Page 12 of Damián

The only modern ink on him is the Monaco F1 racetrack on his ribs, Spa on one calf, and Suzuka on the other.

And that’s actually how most people can tell them apart, because without the tattoos, they’d be reflections.

“Sorry, bror.” Björn winks at his twin. “No one can be me, but me.”

“Ugh… you’re insufferable.”

“I might be insufferable… but at least I’m going to the party,” Björn says, and we both burst out laughing.

Leif, officially done with our shit, grabs a roll of black electrical tape off the gear table and chucks it at Björn’s head. The door to the armory room slides open. Alexios comes in, and without looking up from his tablet, he catches the tape mid-air, inches from hitting the Swedish twin’s face.

I swear, the man is a glitch in the Matrix.

He is walking around in the body of a Greek god: light brown hair falls to his shoulders in loose waves, framing a face that looks chiseled in marble by freaking Michelangelo, all sharp lines, a straight nose, and piercing blue eyes. … but inside? He is the biggest nerd on the planet.

The man has a better chance of hacking the Pentagon with a toaster and a plastic straw than of successfully flirting with a woman without hyperventilating.

“Reflexes, gentlemen,” Alexios grumbles, tossing the tape back to a stunned Leif. “Now, focus. We have only one shot to make this right.”

He taps a button on a remote, and the large monitors on the wall flare to life with satellite maps and blueprints. “This is the West estate in the Hamptons.”

“That’s where we need to find the informant? It looks like a fortress,” Tae says as he stops buttoning his translucent black silk shirt halfway down his chest and tucks it into fitted leather pants.

“It’s because it is one.” Alexios pulls a laser pointer out of his pocket, which is shaped like a miniature Star Wars lightsaber, and points the red beam at the screen. “It’s impossible to hack anything from the house, but I will try to hack any device in this area that’s from either the guests or the entertainment.”

He points at a jagged line on the map near the water.

“If things go south, these are your exit strategies. The east wing has a servant’s corridor that leads to the cliffside. It’s tight, but it exits directly onto the beach where Leif and Knox will have the boat waiting.”

We all take a few minutes to memorize the layout and nod when we’re done.

“Now, on who to avoid at the party.”

Alexios swipes the screen to the picture of a man with tanned skin, white hair, a small nose, and an empty stare.

“Elijah West. Sixty-two,” he says, pointing the red laser dot right between the man’s hazel eyes.

Ha! Classy.

“He has five ex-wives, three of them deceased, and three kids.”

Knox is in the corner, his dark green eyes concentrated as he shoves a serrated knife into the sheath strapped to his boot. “Three dead wives? Let me guess, they were all heart attacks?”

“Accidents,” Alexios corrects, making air quotes with his free hand. “Try your best to avoid him, but if any of you come in contact with Elijah at the party, don’t stress. He is extremely risk-averse and spends millions to appear legitimate, so he will never create a scene or get his hands dirty in public.”

He taps a key, and a photo of a stunning woman with long, wavy blonde hair and dark brown eyes appears.

“This is the newest wife, Serena. Late-thirties, obnoxious socialite, and mother of the youngest child, six-year-old Clara, who is away at a boarding school in Switzerland most of the year. Serena is completely harmless, but is known for being over the top and always making a scene, and that can always bring unwanted attention.”

“She’s hot, though,” Björn whispers to me, leaning in close.

“Nah… too much maintenance,” I whisper back. “Look at that hair. That’s a three-hour blowout, minimum.”

“How do you even know that?”

“It’s called having a sister.”

“Now, the danger of going to this party comes from the sons. If any of you come in contact with one of the sons, consider the mission failed. You see them, you abort immediately, and whatever you do, do not let them drag you into the house. If you go inside, you’ll most likely be killed.”