Lock sat at the bar and called over one of the bartenders, asking if anyone had seen me. He flashed a picture, and the waitress gave him a warm smile, shaking her head. I also saw the way she eyed him up and down.

  Oh, fabulous. She was hitting on him. Awesome. The low simmering rage hit me tight in the gut, and I wasn't even sure what to do with that emotion.

  Focus, Saff. He's not yours. He doesn't remember you. And this is a fucking mission.

  The ever so helpful Katy, the waitress, called me over. "Ron, do you have any idea where this woman is? Have you seen her?"

  I glanced at the photo and then deliberately lifted my gaze to meet Lock's. "Nah, mate, sorry." I was using a voice modulator, giving me a nice deep baritone.

  Lock frowned at me. "Are you sure? She's supposed to be here."

  I almost smirked to myself. He was going to lose. It's not that I wanted him to lose exactly. Hell, I hadn't had any time to even do any real training with him. I just liked the idea that he couldn't find me. That was the game. At the same time, I needed him to find me, to be as good as Gabe thought he was.

  When Katy left and I was making another patron's drink, Lock seemed to kick back and take a sip of his. Then he called me over. “You ever have a woman you couldn't figure out, Ron? But she was like well fit, you know? And you would swear that there was something between you, but just when you thought the two of you were going to hit it off, she ghosted you."

  I coughed. “It happens to the best of us."

  “Yeah, but this woman… I don't even know her, you know what I mean? But every time I'm near her and get a whiff of her scent, I can feel it. It's amazing. It sets her apart from everyone. It's a distraction, because sometimes I just need to fucking focus on something else, and there she is with her fucking scent, you know?"

  I nodded absently, meanwhile taking a step back. Fuck. That was how he’d found me in the woods.

  It was at that moment that Lock smiled at me. “I give it ten-to-one odds Tottenham beats the Man U."

  I scowled at the code phrase. How the hell had he known? "Meet me out back."

  Lock grinned at me and winked. Then I turned to Katy. “I'm taking a break."

  She sighed because she knew break meant I wasn't coming back.

  I went around the back, and sure enough, when I shoved open the door, Lock was standing there. "That was a damn good disguise, but I can tell you your first mistake if you're open to the critique."

  I lifted my brows. "Oh, you think I'm looking for a critique here?"

  "Well, I figure we're all looking to get better at what we do, right? It's your eyes. They're distinctive. Oh, and that perfume of yours. I'd know it anywhere."

  I frowned at that. "Anything else?"

  He shook his head. "Otherwise, it's a damn good disguise."

  I turned the voice modulator off.

  "Right. You are good,” he said. “I can tell you're used to being the best."

  "We don't have to talk about this right now. We just need to get moving."

  He chuckled as he walked. “I have the coordinates map. This is where we're going."

  I knew what was meant to happen. He did not. But I could tell on the route he picked to his final goal that he might actually have found a way to avoid the counteragents. I frowned at that.

  "What's the problem?"

  "Nothing. It's a good plan."

  "We're open in these places. I need you to ditch your costume. It's been tagged, right?"

  I frowned. "No, they wouldn't tag it."

  “You'll forgive me if I don't believe that."

  I laughed. “I see you already understand Gabe."

  He nodded. “Yeah, so we can't go anywhere until you’ve ditched that outfit."

  I rolled my eyes. “You just tell me where I'm supposed to be going. I'll trust your directions and we’ll go that way. In the meantime, you let me worry about the clothes."

  As we moved swiftly among the pedestrians, I lost my neck prosthetics in the garbage. Walter from disguises was going to have a shit fit. And then as we went, I continued to drop layers.

  He watched me in awe. "Jesus."

  When he took me down an alley, I halted and discarded the rest of my uniform. I couldn't help but laugh as his eyes went wide. "Jesus fucking Christ, you look like a different fucking person.”

  I pulled out the dentures, and the nose prosthetic, and when I was finally myself again, he whistled low. "Do we get lessons on that eventually?"

  I grinned. “Yes, eventually.”

  We finally ditched the alley and started making moves toward Mulberry Street. Suddenly, he halted me, frowning as he glanced up at something.

  "What's the problem?” I asked.

  “I don't know. Just hang tight."

  "Hang tight?"

  “Yes. Something's not right."

  I frowned. Having this level of awareness was unusual for a new operative. He paused, studied the surroundings again, and then backtracked me. "Nope, we're not going that way."

  "What?"

  "We're not going that way."

  I wasn't supposed to help with this part. I just couldn't believe that he was sensing the danger. He backed me out the way we’d come through the alley and then paused and studied his map again. "We're going this way. There's a building there."

  “Yes, I know."

  "We're going through it."

  I laughed for a moment, certain that he was joking. Then he gave me a look that said he wasn't.

  “You're kidding, right?"

  He shook his head. "Wasn't Gabe going on and on about thinking outside the box? I'm trying to Keanu it."

  "Keanu Reeves?"

  He nodded. "There is no box."

  "Oh, a Matrix reference. Careful King, your nerd is showing."

  "That's hardly nerd. That's part of the lexicon."

