Page 79 of Iron Willed Warrior

We wereso closeto breaking everything open. And yet we didn’t get much intel tonight. What could we do except fall back to the original plan?

When we were almost back to the resort, we stopped to change out of our tactical clothes. I pulled on a pair ofleggings and a patterned sweatshirt, tucking my feet into a pair of sandals. A wet wipe cleaned the greasepaint from my face. Cole put on some shorts and a linen shirt. Our dirty clothes went into a plastic bag to be discarded in an anonymous dumpster later.

We checked each other for visible bloodstains. Cole found a few flecks on my chin and wiped them clean.

Walking back into the resort, we looked like Brianna and Cameron again. Back after spending most of the night stargazing. I even had a tote with my gun and laptop stowed at the bottom, beneath a blanket and an empty champagne bottle. But we didn’t see any staff on the way to our room. Certainly no guests.

Cole took out our room key, then froze. I followed the path of his eyes.

The tiny piece of paper we’d wedged above the hinge in the doorframe. It wasn’t visible. Which meant somebody had opened this door while we were gone.

Shit.

“I guess housekeeping was here,” Cole said, nodding at the missingDo Not Disturbhanger. But he subtly placed his hand near his waistband, where he’d concealed his gun. I reached inside my tote and closed my fingers around my weapon. My breathing slowed, blood thumping in my ears.

This hallway was lined with a dozen doors, including Westwick’s and Ryker’s. They could be watching us right now. Or even waiting inside our room. An ambush. Would they risk it in the middle of the resort?

Cole waved the keycard. Carefully pushed open the door.

We both drew our weapons as we stepped into the dark room.

TheDo Not Disturbsign lay on the floor. The tiny scrap of paper lay against the wall. Through the open doorway into the bathroom, I spotted a stack of fresh towels. We’d askedfor no housekeeping visits, but maybe they hadn’t listened. At least someonewantedus to think it had been housekeeping. The bed was made, but nothing else appeared to have been disturbed.

I shut the door to the hallway with my foot. Raised my weapon. Cole signaled for me to take one side of the room, while he took the other.

The room was empty.

“Anything missing?” Cole murmured.

I glanced through my suitcase and drawers while Cole did the same. Our small stash inside the air vent was untouched. Thank goodness we had taken my laptop and the other weapons with us.

Except…

Heart leaping into my throat, I felt around in my underwear drawer, exhaling when I found my burner phone safe inside its sock.

“You good?” Cole asked behind me.

I forced myself not to flinch. Leaving the phone inside the sock, I shut the drawer and turned around. “Yep. It’s all there. Jewelry and everything.”

But we spent the next half hour checking every item and crevice for bugs or trackers. Once we’d finished, Cole ran his fingers through his hair and sank onto the edge of the bed. “Housekeeping doesn’t show up at night. Ryker was checking up on us. But if they knew where we were tonight, they would’ve intercepted us on the road.”

I sat beside him. “They know we were gone. When they figure out there’s a guard missing from the solar plant, they could connect the two.” I rubbed at my hands. I’d already washed them, but they didn’t feel clean.

He reached out to put his hand over mine. “Brynn,” he said softly.

How did he convey so much care and concern in oneword? I didn’t think any man had ever said my name with such tenderness.

“I’m fine.” I got up again, too jittery and full of adrenaline to sit still. “When we first started this, you claimed you respected my abilities. You didn’t see me as weak. But all you’ve done since is try to protect me, and I can’t?—”

He caught my elbow and pulled me closer to stand between his spread knees. “You’re right. I’ve been guilty of that. And a few hours ago, I wouldn’t have apologized for it. I hate that you had to kill a man tonight. Doesn’t matter that he was one of Stillwater’s finest. I would much rather it was me who put him down and not you.”

I tried to pull away, but he held me there, hands firm on my hips.

“But,” he continued. “You saved my ass back there. You’re my partner. You know what’s too much for you, and nobody has a right, least of all me, to decide your limits. I respect you too much for that.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

“Would you let me finish, B?” A hint of a smile ghosted Cole’s lips. Then he turned serious again. “I don’t want you alone with Westwick or anyone associated with him because I’m afraid of what could happen. I’m fucking afraid. I can admit that. But that fear ismyproblem, not yours. So if you’re still committed to using yourself as bait to get close enough to Westwick to plant the virus, I’ll…go along with it. I’ll let you decide.”

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