Page 73 of Iron Willed Warrior

As I’d said to Cole earlier, every option had to be on the table. We simply had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

If we were lucky, tonight’s recon mission would open up some other avenue to use against Westwick. Some other means to infiltrate the inner workings of Stillwater.

But if it didn’t? If we had no alternatives? I had to go back to my original tactic.

We couldn’t let personal feelings get in the way of this mission. Couldnotallow this to fail.

Cole stiffened, a frown hardening on his face just before a voice spoke behind me.

“Ms. Waverley?”

I looked back. It was the hostess. She held a flute of champagne. “On the house, courtesy of Mr. Westwick.”

I accepted the glass, lifting it in the man’s direction. He grinned smugly.

“Didn’t even send me one,” Cole complained.

But less than a minute later, the hostess returned, carrying a lowball of scotch. She set it on the table, saying again that Westwick had sent it over. Yet another gesture to smooth over any hard feelings about the incident with Ryker last night.

We ordered, and while we waited for our food, I kept an eye on the dining room using the reflective glass behind Cole. Westwick’s bodyguards weren’t here tonight. “Did you notice who’s missing?” I asked.

Cole nodded, taking another sip of his water. He’d ignored the scotch. “All three of the bodyguards. I dunno what to make of that.”

Neither did I.

The important thing was that we’d cemented our cover story. Cole was doing an excellent job of playing my possessive,jealous boyfriend. I did my best to seem restless, even if what Ireallywanted was to lace my fingers with his and gaze into his eyes like I could never get enough. His leg brushed mine beneath the table, and our knees pressed together.

What are we doing?I wondered. Not for the first time that day. And probably not for the last.

Darkness surrounded us almost as soon as we left the resort. As a city girl, I’d always been amazed how quickly civilization faded once you were out in the wilderness.

We couldn’t see a single thing beyond the glow of the headlights on the two-lane highway. Like we were headed straight into nowhere.

When we pulled off the highway, the desert made itself known as soon as we switched off the engine and lights. Hoots and howls, insects and larger things wrestling in the brush. Yet I felt infinitely safer out here than I had back at the resort. I would take vicious, hungry animals over Westwick and his crew any day.

Well, maybe my heart wasn’t safe with Cole. But I was taking all sorts of risks with this mission, wasn’t I?

Cole opened the trunk and used another key to unlock the special compartment at the back. “Let’s gear up.”

For tonight, mobility and stealth were paramount. We both changed into all-black head to toe. A black knit cap covered my bleached hair. I had wanted to work with the Protectors in the first place because they were well funded and equipped. And for this mission, they hadn’t disappointed. We had plenty to choose from.

I strapped on my gear, checking that my weapon was ready and loaded. Grease paint blotted the paleness of myface. While I waited for Cole to finish, I took a swig from my water bottle.

“All set?” I asked him.

He popped the magazine of his handgun. Once he was satisfied, he inspected the items in his various pockets. I did one last inventory of my own.

“Yep, you?” he said.

“Let’s roll.”

Neither of us spoke much on the hike toward the facility. We had night-vision goggles, but I didn’t put them on right away, just letting my eyes adjust to the sliver of moonlight in the sky and the brilliant blanket of stars overhead.

The air was cold and crisp. The trees and far-off mountains in silhouette.

Every so often we stopped and checked the map. Despite the late hour, after midnight, I was invigorated. Just being out here, kitted in tactical gear like an operative instead of masquerading as an influencer almost ten years younger than me.

This, right now, felt like the real me. Having Cole beside me only accentuated that feeling, like he had been my trusted partner for years instead of a matter of days. Like wefit, hand in glove or lock in key.

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