Page 51 of Until the End

Washington, DC

8:20 p.m. EDT

“I need to know where we’re headed and what we’re potentially walking into. Directions aren’t sufficient,” Castle said, trying to forget about the feel of Kit’s lips pressed to his.

If he’d kissed her back, spoon-feeding distraction, it would’ve turned a complicated situation into a disaster.

His objectivity was already slipping, but he wasn’t so blind that he couldn’t see she was still hiding something. He just hoped it was only the address of her hidey-hole.

“We’re going to the loft,” she said.

“Your apartment?”

She nodded. “Turn left. It’s the complex right there.”

Three separate four-story buildings formed a U shape and there was attached covered parking.

He stopped across the street from the complex. “I wish you would’ve mentioned this sooner. The men who are after you might have your place staked out.”

“After the stunt they pulled in the park,” Kit said, “I’d have to be crazy to come back to my apartment. Alone, I mean. Surely, they’re not still hovering around like vultures on the off chance I’d show up.” She glanced out the window, scanning the street like she expected to catch a glimpse of one of them hidden in the shadows.

As if it would be that easy.

There was no way to know how many of those professionals Castle had to factor into the equation. But if they had the manpower, it would’ve been smart for them to assign one person on stakeout. In a parked car with a view of her building’s entrance and the windows of her apartment, where they could detect any movement inside, watch for a turned-on light, while minimizing the chance of being spotted.

Maybe they’d get lucky, and those men were spinning their wheels trying to track down Kit somewhere far away.

“Anything is possible,” he said. “Are there assigned parking spots in the garage?”

“Yes. You buy the spot along with the apartment. It was hard as the dickens to get extra.”

“We’ll stay out of the garage. I need to know about your apartment. Potential vulnerabilities. Which one is yours?”

“The penthouse in the first building on the left. The elevator opens directly into the apartment. You have to have a keycard to access it. They wouldn’t be able to get in.”

“Unless they swiped one from your friends.”

The color drained from her face. “I hadn’t considered that.” She clutched her satchel in her lap.

“Is there a fire escape leading to the ground floor?”

“No, but I also own the private rooftop terrace. There are outside stairs leading to it from the apartment.”

“Is there a way to lock the elevator and restrict access even if someone has a keycard?”

Kit appeared flustered by the rapid-fire questions. “Yes, but I have to do it from inside the apartment.”

It was best for him to do a sweep of the perimeter, ensuring there were no signs of any unfriendlies on-site. “As we drive around the complex, keep your eyes peeled and stay low in your seat.” The tinted windows of the SUV would thankfully make it hard to spot her.

Castle circled the block twice, taking his time, scanning everything, looking for the smallest trigger to alert him to danger.

The penthouse took up the entire upper floor and looked about the length of a basketball court. It was dark inside from their vantage point on the street.

The sweep was clean. He parked in a permit-only Monday through Friday spot. “No suspicious-looking vehicles or people around the building. The blinds were lowered in a couple of rooms in your apartment. Is that normal? And are any of the shades blackout?”

“No blackout shades, but we kept them lowered in the bedrooms.”

“As we drove around, did you notice anything that seemed odd for the area, maybe out of place?”