VALERIUS STARED at the officer for a long, tense minute. The silence in the garage was so thick Mailah felt like she was suffocating. Behind the crates, Grayson's grip on her tightened, his body a solid, warm wall of protection. He was ready to move the moment Valerius pushed past the guard.
He turned on his heel and walked out of the loading dock, followed closely by the suspicious officer. The silence that followed was heavy and brittle, shattered only by the distant, mechanical groan of the museum's freight elevator.
Grayson didn't move for three full seconds. His chest rose and fell against Mailah's back, a heavy, rhythmic thrum of adrenaline. His grip on her was like iron, his body radiating a heat that suggested his "battery" was already working overtime just to keep their presence masked.
"Carson," Grayson hissed into his comms. "The tracker is out. We're heading for the cellar entrance. Tell me the tunnel path is clear."
