Page 73 of Palace of Betrayal

There was a myriad of things that could go wrong. They had no real knowledge of the inside of the hospital apart from a decades-old blueprint on the internet. They had state-of-the-art comms though, and although he wouldn’t be strapped going in per the instructions, he did know how to handle himself in a fight better than most. But not even he could stop bullets.

Glancing at Bebe, he saw she was calm, her face turned to the window as they were driven south of the city. The stunning villages gave way to taller skyscrapers as they hit the main capital of Proenia, Torez. A glittering jewel with lights and energy much like London or New York, Proenia was bigger than his Soflye and different in so many ways. Leo’s eyes caught on the rising glass tower owned by Buccio Industries, the very company that Luca Buccio ran. A billionaire prince with a head for business and a reputation as a ruthless advocate in the boardroom.

He couldn’t believe that the man he’d met and spent a summer with was involved in this mess. It went against his instincts but then he’d been wrong before.

“Hey, where did you go?”

Leo blinked and found Bebe’s gaze on him, the blue startling him once more. Her hand covered his and he twined their fingers together, wishing he could just grab her and run to a place where they weren’t hunting bad guys. “I was just wishing we could run away to a beach somewhere and hang for a while with no responsibilities, no worries. Just you, me, and the beach.”

Her lips hitched in a sexy smile that stole his breath. “No clothes?”

“Definitely no clothes.”

“Where would I hide my weapons?”

Leo kissed her palm, the movement making her breath hitch, her scent the one she always wore grounding him to the moment. “You won’t need weapons or clothes.”

“Sounds idyllic.”

“It will be.”

Before long the limo was pulling up to a huge, angular building made of concrete and stone, which resembled a mausoleum rather than a psychiatric hospital. Grand columns on either side of the iron gates stood like sentries. As they drove closer to the main building, he could see the moss and ivy growing inside the cracks of the stone structure. Small windows with artfully crafted bars on the outside tried to make it seem less like a jail and failed horribly. Gardens, which would’ve once been filled with flowers and greenery, were now filled with dead grass. Lights over the door gave him a view of four heavily armed men. Their limo pulled in behind another and they waited while a man he recognised as an oil billionaire got out. He was ushered inside and then it was their turn.

“Comms check.”

“Copy.”

“Copy.”

Came the replies before the door was opened and he exited the vehicle buttoning his jacket before offering his hand to Bebe.

A burly guard wearing a semi-automatic weapon on a sling over his shoulder stopped them. “Password?”

“Tanzanite.”

“Please place the product in the bag.”

He held out a black silk bag while another man checked a tablet in his hand, most likely checking the payment was made.

Leo took the gemstone, and with some regret, placed it in the bag before looking the man in the eye.

“Please proceed to the main room following the directions on the floor. Don’t deviate or you’ll be removed forcibly.”

Leo had no doubt that forcibly meant in a body bag. He took Bebe’s hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow, and they did as they were told.

A broken wheelchair was off to the side, torn curtains and smashed cabinets were evidence of what this used to be.

“This place is giving me the heeby-jeebies.”

Leo felt his lips tip up in a smile despite the situation. “Do you think the main attraction will show their face?”

Bebe shook her head. “No, but I suspect we all have eyes on us. That’s why we were made to dress up.”

Leo kept his counsel on that and instead looked around the main room, which, by the high windows and large open area, had been the common room before it was closed fifteen years earlier. A musty, damp smell mixed with the remnants of bleach and cleaning products gave the place a nauseating scent.

A wealth of riches filled the room, from mafia dons, terrorists, charitable benefactors, and government officials. It disgusted him to see people charged with caring for the countries they represented here more than the terrorists. At least they owned what they were and didn’t try and hide behind a façade of respectability.

A podium at the front caught his eye and he motioned to Bebe with a squeeze of her arm and a glance. A man was stepping up as the doors behind them began to close, locking them inside. Leo felt his heart rate skip up a beat knowing that Bebe was with him and facing this danger among these vultures only made it worse.