Zinnia
Reed turned to me, his expression smug as hell, arms crossed over his broad chest like he was waiting for me to realize just how stupid I was being.
“So tell me, little flower,” he drawled, eyes dark with challenge. “Do you still think waiting and strategizing is a good idea? Or do you wanna admit that Roman already knew we’d be tracking him through Lucas’s phone?”
I narrowed my eyes. I knew what he was doing. Trying to get under my skin, trying to shake my confidence. But I wasn’t that weak little girl who cowered when things got complicated. Roman taught me to thrived in chaos.
I squared my shoulders. “It is the best idea,” I shot back, voice steady, unwavering. “Rushing in without a solid plan is exactly what Roman expects. He wants you angry, reckless, and predictable. But if we make him think we’re one step behind while actually staying ahead?” I smirked. “Then we control the board.”
Reed’s jaw clenched, his fingers twitching like he was itching to argue. Before he could, I turned to Hermine. “Can you change the phone’s IP address? Make it look like we’re moving, even though we’re still in the hangar?”
Hermine pursed her lips, already scanning through the mess of code on her laptop. “It’s possible,” she admitted, “but Roman’s already put an override on the phone. That virus he snuck in when we clicked on his message? It’s not just tracking us-it’s rewriting the system to block any attempts to reroute the signal.”
I exhaled sharply. Roman was smart. But so were we.
“How long?” I asked.
“A few hours, maybe more,” Hermine said. “I have to break through his override without tripping any alarms.”
“Then get busy,” I said, giving her a sharp nod. Hermine didn’t hesitate. She cracked her knuckles, then dove into the laptop like it was her battlefield.
I turned back to Reed. “While she works, we need new identities. If we’re going to stake out Roman, we can’t use our real names. Start working on it.”
He hesitated. Just for a second. Just long enough for me to see the flicker of resistance in his eyes. I have come to know Reed, he wasn’t the type to take orders, he gave them. But he also knew when to pick his battles, and right now, I knew I was the thinking brain to keep us all grounded. Without a word, he turned on his heel and left the room.
Alex let out a low whistle, shaking her head as she leaned against the wall. “Damn, Z. I’ve never seen anyone order Reed around like that.”
I just smiled. Reed might be an alpha male, might command a room with nothing but his presence, but when it came to me? He would always bow.
Hours Later
The tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. Hermine was still buried in code, her fingers flying over the keyboard, muttering curses under her breath every time she hit another roadblock.
I paced, watching, waiting, willing time to move faster. Then-
“Got it,” Hermine breathed, eyes widening as she leaned back, hands shaking from the sheer effort it took. “That bastard put up a fight, but I won.”
I moved to her side, scanning the screen.
She pointed at the newly rerouted signal. “As far as Roman’s concerned, we’re currently speeding toward Mexico.” A slow grin spread across her face. “And if he checks the air tracking service for any private jet movements, he’ll see a planes belonging to rich business tycoons. He won’t suspect a thing.”
Smart. I let out a low laugh, shaking my head in appreciation. “You’re a genius.”
Hermine smirked, about to say something cocky, when Alex bolted forward, wrapped her arms around Hermine’s neck, and kissed her. The room went dead silent. For a second, Hermine just stood there, frozen. Then, slowly, she melted into it, her hands gripping Alex’s waist.
Well. That was unexpected. I arched an eyebrow, watching as they pulled apart. Hermine looked dazed. Alex, on the other hand, just grinned. “That was for saving our asses.”
Hermine cleared her throat, a little breathless. “Uh. Yeah. Cool. Anytime.
I bit back a laugh. Then the door swung open, and Reed strode in, tossing a stack of IDs onto the table.
“New identities,” he said, his tone clipped, but there was a gleam of something unreadable in his eyes as he looked at me. I picked up the ID with my new name: Aspen Cruz Thomas.
The picture staring back at me was different; subtle changes, but enough to throw anyone off. My hair was slightly darker, my face leaner, my eye color altered just enough to make someone hesitate if they thought they recognized me.
And next to my name? My husband’s name. Ronan Cruz Thomas.
I snorted, shaking my head. “Seriously?” I shot Reed a look. “You made yourself my husband?”
His lips curled into something dangerously close to a smirk. “Well, sweetheart, would you rather be married to Alex?”
Alex held up her hands. “Hey, I’d make a great wife, but I don’t think I can handle you, Z.”
I rolled my eyes, flipping the ID between my fingers. “Fine. For the next days and as long as need be, I’m Aspen Cruz Thomas.” My grin sharpened. “Roman won’t know what hit him.”
DAYS LATER
Alex and I decided to go grocery shopping. It took more convincing than I had anticipated before Reed agreed to let us go without him following. The grocery store was a fifteen minutes walk from the hangar.
It was shabby and had little to no items inside, but it was better than nothing. The fluorescent lights hummed softly overhead as I moved down the aisle, tossing supplies into the cart. Bottled water, protein bars, canned food-enough to last us a while at the hangar. Alex walked a few steps ahead, scanning the shelves for anything useful.
Everything should’ve felt normal. Afterall, we were the only one, aside the eighty-year-old-man at the counter. But my gut was screaming at me. Something was off.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and a slow, creeping chill slithered down my spine. My fingers tightened around the box of granola bars in my hand, my breath hitching just slightly.
Then, a massive presence appeared behind me. I froze. Not because I was scared, but because I recognized that feeling. The sheer weight of his presence. The way the air around him felt heavier, like it bent to his will.
The Bull. I didn’t hesitate.
My muscles coiled, and in one swift motion, I twisted around, my fist swinging toward his face. But before I could make contact, his hand shot out, catching my wrist mid-air. His grip was strong. And then, slowly, the hood of his sweatshirt lowered, revealing the face I hadn’t seen in days.
His dark, calculating eyes met mine, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. I forced myself to stay calm, my heartbeat thundering in my chest. My gaze flickered past him and my stomach dropped.
Behind him, one of his men had Alex. A thick arm was wrapped tightly around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides. A knife gleamed in his other hand, hovering just inches from her throat.
Alex’s face was hard, but her eyes were sharp with panic. I clenched my jaw, about to tell The Bull to let her go, but he leaned in, his breath ghosting against my cheek.
“Careful, little one,” he murmured, voice low, deadly smooth. “Think carefully before you speak.” His grip on my wrist tightened just slightly, a warning. “Unless you want me to cut that sharp tongue of yours out.”
I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering.
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