Jack sat on the edge of the narrow bed, staring at the cracked paint on the opposite wall. The room felt smaller than usual tonight. Perhaps it was because two armed guards stood outside the door, or perhaps it was because every thought in his head seemed determined to crowd into the same space at once.
The mission was beginning to unravel.
When he had agreed to infiltrate Black Rose Headquarters, everything had seemed straightforward. Get close to Arora Winland. Gather information. Deliver what his handlers wanted. Leave when the job was done.
Simple.
At least, it was supposed to be.
Instead, Kelvin was lying unconscious in a hospital bed, Jennie had vanished, and Arora was looking at everyone around her with growing suspicion. The careful balance he had maintained for weeks was beginning to crack, and he could feel it happening faster than he could stop it.
His hand drifted unconsciously toward his lip.
The bruise had nearly faded now.
