The corner of his mouth kicks up and he tilts his head, giving me a once over that sends heat racing through me again. “Always in it for the thrill of trouble.”
I grin. “So we’re going?”
“Yes. But we need to blend in better than your scraps of fabric pretending to be yoga clothes and my ripped jeans in case people are there. We should make it look like we could be Nexus Lab employees again.”
“It looked abandoned on Google street view.”
“Still.”
“I didn’t bring much, but I’ll see what I can throw together.”
Luckily, I did put a pair of slim fitting black pants in my bag when I was throwing random things from my closet into it. They’ll have to do. I pull them on as he dresses in a pair of dove gray slacks and a shirt. Once again I’m tempted by the sight of him dressed up from his usual rough appearance.
Fox’s gaze trails the bare curve of my spine as I put my hair up in a sleek high ponytail, then put on a lace bralette and steal one of his few button down shirts from a rack he keeps in the corner. He lifts a brow, but says nothing. I get the message from his smirk, it amuses him that I keep stealing his clothes.
“This is more business chic than the vintage blouses and casual workout clothes I brought with me when I left my house,” I point out once I’m ready. “I didn’t account for how much undercover work I’d be doing when picking out my quick getaway wardrobe.”
“Whatever you say,” he says lightly, gaze traveling over me again. “You look good.”
Kneeling by the black duffel bag that was in the back of his
Charger when I stowed away, he takes out a handgun and checks the amount of bullets before slotting the clip back into place and tucking the weapon in the back of his pants. He puts his hand at the small of my back and guides me down to the garage.
“You think we need to be armed for this?”
“We have to be prepared for anything.”
A chill skates down my neck at the ruthlessness in his tone. I change the subject.
“If you have suits, why didn’t you ever wear the school uniform?”
“Because I don’t play by the rules.” He huffs out a laugh, putting his arm around my shoulders to draw me closer once we reach the bottom of the steps. “And because it helped people fear me if I looked like I could kill them with my bare hands. A preppy blazer wouldn’t have done me any favors.”
I sink my teeth into my lip. Is it wrong that what he said turns me on? Probably, but I don’t care.
Chuckling, he plants a kiss on my cheek. “The rain let up. Let’s go.”
The ride there isn’t long. It’s closer than I expected to Fox’s place. We take the Charger instead of the bike this time.
Instead of pulling in, we park on the no outlet lane and walk over. The place seems as deserted as the shipping facility was after it was wiped of any evidence of Nexus Lab using it. The building is run down, overgrown weeds doing their best to take over.
“Doesn’t seem like anyone is around,” I say after we test the front door and find it locked with a padlock.
“But Jacqueline definitely came here for something. It had to be important. She wouldn’t break her strict routine and risk the way she likes to portray herself for something random.”
“Something she didn’t want to be seen doing,” I add.
“Right. What about around here?” Fox’s fingers circle my wrist and he takes us around the side of the building. “They might want it to put off this vibe like it’s nothing important, or abandoned, but then have a back entrance or something on a sub level.”
We barely make it ten steps before we’re spotted.
“Hey!”
A sharp voice calls out, making us whip around. My stomach takes a nosedive. Fox moves quickly, putting me behind him protectively, one hand going to the back of his pants to grip the gun he tucked there.
“What are you doing here?”
Twenty-Eight