“Easy. I just got lost looking for the bathroom.” I dropped the keys into my pants pocket before lifting my hands. “I’m here for the fundraiser.”
“Shut up, wolf. I know why you’re here.”
I raised a brow. “To raise money for neurological research.”
“Fuck you.” He scoffed. “Turn around.”
“What are you going to do, shoot me in your boss’s bedroom with a house full of people?” I shook my head, daring him to make a move. “That serum didn’t make you any smarter, did it?”
He swung the gun at my head. I ducked, dodging the blow, and landing a solid punch to his midsection. When he doubled over, I gave him an upper cut to the throat. He crumpled to the ground. Quickly, I snagged his gun from the carpet and tucked it into the back of my pants under my jacket. I didn’t waste time checking for a pulse. Even if he did survive, he wasn’t going to be able to chase me.
I started to stand, then stopped. His earpiece. I popped it free of his ear and clipped it onto mine. His partner might figure out I was an imposter, but maybe I could buy some time. At the very least, I’d know when they were on to me.
The hallway was empty, so I slipped out and closed the door behind me. I silently made my way to the bathroom and ducked inside. I dug the keys out of my pocket. Neither seemed to be for a door; they were too small. Maybe a lock? There were no markings on them. I fired off a text to Vance to let him know one of the Timberwolves had been eliminated, then stepped into the hall again.
“Jay. Report back,” a voice hissed in the earpiece.
I was running out of time. I cleared my throat and did my best impression of the asshole who wanted to shoot me in the back. “All clear.”
“Werewolf’s gone?”
“Yes.” I held my breath.
No reply.
Shit. I sent Vance a text.
They’re on to me.
I hurried down the hallway. The seconds were ticking away in my head. I needed to get Madison out before Deidra got word about the downed Timberwolf in her bedroom. The door to the kitchen was open so I cut through. I slalomed through the mess of busy caterers, to the padlocked door and pulled out the keys.
A caterer with a white tux shirt instead of the black the others wore stopped beside me. “Can I help you?”
I pointed to the locked door. “Deidra asked me to bring something up from the wine cellar.”
My pulse thrummed. I needed this to work. We might not get another chance to save Madison’s sister. Once Deidra discovered the keys were missing, she’d move her.
The caterer frowned. “All the wine is at the bar.”
I held up the key. “Dr. Harlow asked me to get a special bottle.”
The woman didn’t look convinced, but she went back to her work. Good. I tried the first key, but it didn’t turn. Last try. The second one was too big for the lock. Dammit. My heart hammered in my ears. Where else could she be keeping her underground?
I tightened my fist around the keys and hustled back down the hallway. Maybe these were the wrong keys.
Or maybe the wine cellar was too obvious. At the end of the hallway I turned the other way, poking my head into each of the guestrooms. Nothing looked off. Another dead end. Shit. I stopped at the door at the end of the hallway and tried to knob. It opened into a massive four car garage. I slipped inside, closing the door behind me. I didn’t turn on the light. The last thing I needed was a beacon for the other Timberwolf to come after me.
My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I jogged past a black Mercedes. There was another single door on the far side of the garage. It was smaller than a bedroom door, with latched at the top and bottom. I freed them both and then tried the knob. It was locked. I checked over my shoulder, my heart pounding like a stopwatch marking the time. I probably didn’t have much time left.
The first key slid through the knob and turned. Jackpot. I opened the door, half-expecting to find myself outside the garage.
The stench of sweat and sulfur hit me like a truck. What the hell?
There was a single dim orange light, like a developing darkroom for pictures, but there were no trays of developing fluid, only a narrow set of stairs leading underground. This had to be it. I closed the door behind me, and hurried down the stairs. At the base of the stairs, I caught a human scent. This wasn’t Deidra. I didn’t recognize it as any of the humans I’d encountered upstairs. Someone was still down here.
I tracked the scent to a wall. No door. I sniffed. There was definitely someone on the other side. There had to be a way in or a switch to open the wall or something. I patted down the wall. Nothing. There wasn’t time for this. I spun around, examining the room. It appeared to be a root cellar. There were hedge trimmers, a weed whacker, and a bag of potting soil in the corner. The opposite wall had a shelf with bottles of bug poisons and sprays. I crossed the small room for a closer look. There had to be a way in. I scanned the bottles, searching for something that could be…a secret lever or button to open the false wall.
Then I spotted one bottle at the end without a thin sheen of dust like the others. I pulled it out and a motor whirred. The wall lifted to reveal a hidden lab.
CHAPTER 20
Madison
For a little while, I distracted myself with discussions about financial forecasts for beef and the importance of independently owned farms. Deidra hadn’t been kidding about the influential guests tonight. I’d met a senator, two congresswomen, and the leading researcher on stem cell technology for combatting Alzheimer’s. Dr. Ageri’s work sounded promising and definitely on the cutting edge as far as I could tell.
It would’ve been fascinating if I hadn’t also received that mental message from the sister I hadn’t known existed until a few days ago. I’d caught sight of Cole in the kitchen, but he hadn’t come back out. Maybe he was already down in the wine cellar saving my sister. Or had one of the Timberwolves squad member caught him? My mind was playing games with me now.
If they had Cole, would I be able to rescues him with my pepper spray?
I rubbed my forehead, struggling to focus in on Dr. Ageri’s conversation. A cool hand caught my elbow. “Can I talk to you?”
Deidra now stood beside me. I nodded and followed her into her den. The decibel level was much lower there, and I did my best not to check to see if I had a clear line of sight to the kitchen from there. Her gaze bore into me. “I was hoping to meet your brother tonight.”
“Why?” I crossed my arms. “And how did you know I even had brother anyway?”
She leaned back against the edge of her desk. “I know you don’t remember, but we’ve met before.”
A chill crept up my back and I was pretty sure my hands were trembling, but I kept my expression neutral. The only card I had to play was the fact that Deidra didn’t think I remembered being treated by her as a child. My best chance to get information was to keep her believing that. “Have we?”
“Yes.” She nodded slowly. “I knew your mother.”
“That’s interesting. She’s not happy that I’m working for you.” I raised a brow. “Why am I really here?”
“I thought I’d be giving you and your brother a family reunion.”