Page 74 of Indecent Villain

Prez grunts and crosses his arms over his massive chest, the only confirmation Geo will get.

Geo clears his throat. “I don’t know the code, which is an issue. You won’t get inside without it.”

"That won't be a problem once we get there," I say and throw a glance at Geo. "To what degree is the map accurate?"

"It's perfect." He pauses. "I also sent up the drone. I called it back twenty minutes ago."

"What?" I get up. "You're only now telling me about a fucking drone?"

"Cool your jets, Beckett," Prezadvises. "Didn't want to get your hopes up." To Geo, he says, "What did you find?"

"More men than usual are patrolling the grounds, and there is a six-man team guarding the land above the bunker."

"Fuck!" I squeeze Geo's shoulder. "Good man."

Prez asks me, "How many men do you have?"

I defer to Salem, who has been handling the details. "The rest will arrive at the Glass House in one hour. So, that makes twenty-eight, including Beckett and me."

"I have twenty-four here, but I can call in a favor and get another thirty if we need them."

"I'm not sure what the plan is, but with fifty-two men, Rossi will be outnumbered," Geo says. "However, there is every likelihood that Rossi has many men hiding out of sight. I don't have infrared on the drone."

"Padre, go round the men up. Tell them to prepare to ride in an hour," Prez instructs.

"I'm on it," Padre responds and heads out.

"Geo, find my vice prez and tell him to get his ass back here."

"Will do." Geo salutes and leaves.

"I have a plan," Prez assures me.

The tall treescreak and groan as they sway. It makes it difficult to tell if anyone is following us. Like my house and the Lake House, the forest edges onto Rossi land. The underbrush tangles and grabs at my ankles, while the rough, cracked ridges of the tree bark bite into my hands. By the time we're out of here, I'll be covered in scratches from prickly thorns and branches. Fucking worth it to get my girl back, though.

The tree line ends, and as I peer into the clearing, I spot the men Geo had found patrolling the land above the bunker. They're armed and vigilant, making it clear that this won't be a simple fight. I take a deep breath and signal to Salem.

My phone suddenly starts jackknifing in my back pocket. I make a grab for it and realize it's a group message when Salem reaches for his own phone.

Geo: STOP! It's a decoy. Sending a new location.

Log and lag digits come through in the next text.

"Motherfucker," I hiss. I grab Salem's arm as he moves to change positions. "I'm guessing Elf will be at the other location. Be careful."

Salem grins. "Didn't know you cared so much."

"Fuck you, asshole."

He chuckles and gives me a quick nod before we head toward the new location.

"Is this it?" I whisper, wondering where the fuck the entrance to the bunker is.

Salem shrugs as he scans the area for any signs of a hidden entrance. "Let's split up and cover more ground," he suggests, then pauses. "I think I spot something." He pulls out more weapons, and I follow suit. I have a knife in my left hand, a gun in my right, and a backup tucked at my ankle. There’s another in the back of my jeans, along with two more knives hidden on my person.

We move cautiously, staying low to the ground, as we search the area for Rossi's men. Salem suddenly stops and points to a door hidden beneath some brush. "There it is," he whispers, a hint of excitement in his voice.

I tap him on the shoulder and say, "Let's wait and watch for a few."