Page 56 of Wraith
“I love the way you look at me.” He was dragging a towel over his body. “It’s almost as if I’m the only man on earth. I love the almost primal way your eyes shimmer for me.”
Amelia’s cheeks heated. “I always thought I was better at hiding my feelings.”
“Maybe.” He draped the towel over his shoulder and pressed his mouth to Amelia’s throat. His beard tickled her flesh. “Or maybe, I’m just this good at reading through your walls.”
She sighed.
“Hey you guys!” Barbie called from the next room. “Tex has something!”
Barbie’s shout broke the trance and they went barging into the sitting room.
“I went diggin’.” Tex leaned backward to accept a mug from Melody and a kiss. She stopped to wave at everyone and was gone. “I’m not sure this is anything, but I’ve narrowed down the houses your guy could have been at a party at.”
“How?” Amelia asked.
“People post everything on social medial these days,” Tex said. “It’s a mine field of information to dig through. I found two houses with parties the same time two weeks ago.”
“Slow week in Rublyovka I see.” Liam grumbled.
“Probably.” Tex smiled. “Neither of them reported a theft but only one brought in private security. The other house wasn’t big enough. I checked security footage for both houses and only one had a party big enough to require said security. I’m sending the address to your phones now.”
Amelia sat on Liam’s lap as they spoke back and forth with Tex. The entire landscape seemed impossible to navigate. The streets hadn’t been ploughed when they entered. For such a luxury place, they sure didn’t take much care for convenience.
Still, Tex pulled up floor plans for the house and a plan was hatched.
Beast had been silent most of the time. He was staring at his computer screen, frowning.
“Something wrong, Alric?” Amelia asked.
He smiled at her. “You know, everyone calls me Beast.”
“Okay—Beast.”
“Barbie set up some eyes outside while you were—um—sleeping. It seems we have company.”
“What?” Tex and Liam chorused.
“There hasn’t been any movement.” Beast walked over to set the laptop beside Liam’s. “See the black truck? It’s been sitting out there for a while now.”
“How do you know it doesn’t belong here?” Amelia asked.
“It’s a gut feeling.” Beast kept his gaze on the screen. “But I’m rarely ever wrong about these things. Someone knows we’re here and they’re waiting for something.”
“Yeah—they’re waiting for us to lead them to the painting.” Barbie added. “As god’s my witness.”
Silence descended on the room and Amelia sighed and leaned heavily to Liam’s chest. It was as though they couldn’t catch a break. One step forward, three back—it had always been like that since they escaped the cabin.
“I could kill for a Doc cuddle right now.” She admitted softly.
Liam kissed her head. “Me too.”
“I have an idea.” A grinch-like smile broke the sniper’s face. “How about, when we’re ready to move out, I incapacitate our friends’ ability to follow?”
“Explain,” Beast said.
“Well, I am a sniper.” She thumbed over her shoulder. “My rifle comes with a silencer—it suppresses the sound and kill the muzzle flash. I take out the tires and plug a leak into the gas tank and that should give us enough time to get out.”
“I love the way you think,” Liam said. “We’ll go in tonight. Hopefully, we’ll get another clue as to what the hell is happening around here.”
