not dumb enough to say that aloud.
“It might. Or it might not. Everyone’s on edge waiting for another attack.”
I drop my hands. “That’s why we need to locate Jarren and make sure that doesn’t happen.”
He agrees. We enter the unit. Radcliff’s on the couch and demands a report right away.
“The alarm is installed,” I say.
“It’s well hidden,” Niall adds.
My chest warms. Perhaps Niall isn’t as freaked over my abilities as I thought. “Tell the officers on duty that if a siren sounds they should leave the lab right away.”
“I will. Good job, Lawrence.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I’m going to bed.” Radcliff gives us one of his forceful stares, meaning we should follow his example. Now.
Except Niall and I are somewhat immune. We say good night, but remain in the living area. Once his bedroom door closes, we plop onto the couch. A spike of pain jabs into my forehead.
Niall notices my wince. “You did too much today.”
“Probably.”
He waits.
“Yes.”
Standing, Niall grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. “Come on.” He tows me to my bedroom. “Take a painkiller. Change into your pajamas.”
I’m pushed inside. The door closes behind me. Annoyed, I open it only to be confronted with Stubborn Niall. Nothing I can do or say will influence this man. I try anyway. “No good night kiss?”
“Not until you’re in bed.” He shoos me.
I hurry and change into a soft T-shirt and shorts, downing a pill. Ah, better living through chemistry. The legal kind, people! I already had a concussion, no need to kill off any more of my brain cells. Hopping into bed, I call Niall.
He enters. “Bunnies?”
Most of my clothes are hand-me-downs from…others. I’ve no idea where my mother found them. But after Jarren took off with my bag of clothes in his shuttle, I’ve had to lower my standards—not that they were very high, but a girl likes to look nice on occasion.
“Not just any bunnies, Toad. But dust bunny assassins.”
He smiles at the memory. “I stand corrected.” Moving closer, he points to my pillow.
“I’m technically in bed.”
Doesn’t matter. Niall’s not to be deterred. Only when I’m lying down with the covers pulled up to my chest is he satisfied. He sits on the edge and leans in for a kiss. A frizzle of heat shoots through me when our lips connect. I yank my hands free from the covers and pull him closer, deepening the kiss. Then it’s the taste of Niall, his familiar scent, his hands in my hair causing goosebumps to spread over my skin.
He stops and rests his forehead on mine. “My father…” he says.
“Yeah.”
“Night, Mouse.” He turns off the light and leaves.
I groan into my pillow. This lack of privacy sucks. Not that I’m planning on going wild, but Niall and I need some serious make out time.
Over the course of the next few days, I train with Elese in the mornings and work with Beau to probe Jarren’s blockade in the afternoons. We worm deep, searching for a hole in his defenses while moving with the ultimate care. Which means, so slow a snail could lap us. It’s also delicate work, as if we were navigating through a tunnel of playing cards. One wrong move and… Poof! Everything collapses, revealing Beau and I trying to sneak into Jarren’s fort.
Radcliff has yet to give me a security shift. And I have to admit I’m glad, as the long hours spent crawling through the Q-net are mentally exhausting.
Five days after Morgan asked me about working on the video feeds from the pits, Radcliff gives us permission. So after dinner, I return to Beau’s office. Except tonight Morgan, not Beau is partnering with me. She has access to the videos that I’ll need. I also suspect she wants to experience my worming for herself rather than watch on the screen.
I’d planned to slow things down, but with her in my cluster it would be pointless. Hoping not to freak her out, I insert my tangs and get to work.
Unlike Beau, Morgan is quiet. No grunts or huffs or whoops or sound effects. She’s silent and able to keep up with me. I approve her efficient style.
When we reach my cluster, I check my security measures for tampering. There’s scratches on a few protective channels as if someone tried to find a way through and failed. I suspect Beau, but it could be Jarren. No, he wouldn’t leave a trace. Maybe one of his minions. Which is not much of a relief.
Morgan brings in the video