Page 27 of Betting Blind

“Maybe you should work on getting closer to Emelia. She might be the key,” he offers and braces his shoulder against the doorframe.

“Don’t you think I’ve tried that?” I snap and glare up at him. “I’m doing my best. She hasn’t been around. I’ve been working mainly with Hector and Emerson directly, and if not them, then the digital security team that has been there for years.”

Declan holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright. Hayden has a job that could use your finesse, if you’re available.” He quirks an eyebrow at me.

“Clearly I’m so busy. Let me just check my calendar,” I mutter sarcastically and spin my chair in a slow circle because I don’t know what else to do with this fidgety energy.

“Meet him in the garage in thirty minutes. He’s planning on leaving when the sun goes down. He’ll give you the details on the ride over. You’re taking the bikes,” Declan adds after a moment’s pause. “He’s been obsessed with taking his bike everywhere and is refusing to use the cars for some reason.”

I roll my eyes again. “I can’t even begin to imagine what goes on in his mind. I’ll wear my gear. Thanks,” I call out to him as I disappear into my closet to get dressed.

Forty-five minutes later I’m standing in the garage with my black riding gear on and my helmet tucked under my arm. Hayden is sitting on his bike just staring at the seat in front of him with his helmet hanging loosely from his fingers. I clear my throat and note the way he shifts his helmet to his lap. “AmI interrupting something? I know people are super into their rides, but…” I trail off with a smirk as he scowls up at me.

“Get on. We’re going on a field trip.” He slides the helmet over his head and kicks the bike to life. I follow suit and switch on my Bluetooth. “We’re going to the safehouse that Emelia has been using to see if we can find any dirt on Emerson. The boss,” he sneers the word, “is not pleased with our slow progress.”

Our bikes rumble loudly as we take off heading east out of the city and down several winding, unmarked roads. “How did you find out about this place?” I ask as we kill the headlights and walk our bikes to a cluster of trees at the end of the long driveway. We leave our helmets on as we walk silently up the gravel.

“It’s literally in my job description,” he mutters and pulls out a small tablet. There are 4 video feeds displayed on the screen. A kitchen, a bathroom, a living room with the front door in view, and a bedroom. “She hasn’t been here in several days, but maybe there’s something we can use.”

My heart sinks to my soles, and I feel a wave of despair as my failure washes over me. I’m not pulling my weight for this job and they’re trying to cover the slack. “I’m sorry, Hay, I’m not in a good headspace right now. There was this girl.” I stop talking and inhale deeply.

“It’s always a girl,” he mutters under his breath and flips his visor up so I can see his eyes. They’re shining with determination and obsession. “A girl that has a vice grip around your entire body so that you can’t even breathe without thinking about her?”

I nod and silently gape at him. The look on his face tells me that he is so lost in his obsession with Emelia that someone isgoing to end up dead, and I’m not sure if it’s going to be him or her. I stop a few feet from the front porch and pull out my laptop. “Alarm system?”

“Yep,” he responds curtly.

“Security cameras?”

“Seven.”

“Points of entry?” My fingers glide over the keyboard, accessing the mainframe and pushing past the firewall.

“One door. Five windows. Small Hvac system and no crawl space.” I look up at him sharply but make no comment on how he so readily knows all this information. His eyes never leave the house.

Stalking is literally in his job description. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s good at it. I click a few links, type in a code, and then close the screen. “Alarm has been disabled. Cameras have been set to loop on the same images. In and out, Hayden. I don’t trust these people not to have other means.”

“You think the house is booby trapped?” he asks incredulously and turns to face the small structure. It’s a small single-wide trailer sitting on stilted concrete pillars with a carport layed out directly under the house. The bottom of the windows are about nine feet off the ground. The front door is painted dark purple and nestled under a black awning at the top of a narrow set of stairs. The stairs split the driveway right down the middle and allow for two cars to be parked under the house.

“Give me a boost and I’ll look inside,” I order Hayden and stand directly under one of the windows. I’m guessing it’s either the kitchen or the living room given its close proximity to the front door.

“Fuck that. I’m not your personal step stool,” he protests and folds his arms across his chest.

I roll my eyes and mirror his stance. “I can’t lift you. You’re nothing but solid muscle. It’s this or we go in blind.”

He considers the options for a moment before muttering a string of curses under his breath and stalking over to me. “Clench up,” he teases before crouching down behind me and wrapping his arms around my thighs and knees.

My muscles seize as he lifts me into the air and I am acutely aware of the fact that the side of my left leg is pressed against his cheek. I remind myself to breathe evenly as he steps forward and allows me to peer into the dark room. Hayden adjusts his grip slightly and I can feel his muscles trembling beneath me.

“The suspense is killing me,” he grunts roughly. “Do you see any boobies or traps?”

“All clear,” I mutter, and he begins to lower me back to the ground. My brain misfires as his palms slide slowly up my legs and hips and my back brushes against his chest as my feet make contact with the ground.

His palms close around my hips as I shift to steady myself. That shift sends my ass brushing against the front of his groin. I feel his fingers tighten on my sides and his whole body stiffens behind me. “Let’s go. In and out.” His voice is rough and strained as he pushes away from me and drops his helmet at the bottom of the stairs.

“In and out,” I sigh breathily and adjust my tight crotch. Dammit, I thought I was past this! We made it abundantly clear that this was never to be addressed or spoken about. I drop my helmet next to Hayden's and take the stairs slowly, watchingHayden pick the lock and deadbolt on the door. His eyes cut to me, but he doesn’t say anything.

The door swings open with a slight creak, revealing a dark living room and kitchenette combo. A nightlight over the counter casts a dim yellow glow throughout the room. It’s small and empty. No photos, artwork, or any other personal effects. A loveseat, coffee table, and TV are nestled to the right, and the kitchenette with a small two-person table area to the left. There are two closed doors directly in front of us. One must be the bedroom and the other the bathroom.

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