whose drink is this?"

"Mine." Vala raised a hand in the air, her eyes on her laptop screen. "It's my second cup. Drake knows better than to bring me only one. I'm still finishing the first. You can have it."

"Perfect. Give me five minutes." Emery left the suite with the remaining donuts and Vala's coffee.

Drake and Finlay turned to Seb, their eyebrows raised.

"Her acting is as good as her art," Seb said and recounted how they got past the roadblock.

"She threatened to show them the python, and they fell for it?" Finlay said when she'd stopped laughing.

"When she gunned the truck, they screamed. High-pitched, unmanly shrieks. It was embarrassing."

The hotel suite's door opened before Seb could explain how they got into Butler's lab.

Emery walked across the room to Vala and handed her the cell phone. The neon orange case with a yellow smiling face would blind the average person.

"The password is SelfieObsessed. You don't want to know how many photos she has stored on the cloud." Emery shuddered and made a gagging sound. "There are none resembling the man Seb describes, although I'd assume he'd be careful he wasn't included in any photographs. It would be difficult to do, but not impossible."

"None of Xenia's social media posts have him tagged," Vala added as she scrolled and tapped on the cell phone screen.

"How did you get the password?" Finlay asked.

"I waited until she was shampooing her hair and told her Antoine was calling her cell. I was supposed to drive her to the breakfast place where I spotted the cheating bastard."

Drake and Finlay just stared at her.

"Her memory was a little hazy from last night. I had to remind her I'm her new best friend."

The room erupted with laughter. It ended abruptly when Vala asked, "Why would Xenia have Dr. Overlin's contact information on her cell phone?"