I close the door, lean against it. Heart slamming against my ribs. I just told Helena Hammond that I love her son. Out loud. To her face.
And I meant it.
I love him.
I love him.
The realization isn't a thunderbolt. It's more like stepping into warm water, the way it rises around you, inevitable and complete. I love him. Despite the lies. Despite the name. Despite everything. I love the man who fights for the people he cares about and carries the weight of his family's sins like they're his own to bear.
I pull out my phone, find the card I've kept in my wallet for months. George's number.
He answers on the second ring. “Miss Sinclair.”
“George, hi. I need a ride, if you could?”
“Of course. Where would you like to go?”
“To Kai—to Mr. Rhodes. Wherever he is.”
Warmth creeps into his professional tone. “He's at ELK, Miss. I can be at your office in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you, George.”
“My pleasure, Miss Sinclair. My genuine pleasure.”
I grab my coat and walk out of the building without looking back.
CHAPTER 41
THE FIXER
KAIDEN
The warehouse smellslike rust and motor oil.
Industrial shelving units. A few cars in various states of disassembly. The kind of place that does legitimate business during the day and something else entirely after dark.
“Three on the left,” Maddox murmurs beside me. “Two more in the back office.”
“And our friend?”
“Office. Probably thinks five bodies are enough to protect him.”
Ethan checks his phone. “Security system is looped. They're seeing empty rooms.”
“How long do we have?”
“Twenty minutes before it resets.”
I roll my shoulders. Ankle throbs with every heartbeat. A persistent reminder that I shouldn't be here. That I should be in bed, leg elevated, following doctor's orders like a good little patient.
But someone put Emma in the crosshairs. Someone used James as a weapon against her. Whoever is pulling the fixer's strings thought they could touch what's mine without consequences.
“Let's go introduce ourselves.”
Logan wanted to come. I told him to keep the wheels turning on Team Blaze. He argued. I reminded him that his dream was on the line. He told me I was a stubborn bastard with a death wish.
He wasn't wrong.
