Chapter 104 Parkview
Anna's POV
I arrived at Parkview an hour later. The first thing that came to my mind was Lucas. Maybe he could help me. Maybe just seeing him would settle something in my chest that hadn't settled in since I saw him last.
I decided to check on him first and turned the car toward his apartment. I hadn't even made it two blocks when my phone started ringing, the screen lighting up with Xavier's name.
My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I had to pull over before I could even think about answering.
I sat there for a second, staring at the screen, before I finally picked up.
"Where are you?" he asked, no greeting, straight to the point like always.
I steadied my voice. "You're the one who said we don't owe each other an explanation for everything. So no. I'm not telling you where I am."
"Are you running away?"
"No," I said, sharper than I meant to. "I'm not running anywhere."
There was a pause on the line, long enough that I could hear him breathing. "Are you going to see Lucas?"
My eyes went wide, and for a second I forgot how to respond. "What? I don't even know where Lucas is. Nobody does. Why would I want to see him?"
"It's none of your business," I said, cutting off whatever he was about to say next. "I'm in charge now. When you get back, you can go back to being in charge."
I hung up before he could answer and switched the phone off completely, my hand trembling slightly as I did it.
"Shit," I muttered, the word slipping out under my breath.
I sat there a moment longer, gripping the wheel, and changed my mind about Lucas.
The mission mattered more right now. If Xavier found out about tonight, that was one problem.
But if he found out I knew exactly where Lucas was and had gone to see him, that was a different kind of trouble, one that could unravel more than I was ready to deal with.
I put the car back in drive and headed straight for the building complex where Zack was supposedly hiding.
The moment I saw the security lined up outside, thick, armed, watching everyone who passed, I knew. Whoever or whatever was inside, it was worth guarding like this.
I stepped out of the car just as one of the guards stopped a man walking toward the entrance.
"Code," the guard said, flat and immediate.
The man blinked, caught off guard. "Code? Nobody told me I'd need a code."
The guard glanced at the others near him. "He doesn't have his code."
"You know what to do," one of them said, almost bored. "What are you waiting for?"
"It's fine," the man said quickly, stepping back. "I don't need to go in. Forget it."
"If that were true—"
The shot cracked through the air before he could finish the sentence.
The man dropped instantly, and everything in me went still.
I flinched hard, and around me I heard others gasp, just as unprepared for it as I was. Nobody had expected that. Not like this, not so fast.
I watched two guards grab the body under the arms and drag it off to the side like it was nothing more than trash to clear away.
My pulse wouldn't slow down. I stood there, watching other people walk past with their codes ready, disappearing through the entrance without a second glance at what had just happened.
I had no code. I needed one, and I needed it fast, before anyone turned their attention toward me standing alone outside my car.
That's when I noticed a slim guard walking in my direction, gun in one hand, phone in the other, dialing as he walked.
I glanced around quickly. No one nearby, no one watching me specifically.
I reached down and unzipped my catsuit just enough, just fast enough that it looked natural.
He stopped a few feet from me, still focused on his phone. The line didn't connect.
"Fuck," he muttered, shoving the phone back into his pocket. He turned like he was about to walk away and then he sighted me.
His eyes narrowed immediately. He stepped closer, studying me the way security does when something doesn't add up. I didn't move. I raised both hands slowly, showing him I wasn't a threat.
"I'm unarmed," I said, keeping my voice steady.
He didn't take my word for it. He patted me down thoroughly, checking for anything I might be hiding, and when he found nothing, he nodded toward the car behind me.
"Yours?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Open it."
I did, stepping back so he could search freely. He checked the seats, the trunk, everything, and came up with nothing.
He let out a breath, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked, eyes flicking back to me. "You should be inside. Nobody's supposed to be standing around out here like this."
I forced a smile onto my face, soft, a little nervous, exactly what he'd expect.
His eyes dropped to my chest for half a second before he caught himself.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm an escort. I'm waiting for one of Zack's capos."
His eyes widened slightly at the word capo.
"He called an hour ago," I continued. "Said he'd be here soon. Then my phone died before I could hear anything else."
He cleared his throat, glancing toward the entrance and then back at me. "You can't stay out here like this. You either have to leave or I could let you in, but it's not going to be for free."
I let my smile stretch just a little slower this time. "You want me. Don't you?"
"Of course I do." He stepped in closer, lowering his voice. "Let's do it in the car."
"Too risky," I said, shaking my head slightly. "The capo could show up any minute now. And if the other guards catch you slacking off on duty, they'll kill you for it. You saw what just happened."
He thought about that for a second, jaw tightening. "Then I'll take you inside instead. We'll do it in there."
"That's a better option," I said.
"Wait for me to go in first," he said, already stepping back. "Then follow a minute after. If anyone stops you and asks for a code, tell them — VIP 1800, black and red wine, enemy's blood."
I nodded, committing it to memory instantly. "Got it."
"Alright." He turned and walked off toward the entrance without looking back.
I stood there and watched him until he disappeared through the doors.
The second he was gone, I cleared my throat, straightened my spine, and started walking toward the other guards standing near the entrance.