Curiosity and excitement flickered. What could I do with a fake ID in Vegas? I wondered. I could definitely think of a few things.

“Those should hold up to most background checks,” Riley went on, as Garret slid his own license into a pocket then continued stashing the guns. “But we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. So no ordering from the bar or wandering the casino floor. Those IDs are just to get us past the door. Firebrand…” Riley’s gold eyes fixed on me, appraising. “Are you listening to this? We are here to lie low, understand? Shall I explain the meaning of the term?”

I wrinkled my nose at him. “I know what it means. Smart-ass.”

His lip quirked. “Just keep that in mind, and try not to get distracted by the shiny.”

I rolled my eyes. Garret finished zipping up the bag, swung it to his shoulder and opened the door. A dry breeze ruffled my hair as I stepped out onto the warm, crowded streets of Las Vegas.

Riley took the lead, striding purposefully down the sidewalk, with Wes, Garret and I trailing behind. And the rogue’s warning was instantly forgotten. I couldn’t stop staring at…well, everything really. Crescent Beach had been a small, sleepy town, with few highways and not many large buildings. Vegas was like another world. I’d never seen rows of buildings so high they were like canyon walls, or so many glowing lights that I couldn’t see the sky through the haze, or an endless river of cars, red brake lights stretching on to the horizon. Unfortunately, navigating bustling sidewalks while trying to look at everything didn’t really go well together. I kept bumping into passersby, muttering apologies and getting annoyed looks in return.

“On your six,” a voice muttered, as I slowed to gaze at a building across the street. Confused, I turned…and someone barely swerved around me with a muffled curse. Blinking, I looked up at Garret, who shot me a half amused, half exasperated look before going back to scanning the crowds.

I offered a weak grin and fell into step beside him. “On your six?” I asked. “Is that soldier talk for ‘pay the hell attention to what you’re doing’?”

“We are in enemy territory.” Garret watched a pair of thuggish-looking guys approach, relaxing only slightly when they passed. “Talon and St. George are both searching for us. They might have agents on the streets right now. A little situational awareness is probably…prudent.”