Under His Cover

CHAPTER 3: THE FIRST PERFORMANCE



The night air outside the plane was thick with salt, humidity, and the cold spray of ocean rain.
Evangeline stepped onto the metal stairs, her hand locked tightly in Alexander’s. The wind whipped her long blonde hair across her face, but she didn't move to fix it. Every nerve in her body was on high alert, hyper-aware of the tall, broad figure standing at the bottom of the steps.
Viktor.
He looked like a human wall in a dark trench coat. His arms were folded, a thick scar cutting straight through his left eyebrow, and his dark eyes were tracking their every step down the staircase.
Alexander didn't slow down. If anything, he pulled Evangeline slightly closer to his side, his arm slipping around her waist as their boots hit the wet tarmac. His grip was firm, almost possessive, the warm weight of his hand resting right above her hip.
"Mr. and Mrs. Vance," Viktor said. His voice sounded like gravel grinding in a blender. He didn't offer a hand to shake. "I am Viktor. Head of security for Mr. Silas."
"Charmed," Alexander said smoothly, not losing his smile for a second. "Though I have to say, we usually get a glass of champagne at the terminal, not a military escort."
Viktor’s eyes didn't flicker. He looked past Alexander, his sharp gaze landing directly on Evangeline. He took a slow step forward, eyeing her tailored dark dress, her blonde hair damp from the spray, and her strike of golden-hazel eyes meeting his without a hint of fear.
"Mr. Silas likes to be careful with late arrivals," Viktor said coldly. "Especially when they are not on the original guest list provided last month."
The air between them went tight.
Evangeline felt the subtle shift in Alexander’s frame—the slight tightening of his jaw, the subtle drop in his center of gravity. He was ready to pull his hidden firearm and drop Viktor in two seconds flat.
She didn't let him.
Instead, Evangeline let out a soft, exasperated sigh and rested her head casually against Alexander’s shoulder. She looked up at her 'husband' with a look of pure, affectionate annoyance.
"I told you we should have left Paris yesterday, Alec," she murmured, her voice smooth and entirely relaxed. She turned her golden eyes back to Viktor, offering a polite, slightly sheepish smile. "My husband insisted on finishing a business meeting before our anniversary trip. If we look suspicious, Viktor, it is entirely his fault for being a workaholic."
She reached up, her small hand flattening against Alexander’s chest, her fingers playing lightly with the collar of his white shirt.
Alexander blinked down at her, his striking grey-blue eyes catching the floodlights on the tarmac like lightning. He was caught off guard for a microsecond by how effortlessly she slipped into the act, but he recovered instantly. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her flush against him, and he leaned down to press a quick, warm kiss against her temple.
"Guilty as charged, sweetheart," Alexander murmured into her blonde hair. He looked back at Viktor, those electric grey-blue eyes turning cool and dangerous. "Now, unless you plan on keeping my wife out in the rain all night, I suggest you take us to our room."
Viktor stared at them for three agonizing seconds. He looked at the way Evangeline’s hand rested comfortably over Alexander’s heart, and the effortless physical space they occupied together.
Finally, Viktor stepped aside, gesturing toward the sleek black SUV parked a few feet away.
"The car is waiting," Viktor grunted. "Mr. Silas expects to see you at breakfast tomorrow."
"We wouldn't miss it," Alexander replied.
They walked toward the SUV, the heavy rain slicking the pavement beneath them. The driver opened the back door, and Alexander let Evangeline slide in first before climbing in right behind her, shutting the heavy door against the storm outside.
The moment the dark tinted windows rolled up and the SUV pulled out onto the winding coastal road, the soft atmosphere vanished into thin air.
Evangeline instantly moved to her side of the leather seat, pulling her hand away from his like she had been burned. She turned to look out the window at the glowing lights of Monaco twisting along the cliffs below.
"You're welcome," she said quietly, her voice back to its sharp, cold edge.
Alexander settled back into the seat, his jet-black hair slightly messy from the wind as he watched her profile in the dim light of the passing streetlamps. A slow smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth.
"'Alec'?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"
Evangeline didn't look at him. "It sounded more convincing than 'Alexander.' And it made you look like an i***t who works too much, which was easy for him to believe."
"You were very comfortable resting on my shoulder, Eva," he teased, his voice dropping into that quiet, smooth tone. "For a second there, I thought you actually liked me."
"I was saving your life, Vance," she replied, turning her head to glare at him with her sharp golden-hazel gaze. "If I hadn't opened my mouth, you were going to draw your weapon. In front of three armed SUVs and airport security."
"I had a clean line of sight," Alexander said casually, folding his arms. "I could have taken Viktor before he reached his pocket."
"And then what? Fight off the entire private army waiting at the gate?" She shook her head, turning back to the window. "We are here for the data drive. We play the loving couple, we get into the villa, we take the server codes, and we leave. No shootouts unless I say so."
"You say that like you're in charge."
"I am in charge of keeping us alive."
Alexander didn't answer right away. He just looked at her—taking in the frame of her blonde hair, the sharp line of her jaw, and the quiet, lethal focus in her golden eyes that made her the best agent in the business.
"Fair enough, wife," he murmured softly.
The SUV wound its way higher up the dark mountain roads, the roaring ocean fading into the distance below. Ten minutes later, the heavy iron gates of Silas’s estate swung open, revealing a massive, lit-up stone villa perched right on the edge of a sheer cliff.
Armored guards stood at every corner of the property, patrolling with high-powered rifles and guard dogs.
The car pulled up to the front entrance, stopping near the grand fountain. The driver opened the door, and Alexander stepped out first. He turned around, extending his hand to Evangeline.
She looked at his palm for a fraction of a second, took a breath, and placed her hand in his.
"Phase one complete," Alexander whispered as she stepped out beside him. His fingers closed tightly over hers, his electric blue eyes scanning the guards stationed on the balcony above. "Welcome home, Mrs. Vance."
Evangeline looked up at the towering villa, her heart settling into a steady, dangerous beat.
"Let's go to work," she whispered back.