Deep Under (Tall, Dark and Deadly #4)(17)

I leave the phone where it’s plugged in, and instead return to my keyboard, opting to activate a private messaging system to ping Royce and type: The assignment starts now. I’m in the private wing of the hotel for several months.

Royce: Who are you protecting?

Caution prevails, out of fear Kara and Blake are with him and I type: Are you alone?

Royce: Yes. Can you call me?

I really need to have a real conversation with him, but concerned the exterior hallway outside the room might be bugged, I’m stuck right where I’m at, with Myla in potential hearing distance. Standing, I scan the area and head to the bathroom, stepping inside to muffle the sound, but still managing to maintain a view of the hallway before punching in Royce’s number.

“Talk to me,” he demands, answering almost instantly.

“I will,” I say, “but softly. I’m not in as private of a location as I like. However, I’m in the private wing of the hotel, where they want me to work for the next eight weeks.”

“Protecting who?”

“Myla,” I breathe out, keeping my voice low. “I’m protecting f*cking Myla.” Even saying those words is surreal.

“You have to be shitting me.” He sounds as disbelieving as I felt when I first saw her. “You have Myla?”

“I do. She’s still his woman, but in my professional opinion, she’s surviving and protecting Kara only.”

“Holy f*ck. Of course, Kara would be his leverage against her, and so would any other family she had, if they existed. Is she suffering from Stockholm syndrome?”

“Considering how quickly she gravitated toward me, I don’t think so, but she’s scared. I think she might panic if she finds out I’m connected to Kara and I’m not sure how she’ll react. But my gut instinct is to get her out of here quickly, even if I don’t tell her what’s going on before we extract her.”

“If we do that, then we force her, Kara, and Blake into hiding for the rest of their lives if we aren’t careful. Hell. We might force ourselves there.”

“Then we have to do a turnaround on him. Let’s make him think she’s dead.”

“He could kill you for that.”

“I can handle me. Let’s get a plan that gets her out of here safely and I’ll frame my exit plan. And if that means I need to get out of the country for a while to ensure I don’t lead Alvarez to the team, so be it.”

“We aren’t throwing you into a black hole.”

“Someone will need to acclimate Myla to a new life. It makes sense for me to disappear with her, at least for a while. And…” I consider a moment. “Kara leaving the country right now, at the same time Myla disappears, might be suspicious and bring attention to her.”

A beat passes before Royce concedes, “You’re right. I’ll talk to Luke and between us, we’ll come up with a plan for handling Blake and Kara.”

“If you tell them-”

“They’ll want to be involved,” he says. “I know that, but I’ll be damned if I want to lie to them anymore than I know you do. Let me talk to Luke.”

“Don’t tell Blake and Kara anything until you talk to me.”

“Agreed. I’ll get with Asher and Jacob tonight, and we’ll put together several extraction options, but I can tell you, we’re going to need more information. Who is around you both? What is she doing in the next eight weeks?”

“I won’t know those things for a few days.”

“What can you tell me?”

I update him on the little I know. The business I kick myself for knowing nothing about when I should. Juan. And finally the recording devices and camera I removed. “Myla is terrified of Alvarez creating a worse version of what he can’t see on film.”

“Maybe he’ll have to come see for himself,” Royce says.

“Exactly,” I say. “But that means we need to be ready for him immediately, and at this point, I can’t be sure Myla would leave of her own free will, should we decide to extract her. And Royce, man. I don’t know if I can let him touch her again.”

“I get it, man. I haven’t met her like you have, but I feel like I know her. I feel the same. But if you move too fast-”

“All the women he’s forced into his sex trade operation are lost unless she can help us get to them. I know. Stay the course as long as I can.”

“And if you reveal yourself to her too soon, and you’re wrong about her-”

“I might end up dead. I got it. Not the outcome I’m looking for, but if it’s my judgment that I have to extract her without her prior agreement, I’ll make it.”

“Understood and we’ll be right there with you.” He pauses a moment. “It’s eight-fifteen. We’ll have eyes on you, but give me a verbal every ten to twelve hours so I know you’re safe. If you hit thirteen, I’m going to assume you have a problem. And try to contact me at a time and place where we can discuss plans.”

“Copy that,” I say.

We end the call and I flip over the phone, remove the chip and destroy it, before my gaze lands on the empty hallway, but I don’t see the empty space. I see that year-old security footage, and Myla’s green eyes looking into the camera, with a plea for help in their depths that I fully intend to answer.