Page 4 of The Tracker

Before Evangeline could form a coherent lie, Keely stood and slung an arm around her shoulders. “Appreciate it, but she just needed to grab her migraine meds. We’re heading down now.”

The guard hesitated, his fingers twitching once before he lifted the radio to his mouth. “Found her. On the PR floor,” he said, voice clipped, with an undercurrent of something sharper—alertness, suspicion, maybe even fear. The words felt like a detonator click in Evangeline’s chest. Her breath caught, climbing fast, hot and choking, leaving no room to breathe.Keely went rigid beside her, the shift in her energy so sudden it felt like the temperature in the room dropped ten degrees.

Evangeline’s heart stuttered, breath catching as if her body had forgotten how to function for half a second. A chill raced up her spine. Keely’s jaw ticked, the transformation immediate—her playful poise hardening into something lethal. The glint in her eyes turned from teasing to tactical, and for a split second, Evangeline saw the woman who had once stared down smugglers without blinking. The danger wasn’t just real—it was close, and Keely was already calculating the fastest way out.

Keely's smile went razor sharp. “I wish you hadn't done that. Now there'll be a big fuss, and Evvy just wanted to make her exit quietly.”

“Protocol,” the man said. “Can’t be too careful.”

“Sure,” Keely replied sweetly. “Well, you keep doing your rounds. We’ll catch the elevator.”

Dragging Evangeline behind her, Keely beelined for the elevator bank. As the doors slid shut, she pulled out her phone and typed furiously, thumbs flying across the screen.

"Texting Jesse," she muttered. "Told him we’re in motion. PR floor now. Exit plan in play."

A second later, her phone buzzed. Keely scanned the reply.

"He’s at the valet loop. Told us to meet him at the stairwell exit. Six floors down."

She shoved the phone back into her clutch. "We need to move... now."

The elevator dinged and they ran for the stairs, Evangeline clutching the flash drive like it might explode.

They made it down two floors before they heard a door open above them and voices echoing behind them.

Evangeline's pulse spiked, feet pounding faster on the concrete steps. Sweat slicked her spine as adrenaline surged. Sheglanced back up, saw shadows closing in, and pushed harder. “They’re in the stairwell!” she hissed.

“Shit.”

The two women pelted down the stairs, Evangeline huffing as her train came loose again. They burst through the exit into the night just as a black SUV pulled up hard at the curb.

Jesse Bryant—blond hair tousled, tux undone, and calm as ever—leaned across the front seat. “Move, ladies!”

They dove inside. Keely slammed the door shut just as Evangeline heard the exit door flinging open and pounding footsteps on the sidewalk behind them.

“We’ve got a tail,” Jesse said. “Hang on.”

The SUV peeled away from the curb, tires screeching. Through the back window, two more black vehicles followed. Evangeline’s heart pounded.

“Silver Spur or Iron Spur?” Keely asked.

“We’re closer to Iron,” Jesse muttered. He reached for his comm. “Reed, we’re inbound. Two cars on our six. Coming in hot.” He turned to Keely, "Your brother is going to love this."

The streets of San Antonio streaked by in a smear of headlights and neon reflections, the SUV a speeding bullet cutting through the heart of the city. Evangeline's breath hitched with every sharp turn Jesse made, the seatbelt biting into her ribs as the world outside tilted and spun. The Riverwalk glimmered to their left—serene and oblivious—its tranquil surface mocking the chaos inside the vehicle.

Jesse turned hard without warning, tires shrieking as they fishtailed onto a narrow, dimly lit side street. The buildings closed in, tighter and tighter, the brick and stucco crowding around them like walls in a trap. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Keely reached over and grabbed Evangeline's hand, grounding her, her grip tight and wordless.

Ahead, a set of wrought-iron gates rose from the darkness like the jaws of something ancient and unyielding. Armed security stepped from a booth, rifles leveled, faces unreadable. For one breathless moment, no one moved.

Then, recognition clicked into place. The guards nodded once. The gates groaned open.

They were in.

Inside, the club’s private lot was lit like a fortress. As Jesse braked, the black SUVs behind them slowed, spotted the rifles, and thought better of continuing. They peeled off with tires howling.

Jesse exhaled and turned to Evangeline. “Welcome to The Iron Spur.”

Keely waited for Jesse to open the passenger door and help them out. Reed Malone stood waiting. His dark eyes swept over his sister.

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