  I had to laugh at that. He pulled down one of the fire escapes and adjusted it for me to climb up first.

  “I have to tell you, I've never seen a trainee do this."

  "Which makes me feel like maybe it just might work."

  “I'm not allowed to tell you what will work and what won’t. You just operate within the directive."

  He nodded and then gestured for me to climb up. I did, and he followed behind, telling me where to pause and what apartment to climb into.

  He couldn't know that we owned the building. But still, he was moving with the confidence of someone who did not care and had a mission to complete.

  We paused outside a window, and he said, “I was watching the front of this building for the last hour. It's weird. Not a single person went in or out of this place, which makes me feel like it's not real."

  I lifted a brow. "Oh, does it?"

  “Yeah. And if it's not real, that means Rogues Division owns the building."

  "Okay, is that what you're going with?"

  “Yes. So when I break this, no alarm is going to go off, and the police aren't coming."

  "That's a lot to stake your mission on, but you're free to try."

  He laughed. “Yes, it is." And then he broke the window.

  The next fifteen minutes were a mad dash. He led me quickly through the apartment, just in case he was wrong. And then we ran through the flat, out the front door, and all the way downstairs. But instead of going out the front of the building, we went through the courtyard to the next building over. With my hand tucked in his, he led the way.

  His decision-making was fast. He'd studied the specs of the surrounding buildings and apparently knew this building was the real deal. It had real people. He still didn't choose to go out the front door, but instead led me around past the laundry room to a side exit.

  He kept checking his watch. Just as we reached the fire door, he paused, holding me still. All I could do was wait for him to make a decision.

  He took a deep breath then shoved it open. Right outside were a line of taxis, and across the way, there was a theater. We hopped in a taxi before some of the waiting theater goers.

  I lifted a brow. "Well then."

  “Don't be impressed yet. Something tells me Gabriel Webb is not going to let me make it to the top."

  He was right. But I was curious as hell to see how he was going to work this one. Lachlan King had deftly avoided capture twice. When he'd double-backed, sensing the charged air, I knew for a fact one of the agents was waiting to nab us if we came out that alley. When we'd gone inside the flat instead of going through the front door, we'd gone off the side, and across the courtyard. That was wise because there was someone waiting at the front door to grab us.

  What was truly astonishing was his timing. He'd been given specs for the mission. He'd studied the area around it and used it to his own advantage.

  I hated to admit it, but Gabe was right. He was good. The real question was, exactly who was Lachlan King? And how was it that the one man I'd let come near me in two years was also a skilled agent? I didn't want to give any credence to what Tabs said, that he was a plant by my brother, because there was no way my brother was going to plant somebody and let him touch me. So I was going to need to find out everything I could about Lachlan King.

  When we made it to the target location, Lock leaned forward and told the driver to keep driving one more block. I pointed back at the building. "What are you doing? That's the way in."

  He rolled his eyes. “You think I haven't learned by now that the direct way isn't the best way to go?"

  I laughed. “You are a quick study."

  "Come on, out you get." I followed him around the back of the building where cargo were loading. "We're taking the freight elevator."

  I chuckled softly.

  "What's so funny?"

  “I can see why Gabe likes you so much."

  He shrugged. “You know, I'm getting the distinct impression, Gabe doesn't like me. Why do I think it has something to do with you?"

  “I don't know. He likes you because you're smart. You think like he would."

  “Is that a compliment?"

  I shrugged. “It could be."

  "Since we're locked in here together for another minute, you want to tell me why you hate me?"

  I frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

  “I get the impression you don't like me."

  “You worry too much about what people think of you."

  “I usually don't, actually. But I get the impression I've pissed you off. What did you mean when you said, ‘You don't remember me?'"

  What the hell was I supposed to say to that? “I don't know what you mean."

  "Oh yes, you do. When we first met, I was unprepared for you. You kicked my arse and then acted like you knew me. Explain."

  “You looked familiar. I thought you'd remember me from somewhere, but you don't."

  "Are you sure I haven't shagged you?"

  The way he asked that and the confusion on his face forced me to plant a look of derision on my own face. “I promise you, if you'd shagged me, you would remember."

  "Something tells me I would absolutely never forget."

  I rolled my eyes. "Let's just focus on the mission."

  "No, tell me. What did I ever do to you? We just met. Or am I in the midst of some meddlesome weird game you and Webb are playing?"

  "No. Gabe isn't playing a game with you. He's teaching you to survive."

  "Are you sure? Because it sure as hell feels like a game with him."

  “What are you going to do about it?" I asked.

  "What? Are you one of those women willing to align themselves with the most powerful men around?"

  “You don't know me."

  "Sure enough, but I've seen women like you my whole life. You think he loves you or something?"

  Of course Gabe loved me, but I held my breath because I realized he didn't know Gabe was my brother. Oh, this could get interesting. “Do you know what? You're better off when you keep your mouth shut."

  "Hit a nerve today, princess? You know I'm still smarting from that tranq gun."

  "Not my problem."

  “If you say so."

  “Don't be a sore loser. I beat you fair and square."

  “You tranquilized me, and you didn't have to."

  "How else I was going to get you across the clearing?"

