~LAYLA~
The drive to the Hamptons had been a blur. We switched cars twice, first to a taxi, then to a nondescript sedan Tye had staged in Queens.
By the time we got to the beach house, the sun had already set, and the ocean looked completely dark, crashing against the shore.
"Stay low," Axel whispered as he unlocked the door.
We entered the house like ghosts. Axel swept the perimeter with a thermal scanner while I moved to the panic room to arm the internal security grid.
The house was a glass cube sitting on the sand dunes, a place that usually felt bright and relaxing. But tonight, it felt more like a bunker.
"Clear," Axel said. He began setting up his position behind the kitchen island, which offered the best sightlines to the main entrance.
"The pressure sensors and weapons are armed," I reported, returning from the panic room. "If anyone steps within fifty feet of the house, we'll know."
