Every eye in the room turned to me. The weight of their attention was almost crushing.
The Fangs’ gazes radiated respect and readiness.
The Claws’ held newly formed trust mixed with curiosity.
Reo showed confidence in my abilities.
Hiro slid the phone back to Reo, sat down, and turned to me. A slow, dark smile curved his mouth—the kind that usually preceded violence. He popped the lollipop back in his mouth. "Very interesting."
I quirked my brows.
"I knew you could cook. I knew you could twist my brother's mind into knots in the bedroom—and trust me, that's no small feat. My brother is a freak. I can only imagine what you’ve been doing to him—"
“Careful, brother.” Kenji's hand tightened on my thigh. “Don’t imagine.”
Hiro's smile widened.
"But I did not know you could catch a spy." Hiro leaned back, stretching his arms behind his head like we were discussing the weather instead of espionage and murder. "If someone had told me yesterday that the Tiger hunts. . .well. . .I would've laughed in their face and probably stabbed them for wasting my time."
Hiro’s expression shifted, going serious. "But Reo thinks you can. And I trust Reo's brain over my common sense, even over what my eyes clearly show me."
I swallowed down the lollipop’s cherry sweetness and turned to Kenji.
He looked at me like I was both precious and deadly.
His Tiger.
His Heart.
His equal in this war.
Kenji’s voice projected deadly calm. “Let's talk strategy.”
It wasn't a suggestion or a question.
It was the Dragon giving an order, and the temperature in the room shifted. Spines straightened. Attention sharpened. Even Hiro—who seemed to me to submit to no one—angled toward his brother with the kind of focus that must have come from years of absolute trust and undying love.
This was why Kenji led.
Not because he was the most violent.
Not because he was the loudest.
But, because when he spoke, killers listened.
Reo didn't sit back down. He remained standing with his shoulders squared. "First, we do a lockdown across the island. No one leaves their homes tonight. For the main house, no deliveries in or out unless security has stripped them bare."
The Fangs and Claws answered with small nods.
"Second, sweeps. Fangs take the grounds. Claws clear the house. Every corridor. Every blind spot. Hackers keep scraping our systems for more leaks."
Reo rolled his shoulders like he was loosening up for a fight.
One of the twins reached for a cup of tea.
Daisuke's fingers drummed once against the table, then went still.
Then Reo's gaze cut to me. “And third, the Tiger has her own ways. We’ll listen and work with Nyomi, giving her any guidance, help, and protection she needs.”
