Connor's weathered face hardens further. "What about Morrison? Shane was supposed to meet the bastard."
"No sign of the judge at the scene." I cross my arms, studying Connor's expression. "Which raises an interesting question about who Shane was really meeting."
The silence stretches, loaded with implications none of us want to voice.
"That fucking son of a bitch." Connor's words carry the cold fury of a man who's been played. "Morrison set Shane up."
"Morrison's a middleman at best," I reply. "Someone like this doesn't work for a corrupt judge. Morrison can't be doing this alone."
Lorenzo drums his fingers against the desk, a rhythmic sound that matches the ticking clock on his wall. "The question is why target Fee specifically. She's not involved in family business."
"She witnessed something," I say with absolute certainty. "Or our killer thinks she did."
Connor's entire body goes rigid. "My daughter is being stalked by a professional killer."
"Both your daughters," I correct quietly, my gaze shifting to Lorenzo. "Anyone targeting Fee would know about Moira's location. Her vulnerability."
The temperature in the room drops ten degrees.
Lorenzo rises from his chair with the controlled violence of a predator. His dark eyes lock onto mine with laser focus.
"My security here is absolute."
"Against normal threats, yes." I don't back down, matching his intensity. "But we're not dealing with normal."
Lorenzo steps around his desk, closing the distance between us. "Forty fucking armed men. Motion sensors on every damn perimeter. Bulletproof glass on every window, and that's not fucking enough for you, Anton?"
"Do you think that could stop someone with my skill set?" I challenge.
"Are you calling me incompetent?" Lorenzo's hand moves toward his jacket, stopping just short of his weapon. "You think I can't handle one fucking man?"
"I think you're underestimating what we're dealing with." I shift my stance, ready for whatever comes next. "And I think your pride is going to get both women killed."
"Lorenzo," Connor's voice warns. "He's not the enemy here."
Lorenzo's dark eyes never leave mine. "No? He walks into my home, questions my competence, insults my security, and expects me to fucking smile and thank him?"
I lean back against the wall, crossing my arms as I study Lorenzo's face. Time to lay all the cards on the table.
"Those seven-figure contracts I mentioned?" I let the words settle in the charged air. "When they come through the Basovs, most of them come to me directly."
Lorenzo's expression shifts, the pieces clicking into place. His dark eyes narrow as he reassesses exactly who he's been arguing with.
"I'm the killer they send when the target is supposed to be unkillable." I keep my voice conversational, matter-of-fact, noneed to turn this into a shootout. "Heads of state. Rival bosses who think they're untouchable. Men like you, Lorenzo, who believe their security is absolute."
The room goes dead silent. Connor straightens from his position by the window, suddenly understanding the stakes.
"So when I tell you that your security isn't enough, it's not an insult. It's a professional assessment from someone who makes a living proving people wrong about their invincibility."
Lorenzo's laugh starts low and builds into something unhinged, borderline maniacal. His head tilts back as the sound fills the study, echoing off the marble and expensive paintings.
"Entertain me, Baev." His voice carries that dangerous edge I've heard right before men die. "What's your plan?"
"Simple test." I meet his manic energy with cold calculation. "You put your guards on high alert. Tell them there's a credible threat against Moira and Fee. Given today's attack, Moira will expect heightened security anyway."
Lorenzo's laughter cuts off abruptly. "And then?"
"I infiltrate your mansion. I get to Fee." I watch his face carefully. "When I do, two things happen. First, I tell you exactly how I breached your defenses so you can fix them. Second, Fee comes with me."
