We discussed turning Ericson’s phone into the hot mic, but there were too many possible catastrophes. Alex getting caught bugging his phone for one, where Alex would suffer a far worse beat down than he took at the warehouse.
Ultimately, the escort was the only logical choice.
“Are you sure you can handle this alone?” I’ve asked Alex this before, at least once a day as we’ve formed our plan.
Alex’s role is actually very simple: stay close to Ericson. Yet it’s what’s being asked of him to endure that is the difficult part. After tonight, his part will be done and I’ll take it solo once again. Alex will return to his mundane life in a lab, and I’ll exact Lenora’s revenge.
Game over.
Alex doesn’t answer me this time, however. He just stares, arms crossed over his chest.
I shrug. “It’s not too late to back out, is all I’m saying.”
“Why can’t you just say thank you?” He closes his laptop. “You need me, Blakely.”
“I wouldn’t need you, had you never gotten in the way to begin with.” I traipse to the kitchen to grab a water, tossing over my shoulder, “But thanks for getting us access.” I can thank him for that much, at least.
“Why does this need to take place at the attic?” he asks suddenly.
“Because that’s where Ericson does his dirty deeds.” And I have a feeling, after his last experience, Ericson will be in rare form and looking to exact his own form of punishment on the weaker sex. Our whole plan depends on this.
“It’s just…”
I lower the water bottle from my mouth. “Say it now. We’re out of time.”
The mention of our shrinking deadline stirs a reaction. Alex rises to his feet. “No one should get hurt.”
I hold his gaze for a beat too long, then twist the cap off the bottle and take a swig of water. “We’re not avenging angels, or deities of fate, Alex. We don’t work for the justice department. In fact, we’re not anything.” I drop the water bottle on the counter. “This is my gig, not yours.”
“I know that,” he says, blue eyes wide and searching. “But don’t you feel the least bit responsible if this girl gets hurt?”
“No, I don’t. What do you think would happen tonight if we weren’t involved? Ericson’s choices are his own. If he chooses to hurt someone, it’s going to happen regardless of us. We’re just window dressing. There to observe.”
This was all new and exciting when it was simply a plan, theoretic. Now that we’re here, ready to put it into effect, Alex is suffering his conscience. That thing which holds most people back from doing what’s necessary.
He blows out a breath. “I should be the one to bring the mic in.”
We’ve gone over this scenario, too. It would be the easiest way to nail Ericson…and also the easiest way to get caught. “They’re going to search you,” I say. “Thoroughly. And what do you think will happen when they find it? You’re not walking out with a steak on your face this time. You wouldn’t be walking out at all.”
“You’re right. I know that.” He drives a hand through his hair and sighs. “I just wish there was another way. We didn’t have enough time to analyze all the possible scenarios, to test theories.”
A smile steals across my face. Of course he would enjoy the process more than the event. That’s his nature as a scientist. Really, it’s in my nature too—the hunt more exciting than the kill.
“Maybe next time we’ll have more time for foreplay,” I say.
His eyes alight on me. “Next time? I thought you were through with me after tonight.”
I shrug as I head into the living area.
“And definitely not foreplay,” he continues, voice serious once again. “I honestly get no enjoyment out of knowing someone might suffer.”
“Then why are you here, Alex?” I hold up a hand before he can fire off his tired reasoning. “Boredom aside, you’re not the type to jump into a situation without giving it careful thought, as you just stated. You had to have known this type of job would involve some level of pain for casualties.”
He leans against the table and removes his glasses as I approach. I eye his suit, the one he chose in preparation for tonight. I helped coordinate the pitch-black Armani with a light-blue tie to bring out his most striking feature, those pale-blue eyes. He looks sexy.
His gaze roves over me slowly, as if he’s sizing up my response. “You can’t be this cavalier about people,” he finally says.
“Cavalier?” I close the distance between us. I get so near, we’re almost touching. There’s still a purple shadow beneath his eye, the bruise left behind from the fight I caused. That alone should be proof enough to Alex that, in this line of work, someone always gets hurt. “So you’re calling me heartless, uncaring.”