Chapter 66 CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
Blue's POV
As soon as we stepped into my bedroom, I saw her eyes start to wander, greedily taking in every corner of the space. I had already made sure the curtains were drawn over the far wall where I kept my paintings and sketches. I didn't like how vulnerable those pieces made me feel. Having a wall covered in drawings of her didn't exactly scream macho, and I wasn't ready to explain why she was the only thing I felt like painting lately.
I knew she noticed the hidden area by the way she shot me a questioning look, her eyebrows arching, but I acted completely oblivious. I walked over to the closet and hauled out a large cardboard box. Inside was the safe I’d mentioned. It was empty for the most part; I didn't have many physical things I felt the need to hide.
Besides, my room was usually the safest place in Bellamy. I wanted to see the person brave enough to enter my space without authorization. Although, as I set the box down, I realized I should probably start locking the door when I left. I couldn't put it past Derek to barge in and do something stupid just to prove a point.
I tore the sides of the cardboard neatly and spread it apart on the floor to reveal the sleek, small grey safe. I sat down on the rug, and Scarlett followed suit, tucking her legs under her. I opened the small digital panel on the front to set a temporary combination for our practice. She tried to lean in to see what I was typing, but I reached out and pushed her head away with a single finger.
"No peeking," I muttered.
I decided on a simple six-digit PIN—051022—and locked it. I turned the safe toward her, the red LED light blinking steadily to show it was secured.
"This is a standard electronic keypad lock with a manual override," I explained, pointing to the different components. "There’s the keypad, the solenoid housing behind the door, and the hidden keyhole behind this plastic brand plate. Miller won't have the physical key on him since he trusts the code too much."
I went through the parts again, explaining how the locking bolts functioned. "Repeat them back to me," I commanded.
She didn't hesitate. She pointed to each part, naming them perfectly and explaining their function without a single stumble. I felt a burst of pride in my chest. The girl was so smart. A saying Tanner always used came to mind: Beauty and brains. It described her with accuracy.
"Now, for the work," I said. I pulled a small kit from my pocket, nothing more than a few thin wires and a flat-head tension tool. "Since we don't have the code, we’re going to manipulate the solenoid. Most people think you need to be a master hacker, but with these budget models, you just need to bypass the electronic signal."
I began explaining as I worked, showing her how to pop the plastic cover to reveal the override cylinder. "If the electronics fail, the solenoid retracts the locking bolts. We’re going to use this wire to trip the reset button through the back of the mounting hole, or use a strong magnet to jump the motor."
She asked a dozen questions, her voice filled with curiosity. I answered every single one of them patiently. I didn't want her getting stuck or panicking when she was faced with the real thing in Miller's office. I showed her exactly how to move the wires to avoid triggering the internal tamper alarm, which would possibly send a silent signal to Miller's phone.
"If you feel a click, stop," I warned. "That’s the dead-end. Move it a millimeter to the left."
Once I was satisfied she understood the theory, I locked the safe again and slid the tools toward her. "Your turn. Open it."
She shuffled closer, her knees brushing against mine. She began fiddling with the panel, her fingers steady but careful. I knew I should be watching her hands to correct her form, but I found myself watching her instead.
Her look of concentration was incredibly cute. She had a small, determined frown etched between her brows, and her tongue was poking out the side of her mouth just a tiny bit.
As she leaned forward, her hair brushed against my shoulder. It smelled like soap, mixed with something sweet and uniquely her. I found myself moving closer without even realizing it, drawn in by her gravity. Somehow, in the dim light of the bedroom, her face took on a sultry look or maybe that was just my mind playing tricks on me.
I was finished. My self-control was fraying at the edges. She was entirely focused on the safe, muttering the steps under her breath, while I was sitting right next to her having incredibly inappropriate thoughts.
"Blue?"
I blinked, snapping back to focus. I realized I’d been staring at her for a long beat. She was saying something about the tension tool, but I wasn't hearing the words. I was just watching the way her lips moved.
She peered closer at me, her brow furrowing in confusion. She shifted her weight to get a better angle on the safe, and in the process, her hand brushed firmly against the front of my jeans.
She paused. The air in the room seemed to vanish instantly.
Slowly, very slowly, she looked down. My jeans were straining, the evidence of my thoughts impossible to hide at this distance.
Ah, fuck.