Tristan holds up his phone. “News just posted that noted art collector Rudy Lewis has been arrested for the gallery theft.” His dimple appears as his mouth curves into a smile. “And, oh, this is my favorite part... it seems he’s also being investigated for tax fraud. Bummer.”
Tax fraud? That wasn’t part of our investigation. That wasn’t related to the gallery at all.
My gaze shifts to all three Sterlings in the room with me. None of them looks surprised. Then it dawns. They didn’t just have him arrested for vandalizing the gallery. They dug into his entire life. They found every skeleton, every mistake, every vulnerability. And they’re using all of it to destroy him.
Professionally. Personally. Completely.
I must have made some sort of sound, because Rett’s gaze snaps to me, his eyes sharp with concern. “Zoe? You okay?”
“Yeah,” I manage, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears. “Just... processing.”
Dane appears in the hallway doorway, arms crossed, expression unreadable as always. But his eyes find mine immediately, and I see something there. A question. A concern.
I try to sort through my feelings. I should be horrified at the ruthless efficiency with which they’ve dismantled a man’s entire life. I should be terrified that these four men have this kind of power and are willing to wield it so completely.
Instead, there’s a strange, fierce heat blooming in my chest. Because they did this for me. They tracked him down, exposed him, and annihilated him—all because he threatened me.
It’s terrifying. And intoxicating.
Diego stands suddenly, clapping his hands together. “We should celebrate!” His warm brown eyes light up with genuine happiness. “He’s caught! You’re safe! I’ll order something special for dinner. Champagne?”
His enthusiasm hangs in the air, bright and earnest and completely at odds with the strange, electric tension that’s suddenly filling the room.
“I... yeah, that sounds nice,” I say, the words feeling wooden in my mouth.
Rett’s brow furrows slightly. He’s watching me with that intense focus that makes me feel like I’m under a microscope. “You don’t seem thrilled.”
“No, I am,” I insist, setting my book aside. “I just... It’s a lot to process. Rudy was...” I swallow hard. “He was my friend. Or I thought he was.”
Diego’s face softens immediately. “Oh, cariño. I’m sorry. I didn’t think...” He moves toward me, sitting on the edge of the coffee table so he’s right in front of me, our knees touching. “Of course, this is complicated for you.”
The concern in his eyes, the gentleness in his voice… It makes something in my chest ache. He reaches out, his hand hovering over mine for a moment before he settles it on my knee instead. The warmth of his palm seeps through my leggings, and I find myself leaning slightly into his touch.
“Still,” Tristan says, dropping into an armchair across from us, “the bastard had it coming. I mean, who breaks into a gallery and specifically targets one person’s office? That’s some next-level psycho behavior.”
“Tristan,” Rett warns, his voice a low rumble.
“What? I’m just saying,” Tristan continues. “The guy clearly had a thing for Zoe. Who can blame him, but still. There are less creepy ways to express interest.”
The room falls into an awkward silence. I’m acutely aware of Diego’s hand still on my knee, the heat of it becoming an almost unbearable point of contact. Across from me, Tristan’s dark eyes hold mine, that dimple appearing as he gives me a small, private smile that sends a tendril of heat curling through my belly.
“I think what Tristan is trying to say,” Dane offers from his position against the wall, “is that you’re safe now. The threat is gone.”
Something in his tone makes me look at him more closely. There’s a tension in his shoulders, a tightness around his eyesthat wasn’t there before. The words seem to echo in the suddenly too-quiet room.
You’re safe now. The threat is gone.
And just like that, it hits me.
Our deal is over.
The security arrangement that brought me into this penthouse? It’s officially null and void. The only concrete reason for me to be here has been eliminated.
I look around at the four of them, really look, and what I see makes me struggle to breathe.
Rett’s jaw is clenched so tight I can see a muscle jumping. Diego’s fingers have tightened on my knee, just slightly. Tristan’s smile has faded, replaced by a rare, serious expression. And Dane... Dane is watching me with those pale, knowing eyes, and what I see in them is not triumph. It’s a quiet, profound dread.
My own stomach plummets.
