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twenty-seven | monte carlo

twenty-seven | monte carlo

despite being home to the world's most famous casinos, Monaco's citizens are forbidden by law to gamble; however, only around 20% of its residents have citizenship status

RAYNA

May 9th, 13:52 (GMT +2)
6 days until it happens

I'VE KNOWN CASSIDY Dalton for less than five minutes and I already want to smack the living shit out of her.

She chews obnoxiously on a piece of gum and whines, "Can you turn the AC down? It's fricking freezing."

Well, maybe if you decided to wear some clothes... I reach for the console and crank the fan up higher.

It's possible that my frustration is perhaps marginally displaced. In the driver's seat, Jake's chiselled jawline twitches, still smug with victory. I'm fuming. I even had a head-start! Motherfucker.

The only reason he found Cassidy first was because of the time Sam and I spent this morning analyzing the contents of last night's photos. Doesn't matter what kind of sinister, apocalyptic mayhem O'Boyle's mystery package has in store; I should've been content letting the entire world burn to pieces – at least then I wouldn't've lost.

To Jake.

My fingernails gouge crescents into the leather seat as irritation rages hot inside me.

"Where the heck are you even taking me?" Cassidy picks at her magenta acrylics, gazing boredly out the window as palm trees and highway whip past.

"Back to Nice," Jake says. "I've orders to keep you at a safe-house until we hear from your father."

She rolls her eyes with the type of sass only a teenager is capable of possessing. "He knows I'm not missing. I told him I was leaving because I was fucking sick of them." She lolls her head back against the seat. "He just pretended I was kidnapped because of the publicity."

I glance over at Jake at the same moment he peers towards me. Our gazes brush wryly. We knew it. Elias Dalton is the world's scummiest asshole.

Jake focuses his attention back on the road and a fizzle of warmth squirms through my tummy, memories from last night ricocheting through my skull. I can still feel the wash of his heavy voice grunting into my ear. Such a naughty girl for me. His fingers and his mouth and his... Against my will, my thighs press together. My nipples are still tender from how passionately he sucked on them.

Sex doesn't get to me. It isn't supposed to make me feel like this. Mushy and disoriented and high, like all I wanna do is just... more.

I knew sex with Jake was a bad idea from the beginning. Ibn el-sharmouta...

Focus, focus, focus.

"You did a pretty decent job staying off the grid," I comment, finding Cassidy's reflection in the rearview mirror. I pluck absently at the teeny gold chain on my wrist. It's always there, it's been there forever, it's like part of my skin and bones.

She shrugs. "I didn't want to get caught. Mati, he..." She cuts herself off, pursing her lips together. "Can I use your cell for a sec? I still don't have a SIM card in mine..."

Instantly, I'm uneasy about the idea. Except it sounds like all she wants to do is call her boyfriend. But my phone carries all sorts of classified and sensitive materials... "Ask him," I jab an elbow in Jake's direction. "He's the boss."