The Vindication Gents

Chapter 3.6

Kiara Hoffman’s POV

I went to put my ears on the door before Charles came to his senses. He was looking around and was about to say something before I put my finger to my lips.

‘Be quiet,’ I said with my eyes as he nodded at me. He went to pull out some technology from the luggage that we were carrying.

Luckily, we don’t have to ask for another, as they don’t take our stuff from the luggage.

“So, what should we do now?” Charles asked me before I went to put the wires onto the laptop and fire it up. I had to make sure that the frequency of the camera setting was the same as the one that I set up on the laptop.

“Just give me a minute,” I said as I was typing something onto the laptop, as I knew it would not be good if we were caught spying on the hotel owner.

“Damn it,” I said, as I was seeing nothing but a blur on the screen.

“What is it?” Charles asked me about work, as he did not have any clue about the technology function or he simply just wanted me to do all the work. I sighed.

“I have to get inside the room. His room,” I said as Charles arched his eyebrows at me. I sighed for a second time.

“Chris Virtanen’s room,” I said before he nodded at me. I was getting ready for my gear as I went to take out my suit for the intrusion. It was in broad daylight but I think I got that covered.

“What are you doing?” Charles asked as I was trying to get the blouse that I wore off my body.

“Huh? Oh, I want to change. So, if you don’t mind, can you turn around please so that I can change?” I said as I was about to tug the blouse off before he caught my hands. I turned to look at him as he was about to burst.

“You can just teleport into his room,” he said before I rolled my eyes at him. But of course, it was not that simple.

“No, you don’t understand,” I started before he tugged my hands to my side, preventing me from taking off my blouse.

“What is it that I don’t understand? If so, you might as well tell me,” he said as he was crossing his hands in front of his chest. Right now, he looked very yummy indeed, with that toned biceps and broad shoulders. I gulped at the sight.

“Damn it, Charles. Have you learned anything from that agency that you went away from 5 years ago?” I asked him before he was glaring at me.

Uh oh.

Not good timing to get that mentioned now. I cleared my throat before I went to put my hands on my hips.

“Look, I have to get inside there manually so that I will disable any security devices that might be lurking in the shadow. If I was to teleport there, there might be some recording and they might ask me why the devil I got in and out like a ghost, coming out of nowhere?” I said as I was arching my eyebrow at him. He was quiet for a minute. He sighed as he saw the possibility of me getting caught.

We don’t want that now, won’t we?

“Okay, fine. I see your point but must you change into that?” He said as he pointed at my suit. I have to say, I have a sense of fashion. The suit was a leather bodysuit as I was looking at it briefly.

“Yeah, so?” I asked him before he was pinching his nose bridge.

“It's skintight.”

“For easy maneuvering,” I said.

“You don’t have to wear that,” he chided.

“Of course, I have. Otherwise, I cannot camouflage my surroundings into the surroundings,” I said as I was trying to test his patience with me. If I can get that tiny spark of something from him, I might as well give in to not wearing that skin-tight bodysuit. He sighed.

Okay, a good sign.

“It’s daylight,” he retorted. I scoffed at him.

“It’s dusk and just early evening. I can get in and out in under 2 minutes,” I said as I was trying to calm my nerves right then. He was wasting our time going in and getting that footage.

Or you simply enjoy the banter with him right now, my dark mind said, but I shoved it away for now. I didn’t need distractions as I was trying to focus on the matter at hand.

“Can’t I go?” He asked as I blinked at him a few seconds.

“What? I’m sorry, was my hearing getting worse or did you just volunteer?” I asked him as he was clenching his jaw and his fingers curled into a fist.

“Kiara, if you think that I will let you—“

“If you think you can get inside the room and out in under 2 minutes, you are mistaken. I am fit for the window and so, I will be doing this. Not you,” I said as I was pointing my finger at him. I could see his mind was moving as he was trying to find another excuse. But he just sighed before he nodded at me.

“Fine, you do it. But do it quickly. I don’t think Chris Virtanen will be out for a long time,” he said as he was crossing his hands at me. I smiled at him before I patted his cheek.

“Now that is why I liked you,” I said as I went to turn and changed into the suit.

“Among other things,” he mumbled.

