It was mine to carry, at least for now.
“Keep digging,” I said, standing. “Let me know if anything pops.”
He waved me off, already lost in his code.
“Yeah, yeah. Go scare someone else.”
I left the ops room, my steps heavy on the hardwood, my mind split between Portia and that damn phone.
No sign of Department 77, according to Elias. No sign of our mother. But she was out there. I felt it in my gut, the same way I’d felt Portia’s fire in that shop, her body clenching around me, her nails in my skin. Both were dangerous, both were pulling me off course, and I needed to get my head straight.
I decided to jangle Monte’s chain. Guy was poking around where he didn’t belong, and I wasn’t about to let him play hero on my turf.
I checked the feeds again, spotting him on the backside of the property, near the dock where I’d first seen Portia’s cut palm. He was scanning the shoreline, his posture all business, but something about him screamed trouble. I didn’t like it. Didn’t like him. Jealousy or instinct, didn’t matter. He was in my way.
I headed out, the morning air thick with magnolia and salt. Monte was exactly where I’d seen him, his suit jacket off, sleeves rolled, eyes on the harbor like he expected an invasion. He clocked me as I approached, his face neutral but his stance shifting, ready.
Good. Let him sweat.
“Dane,” he said, nodding, his voice cool. “Checking up on me?”
“Just keeping tabs,” I said, matching his tone, casual but sharp. “You’re a long way from Atlanta. What’s got you so interested in our shoreline?”
He didn’t flinch, just tilted his head. “Portia’s safety. Your family’s safety. That’s my job. You got a problem with that?”
I stepped closer, letting him feel my presence. “Depends. You here to protect her, or to play knight in shining armor?”
His eyes narrowed, but his voice stayed even. “I’m here to do what she pays me for. Unlike some, I don’t make it personal.”
The jab landed, but I didn’t show it. “Funny,” I said, my smile cold. “Looks pretty personal from where I’m standing.”
We stood there, two dogs circling, neither backing down. He was good, I’d give him that. Steady, no fear, like he’d faced worse than me. But I was The Ghost, and I didn’t lose staring contests.
Then Portia appeared, stepping onto the lawn like a goddamn vision. That silk dress caught the light, shimmering against her caramel skin, her curves a fucking crime. Her heelssank into the grass, but she moved like she owned it, her eyes locking onto us.
Radiant. That’s what she was.
It took every ounce of willpower not to rip her away from Monte, throw her over my shoulder, and carry her somewhere no one else could see her. Somewhere I could peel that dress off and remind her what we’d started in that shop.
Monte straightened, his voice shifting to protective mode.
“Portia, maybe we should proceed to the parking area. I’m sure you’ll want to see where the transportation will be staging.”
I saw it—the flicker in her eyes, the way her jaw tightened. She didn’t like being told what to do, not by him, not by anyone.
I stepped in, my voice blunt, cutting through his bullshit. “Maybe you should stick to your pay grade, Monte. She’s got this.”
His eyes lit with fire, a spark of rage that made my blood hum.
Got you, I thought, grinning inwardly.
He opened his mouth, ready to swing back, but Portia was faster. “Silas,” she said, her voice calm but firm, “I need a more thorough tour of Dominion Hall’s interior. You available?”
I turned to her, my grin spreading, real this time.
“Delighted,” I said, throwing it at Monte like a grenade.
His jaw clenched, and I felt his anger radiating, hot and sharp.
