New Orleans

35. White Rose

***
"You have eyes on him every second, got it." Nodding once, Nick walked towards one of the SUVs; opening the driver's side door he slipped behind the steering wheel. "Hey-" Grabbing Reece's arm as he stormed past me, I shifted to stand in front of him. Clenching his jaw, he slowly met my eyes. "Be careful..." Sliding my palms over his muscular chest, I cupped the sharp edges of his dangerous face. Lifting to the tips of my toes, I kissed him softly. When he remained unresponsive, I leaned back in order to look up at him. "Reece, what's-"

"I know, Annabelle." Gripping my wrists, he lowered my arms. My chest felt as though it had been compressed by a delivery of breeze-blocks. About Max? No. There's no way. I reassured myself, knowing damn well that I'd covered my tracks thoroughly. Glaring into my eyes, he watched me—unwilling to mask the betrayal he felt.

"Reece, what do you-" Moving around me he stalked towards the SUV with a powerful determination to distance himself from me. I watched the vehicle roar to life before smoothly speeding out of the compound, followed by two other vehicles transporting Reece's backup. "I want to know the second they arrive." I informed one of the men standing nearby. Nodding briskly, he pressed a finger to his earpiece; relaying what I'd said to the men following Reece as I entered the manor.

"Ma'am, your vehicle is ready." Tucking my father's Smith and Wesson into the back of my jeans, I adapted to the sensation of concealing a weapon against the small of my back.

"You're Nick's recruit, right." Nodding once, he stood straighter. Smirking, I tucked a small switchblade into my left boot. "Do you have a name? Or should I continue to refer to you as Nick's recruit?"

"Levi, ma'am." Nodding, I parted my hair before sliding a burner phone into my front pocket. "Did you come here for the sole purpose of informing me that one of the several SUVs parked out front, is ready for my use—or was there something else? Alright then." I motioned for him to lead the way.

"Ma'am if you don't mind me saying; this is extremely dangerous. You should not be going alone." Nodding, I continued across the lawn. "Ma'am you need backup and someone really should have surveyed the area—he could have men scattered. It could be an ambush. There's no escape plan, no retrieval plan. We don't even know where the meet is." Blocking my path to the SUV, he took a healthy step back. "Let me come with you, I can have a group of men follow. Unmarked vehicles. We'd be undetectable." Raising an eyebrow, I clenched my jaw. Folding my arms, I waited for him to finish. "Sorry ma'am, it's just...Nick felt uneasy about you going alone, being wherever there is alone."

I had to admire how ballsy Levi was. When Nick had conveyed similar concerns, a single stern look followed by an order to backup Reece had him obeying. Ward had once said that it was the same with all the younger recruits. The more matured members knew discipline in a way the younger ones did not. This wasn't to say they had no backbones, but they understood when and in whose presence to utilise it. Following orders was something the younger recruits took some time to learn. "I won't be alone." I informed him before signalling one of the men—manning the gate—forward.

Handing me the keys, he returned to his post. Pulling the vibrating burner from my pocket, I read the two words I'd been anxiously waiting to see; AT LOCATION. The message served two purposes, of which the priority was to confirm that Reece hadn't intercepted meeting with Max. I pushed the small device back into my pocket and made my way to the vehicle waiting for me. Keying the ignition, I reversed out onto the street. Arriving at Nannies ahead of time, I leaned back against the pristine, black leather cushion.

Retrieving my phone, I waited for the second message I'd been expecting. As the digits flicked to three o'clock, not a second later, a message appeared across the screen; IN POSITION. Switching the device off, I stashed it back into my pocket. Collecting the white rose— I'd decided would cue my need for backup if Max managed to escape me— from the dashboard, before slamming the SUV door shut. Scoping the area, I couldn't identify any vehicles or patrons that may be on the Lopez's payroll.