Page 52 of The Fortunate Ones
“Good.” He tapped my flank affectionately. “Let’s get going then. We have to make sure we’re in position on time.”
We all easily fell into preparing. It wasn’t until much later, once we were all dressed and armed and getting ready to leave, that I realized Maverick had never answered Skye’s question about orgasms. Damn it.
“Okay, security is down. There’s a guard at each door, but there doesn’t seem to be any stationed inside,” Diego informed us through our comms when we were posted about a block away from the house Tanner Belding was living in.
“Thanks, Diego,” Maverick replied before eyeing the two of us. We were all dressed in black cargo pants, boots, long-sleeved shirts, and gloves. The only bracelet I had on was the one that Skye, D, and Wes had given me, and that was safely tucked under my sleeve. The rest were back at our rented apartment. Too many people had been caught by accidentally dropping something personal at a scene, and there was no way I was making a rookie mistake like that. My collar was tucked under my neck guard. Beanies covered our heads, so there was nothing discernible in case we were reported. I wasn’t worried about that today, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.
The only things not black were our masks. As usual, Mav had wanted to go for standard balaclavas, but I’d surprisingly won the argument and we were rocking ourPurgemasks. It was rare that Luca and Mav agreed to wear them—I would admit they were a little cumbersome and showy—but a little showy worked for us right now. They’re way more intimidating and creepy than standard face coverings. Gave off horror movie vibes that added to the terror. Maybe Tanner would shit himself. That would be glorious.
“You two ready?” Maverick asked, all business. He had his mask pulled up so it was resting on the top of his head.
“Yup!” I bounced up on my toes, adrenaline pumping through me. “Let’s go kill someone!”
Skye snorted and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “I knew we’d make you bloodthirsty eventually.”
I shrugged. I’d never be as casual about taking a life as Skye was, but some people deserved to be erased from this earth, and Tanner Belding was one of those people. I had no qualms about him eating a bullet.
“Our target is Tanner. It’s possible he’s holding someone here, so be careful and keep your eyes peeled. Take out the guards and make sure they’re secure so they can’t cause problems, but only kill if necessary. Ready?” We both nodded in response. “Good. Let’s get going before they notice something is off,” Maverick said, ushering us along. I blew him a kiss and then flipped down my mask, ready to play.
There were three entrances, so three guards and three of us. We split with Maverick, and Skye crept to the side door and Mav to the back, while I took the front.
“Hé! Vous n’avez rien à faire ici!!”the guard called out, completely startled by my presence. We had learned that these weren’t Tanner’s usual private security, but instead locals who’d been hired when he’d gone into hiding. There was no indicationthat they knew what was happening or were qualified to handle the kind of detail a person like Belding would need. Which was . . . interesting. After the events from almost two years ago, Tanner’s family had mostly cut ties with him. It had meant a cut in his funds, but he still had plenty on his own, enough to pay professionals. Not to mention, with his supposed connections to Crimson Rose, you’d think they’d make sure he had guards who knew what they were doing, but maybe there was trouble in paradise and they’d left him to his own devices. Which . . . also didn’t make sense, since he was one hell of a loose end. Maybe he was still useful enough for them to keep him alive. Who the fuck knew.
I shook away the thoughts. Didn’t fucking matter anymore. Tanner wasn’t surviving the night, and hopefully we’d have a better understanding of what was happening when we were done with him.
I waved as I came into the light so the guard could see me more clearly. His eyes widened in fear and his hand reached for something at his side. He never got a chance to get it. I was on him and slamming his head against the wall before he even looked up. Unconscious, he fell to the ground with a thunk.
“Fuck,” I whispered. That was a little louder than I’d anticipated. I quickly used my zip ties to secure him and then dragged him over to the side so he wasn’t immediately in view.
“All clear,” I whispered once he was out of the way.
“Clear,” Maverick responded, followed shortly by Skye.
I got to work on the front door, picking the lock. It was pretty easy since Diego had already messed with their security system. Belding was clearly relying on that and not these old locks that were probably the originals. In no time, I was inside and meeting up with Skye and Mav.
“Good?” Mav asked. I couldn’t see his eyes through the mask, but I could feel them assessing me.
“Yes, sir. All good.”
Mav gave the same once-over to Sky, and then with a chin jut, he turned and we were off.
It was the middle of the night, so ideally the fucker would be in his room asleep, but since he had no cameras inside that Diego could access, we still had to clear the whole house. It was three stories, so we each took a floor. I was on the basement level, Maverick the main, and Skye upstairs. The reasoning was Tanner was most likely to be on Skye’s level, and while any of us were willing to pull the trigger, or in my case run a knife across his throat, Skye was the most comfortable with it. He also had ways of getting information quickly, so maybe this wouldn’t take long. We couldn’t stay here forever, not with the men unconscious outside. We had a plan in place to move Tanner if necessary, but Luca was sure the guy was a weasel that would spill easily. It would be nice not to have to change locations with him. Less chance of things going wrong that way.
Despite my tattoos and piercings, I was the least intimidating looking out of us, and for some reason, people tended to trust me in these situations, so I was usually on rescue duty. We had no evidence that Tanner was holding anyone, but if he was, there was more of a chance that they were kept on the lowest level. So that was my floor. Maverick was in the middle so he could easily get to either of us for backup if necessary.
Diego checked in with us, confirming he still had control of everything and nothing seemed amiss. Luca and Wes were with him, watching, but neither had said a thing. They were letting Mav and Diego take point.
With our unspoken signal, we all went our own ways. The house was dark, but I didn’t use my flashlight, not yet. There was enough light from electronics and lighting outside to see clearly. I kept my blade in my hand and as I cautiously made my way to the door that led down to the bottom floor. It was locked.
“I have to pick the lock,” I whispered, updating the others on what was going on. D could see everything through my body cam, but while verbal communication was still possible, it made sense to do both.
No one responded; the only sound was Mav and Skye’s footsteps.
I hadn’t gotten to use my lock-picking skills this much in ages. It was kind of exciting. Most people had electronic locks these days that required Diego’s expertise. It was nice to see the stuff Pops had taught me not go to waste.
This one was more of a challenge than the one outside, but still not difficult. It wasn’t standard though, even for Europe. I made a mental note to tell Pops about it next time we spoke. That was his specialty.
“I’m all clear on this floor,” Maverick told us at the same time the lock finally clicked, allowing me entrance.
