Page 27 of Between Imminent Fates

“Good.” More to himself than her, he recited, “Penthouse on the forty-second floor.”

“Right.”

“Got it.”

Without a backwards look, he strode into the building like he belonged there. Fewer people noticed a man who seemed to know the layout and exactly where he was going.

He entered the elevator with two other passengers, then swiped the card over the electronic box before punching the button for Torrin’s level. The ride up was quiet, and everyone else got off before reaching the top suite.

A moment before the elevator opened, he glanced at his watch once more. The timer was set at sixty seconds. With a ding, the doors opened to reveal an ostentatious penthouse. It was spotless in a way that suggested no one lived here, but Jax knew better. The massive space would do him no favors, but he’d memorized the layout and knew where to head.

He walked through the grand expanse of the living room. White furniture and glass tables greeted him, making him chuckle. Going by the interior design, Torrin Scayde clearly had a void where a personality was usually found.

He passed by two bedrooms and a bathroom, then he heard the heat kick on. The moment it did, Jax tapped the wristwatch. Sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven …

When he stalked into the office at the back of the penthouse, he was relieved that a laptop bag was front and center on the desk. Sliding his hand into the front pocket, he found nothing but smooth leather.

A flare of adrenaline coursed through him.

Forty-three, forty-two, forty-one.

Shoving aside the anxiety it caused, he flipped the laptop bag around and unzipped the pocket in the back. A stack of papers. As he flipped through them, he quickly found the handwritten paper that detailed the kennel locations.

He quickly folded the sheet of paper into a square and stuffed it in his pocket. Perfectly replacing the laptop bag where he’d found it, he rushed to the elevator as he got down to single digits.

The moment the doors slid shut, relief washed over him.

Elevator music was his only companion for the ride down. As he exited to the lobby, a man with dark hair peppered with grey at his temples was waiting. He wore the type of abrasive confidence that told Jax he’d been military—and high ranking—at some point in his life. It didn’t take Jax long to recognize him from the picture Key had printed out. This was Torrin Scayde, the man behind theCitizens.

As if he were a building regular greeting a neighbor, Jax murmured, “Good evening.”

Torrin ignored him.

Chuffing a laugh, Jax didn’t look back as he made his way out toward the street where Key was waiting. Mission accomplished, he held his head high. Her relief when he came into view was palpable.

“Jax,” she emphasized, “are you okay? Torrin—he didn’t recognize you or anything, did he?”

Jax shook his head. “No, why?”

“I couldn’t see anything after you met him in the lobby—I got the feeling you’d be fine, but my visions were too hazy to know for certain.”

Jax stole his arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. For a foreseer who relied on her absolute knowledge of events, the haziness of their meeting must have been torture. “I’m fine. He didn’t even say hello.”

The tension leached from her body. “Let’s go—I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”

After finding a secluded spot, they teleported back to his apartment. Zeus immediately ambushed Key, voicing his appreciation for her scratches when she crouched and worked her hands through his coat.

Jax pulled out the list and scanned it before finding the one he was stationed at. Scowling at the name, he asked, “Which one do we start with?”

“There were only two I never foresaw,” she said as she stood and read over the list, “most of them have been earmarked for termination in the next few weeks.”

“And mine?”

“We should have a date in the next few days,” Key confirmed. “In the meantime, sit tight.”

He turned away to conceal his frown, stripping off his jacket and tossing it on the back of his couch. Now that he’d retrieved the list and seen how many torture facilities there were, he was even more keen on assisting Key’s mission. Some might be even bigger than the hell he went to work in each day, and in operation for longer. He couldn’t bear the thought. He had to do more to ensure no one else got injured in the kennels.

“How else can I help?”

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