  “You could have walked me out like I was going to do to you."

  "Sure, except putting you down was so much more satisfying."

  "See? That's what I mean. You fight me like you hate me. Why?"

  My mouth went dry. He hadn't moved. Hadn't gotten any closer. But somehow it still felt like he'd sucked all the air out of the room, and I couldn't quite breathe.

  “Don't worry about it, King. You're about to do something no trainee has done in years."

  "What's that?"

  "Beat Gabriel Webb at his own game."

  The elevator doors opened, and he took my hand. "Am I going to piss him off by holding your hand?"

  "Nope. Because Gabe will know I'm trying to make an escape."

  He frowned. "So you're really not going to tell me what it is with you two?"

  "Other than none of your business, no."

  “Fair enough, princess. I'll find out on my own."

  “Yeah, you do that."

  I couldn't help but be impressed. I didn't see eye to eye with Gabe on most things. My brother was a pain in the arse. Overprotective, overbearing. All of the things. But he wasn't was wrong about Lachlan King. He was good. Too good.

  And just like that, he marched me up to the finish line.

  Gabe looked up from the desk he'd put up in the corner, wide-eyed and confused. “You weren't supposed to help him."

  “I didn't tell him anything. It was all him." I turned to Lachlan. “It wasn't badly done either."

  Gabe stared up at Lock. "She didn't help you?"

  Lock shook his head. "No, as a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure she tried to get me caught several times."

  Gabe frowned at me. "He saw through your disguise?"

  “Yeah. It only took him twenty minutes."

  Lock just grinned at me then. “I think that's why she's really mad at me."

  “Get over yourself."

  Gabe stared at us during our interaction. "Well then, Lachlan King, it seems that I have underestimated you. Or maybe you have undersold yourself. Maybe soon you'll actually see your goddamn potential. No one's seen through her disguise in two years." He glanced at me. "Looks like you're going to have to change it now."

  I scowled over at Lock. “Yeah, thanks for that."

  Lock just smirked. "How no one has been able to see through her, I have no idea. Her eyes gave it away."

  Gabe frowned at me. "Contacts next time."

  "Whatever."

  The two of them getting along was the last thing I needed. Lock seemed to be getting whatever he wanted out of this whole Rogues experience. I needed to know. Was he a plant by my brother? If so, why?

  7

  Saffron

  I was just returning everything to the disguises and weapons department when Tabs came out of the opposite corridor and snatched my arm tightly.

  "Ow. What are you doing?"

  "Come with me." She tucked me into one of the empty med bay rooms and glanced around the corner as if waiting for somebody to interrupt us. "We have to talk."

  "What is happening?"

  "We have to talk. You need to hear this right now."

  "But I'm starving. Wouldn't you know, of course, Lachlan completed the mission. No one completes, but he did. So Lock is gloating, and then Gabe wouldn't even let me eat afterward. I'm hungry. Can we go get something to eat?"

  She shook her head, practically bouncing from foot to foot, her ponytail swishing over the back of her neck and shoulders.

  "What? Spill it."

  She was vibrating so hard she might explode. “It's not his fault he doesn't remember you."

  I frowned. "What?"

  "Lachlan King. He doesn't remember you for a reason."

  "Because, he's a dick? Or he was drunk? I don't know."

  "No. That's not it." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a photocopied sheet of paper.

  “Is that part of a medical report? Please tell me that's not part of a medical report."

  “I'm not saying where I got it or who I coerced it from. I'm just saying that I happen to have his."

  “I don't want to see that."

  “Yes, you do."

  "No, I don't." I was worried about what I was going to find.

  “Fine, I'll read it to you. Subject displays symptoms consistent with an overdose of GHB."

  I frowned at her. "Wait, like we roofied him?"

  "Well, we gave him symptoms. We didn't really use GHB, but apparently the chemical compound that they used when they tranqed him and black-bagged his arse to bring him here mimics the effects. It’s meant to be less stressful. Anyway, he didn't go down easy. He fought them, so they dosed him again."

  "How many times?"

  She screwed up her face with an odd grimace. "Twice."

  I blinked rapidly. "What?"

  “Yes, I know, that's a lot."

  "But that's unnecessary. I've tranqed him since he’s been here. He went down like a sack."

  "Maybe because he wasn't fighting for his life or he trusted you. I don't know. But it says so right here."

  I snatched the sheet from her hands. "What on earth?" I stared at the line from the doctor after they examined him. Symptoms may include memory loss, fogginess, and missing patches of time from that period. Flashbacks may occur later.

  "Oh, fuck me."

  “That’s right. He doesn't know he fucked you."

  "Oh my God."

  "My thoughts exactly. So we can't hate him anymore."

  "Oh, I can still hate him. He's still arrogant and annoying. And a prick."

  "Well, maybe he's arrogant and annoying, but you liked him enough to sleep with him."

  "That's not the point."

  “I think that is kind of the point."

  “Fuck, so he's not being a dick. He just doesn't actually remember."

  Tabs nodded. “I figured you deserved to know."

  I ran my hands through the braid over my shoulder, worrying one of the ends like I always did when I was nervous. “Fuck, he really doesn't remember me."