“Keyword: liked. Past tense. For now, you’re tolerable,” I said, as I could sense his glare on my head before he went into the bathroom. I think he needed to calm his nerves for a bit.

After I got into the suit, Charles did not emerge from the bathroom. I shrugged before I went to get onto the balcony and went to Chris’s suite, which was conveniently beside us. I went to look at the edge of the balcony.

I gulped as I could see the lights and the cars that were busy. There would be an instant kill if my feet were to slip from the ledge. The idea shook me as I drew a sharp breath and exhaled. I can do this. I have to do this.

“You don’t have to jump onto the balcony, Kiara. I know you won’t,” Charles said as he was emerging from the bathroom as he went to support me on the balcony, afraid that I was about to fall.

Maybe I was.

I shuddered before I turned to look at him. He was looking directly at me as if he knew my weakness. My only weakness; height. I need to curse my life for this.

“Kiara,” he started as I was looking at him. I knew my face must be horrible right now because I was about to face my fear. I took a deep breath before I closed my eyes and steadied my feet.

“You’re forgetting something, doc. Was I afraid that I wouldn’t or I couldn’t do the jump? The real question remains, will I make the jump?” I said before I stepped onto the balcony and went across.

Charles was shocked to see me as he was shouting, “No!”

Charles Debrun’s POV

Okay, I’m calling it. Kiara Hoffman was a crazy person. I mean, who dares to face one’s fear at the top floor of a 50th-story hotel?

Kiara Hoffman was.

I was about to get help when I saw that she managed to get to the other side without any difficulties. I think my heart skipped a beat as I was wondering what I should tell King Peter if his hired assassin and spy was found dead in front of the world-famous hotel in Finland.

As I saw Kiara was getting on the ledge of the other side of the room, I was relieved beyond reason. I was staggering as I wanted to give some donation to charity.

Maybe I should for future reference if Kiara did something stupid again.

She went onto the balcony before she picked up on the balcony. Her body that was being hugged by the skin-tight suit was stirring my groin. I think it was a bad idea to make sure that our past did not mingle with our professional work right now. I swallowed hard before Kiara was inside the room and I went to the laptop.

“Charles, do you hear me?” Kiara said as I went to put the headphones on.

“Loud and clear,” I replied before I was typing something on the laptop. Not that I can’t do hacking or other stuff like that, but merely because I wanted to watch Kiara concentrate when she was doing her work. Her focused face was so cute.

What? Focus, Charles. Focus!

“Okay, I will put the transmitter now and I wanted you to start the code that I have written in the text editor on the screen. Do you know how to do it, Charles?” She asked as I was rolling my eyes. It was Hacking 101. Everyone knew how to do that.

“Yes, unfortunately. I know everything that you learned, Kiara. We were in the same agency, remember?” I said as she was clearing her throat.

“Then, why do you never show your intellectual skills other than tending to wounds and reading scientific journals?” She asked as I was smirking at her question. So, my little kitten was curious about me after all.

Well, she never got the chance to get to know me better 5 years ago.

I sighed as I was typing into the code and the images started to show up on the laptop. I was looking at Kiara’s fine figure as she was looking around the room. She might be getting something but I heard some footsteps that were heading her way.

“Kiara, you have to get out of there.”

“What?” She asked.

“Virtanen’s back. Now!” I said as I went to get off my headphones and I went to the balcony. Kiara was getting out of there clumsily as she locked the door as if no one was coming inside the room. I was there to catch her if she was afraid to get over the jump again.

“Charles,” Kiara said as she was looking at the door. My heart was beating fast before she was staring at me, before I blinked. Then, she was gone. I was looking for her as I was staring around and then, it hit me.

Kiara appeared in front of me as I was leaning against the railing before she was on top of me, getting the last breath out of my body. If this continued for the rest of the mission, I might die of short breaths.

“Damn it,” Kiara said before she went to pull at my nape and kissed me. I was taken back before I was pulling her around the waist to me. I was starting to enjoy the kissing before someone cleared his throat and spoke, “Well, isn’t it an exciting sight in the early evening?”

I broke the kiss as I turned toward the direction of the voice. My hazel eyes met cold, green ones.

Chris Virtanen was watching us.