Or maybe she's just exhausted from everything—the break-in, the sex, the emotional processing of what we're becoming to each other.
Either way, watching her sleep feels more intimate than anything we did on the kitchen counter.
My phone buzzes again. Text from Marcus:Taking over from Derek. All quiet. You two have a good night.
The phrasing suggests he knows exactly what "you two" are doing in this safe house, but professional discretion keeps him from commenting beyond the subtle acknowledgment.
I don't respond. Just set down the phone, pull Lana closer, and let myself sleep without the hypervigilance that's characterized most of my adult life.
For tonight, someone else keeps watch. And I get to just be with her without operational necessity justifying the choice.
CHAPTER 22: LANA
I wake to find the bed empty beside me, Jax's side already cold enough to suggest he's been up for a while. I can hear his voice from outside the room—on a phone call, professional tone, probably coordinating something security-related. The safe house bedroom is small but functional, morning light filtering through curtains we forgot to fully close last night.
I get out of bed, pull on Jax’s shirt, and make my way toward his voice. He's at the kitchen table, laptop open, phone pressed to his ear while he discusses something with someone who must be Brandon about security protocols and apartment listings. The sight is oddly domestic—my surveillance expert turned lover handling the necessary details over coffee while I'm still half-asleep and wearing his shirt.
He notices me, holds up a finger in the universal gesture for "one minute," and finishes his call with professional efficiency. "Brandon's sending over three apartment options in The Crest. All vetted for security, all available for immediate occupancy."
"Good morning to you too." I'm already moving toward the coffee he's already made, reaching for a mug. "What time is it?"
"Nine-thirty. You have brunch with Solange at eleven, which gives you ninety minutes to get ready and mentally prepare for interrogation. Derek will drive you. I'll stay here like we agreed."
"You remembered." I take the coffee, grateful for the caffeine and the fact that he's actually keeping his promise about not inserting himself into my friendship with Solange.
My burner phone buzzes on the counter—Mira's name on the screen. I answer, switching to speaker so Jax can hear. "Mira, good morning."
"Lana. I need to talk to you about a development with Ezra. Do you have a few minutes?"
"I'm here. What happened?" I'm already feeling my stomach tighten with unease.
"Ezra's legal team reached out yesterday afternoon. Remember how he dropped the estate case last month after we threatened discovery? We thought it was over." Mira's voice carries frustration. "Now they're back with a different angle. Ezra claims he and Gabriel had joint investments in several of Gabriel's venture capital deals—that he put his own money into various portfolios alongside Gabriel's capital. Says now that Gabriel is dead and you control everything, his money is tied up and he can't access it."
"Joint investments?" I exchange glances with Jax who's already looking skeptical. "Gabriel never mentioned anything about Ezra investing with him."
"That's because it's likely fabricated. But it's a harder claim to dismiss than the estate challenge was—joint business investments are common among family members, and proving he didn't invest requires examining records." She pauses. "His attorneys are requesting a meeting. Wednesday afternoon. They want to negotiate a 'buyout' of his supposed stake in these ventures."
"What do you think?" I'm trying to read whether Mira considers this legitimate or just another harassment tactic.
"I think it's a fishing expedition. He wants access to Gabriel's business files to see what you have and what you know. But we can't just ignore it—if he files a formal claim alleging jointinvestments, we'd have to respond through discovery anyway." Her tone shifts to strategic. "I told his attorneys that if they want this meeting, Ezra needs to bring documentation proving he invested anything—bank statements, wire transfers, investment agreements, anything that shows his money went into Gabriel's deals. They agreed."
"So Wednesday he shows up with fake documents or no documents at all, and we expose the claim as frivolous." Jax has moved closer, listening intently.
"Exactly. And when he can't prove his claim, we use the same discovery threats that worked last time—expose his Glasshouse campaign funding. But this time we make it clear: come back with another frivolous claim and we don't just threaten discovery, we actually file and make everything public." Mira's typing something in the background. "He dropped the estate case when we threatened his political career. Now he's back testing whether we were bluffing. Wednesday we prove we weren't."
"So this meeting is about calling his bluff. Again." I can hear the exhaustion in my own voice.
"Unfortunately, yes. He's either being pressured to keep trying, or he genuinely thinks we won't follow through on exposure." Her tone hardens. "Wednesday we make it clear this is his last chance. Drop everything, sign NDAs, disappear—or we destroy his political aspirations before they begin. But Lana, this means preparing for a meeting that could go badly. Are you comfortable with that?"
"Do I have a choice?" The question comes out more resigned than I intend.
"You always have a choice. We can refuse the meeting, wait for him to file formal claims, drag this out for monthsthrough courts. But my professional opinion? Take the meeting on our terms. My office, my team present, your security in the room. Force this to conclusion on Wednesday instead of letting it drag on."
I look at Jax who nods once—he's already thinking through security protocols for Wednesday. "Okay. Schedule the meeting. But I want Jax there, not just outside."
"Already planned on it. I'll coordinate with Ezra's team, send you the proposed meeting parameters by tonight. You focus on processing this new development." She pauses. "And Lana? Be careful. This joint investment claim might be a pretext for something else entirely."
After we hang up, Jax is already texting Brandon about Wednesday security. "Ezra dropped one case and immediately came back with another. Someone's pressuring him to maintain contact, to keep assessing what you know."
