“The kind that requires security clearances.”Her smile is thin.“The kind that sits in very important meetings.”
Adrien and I exchange glances.She’s talking about someone in government.
“White House?”I ask directly.
“Such a specific guess.”Moira’s eyebrows raise slightly.“What makes you think that?”
“The target is a senator.The leverage is sexual blackmail.It screams political operation.”
“Or it screams someone who understands political pressure points.”Moira’s still not giving us a direct answer.“Someone trained in...psychological operations, perhaps.”
I feel the pieces clicking.“Former CIA.”
“Former many things.”Finally, a hint of confirmation.“Elena always was ambitious.”The name lands like a dropped blade.A faint hum in my ears—recognition or dread, I can’t tell which.“She’s a former CIA psychological operations expert, although I don’t believe you crossed paths with her.Elena Vasquez.”She pointedly looks at me, and I don’t respond, because the name is familiar.
Wait.In a flash, it comes to me.“She’s the White House Deputy Chief of Staff.”
“She was mine before she was theirs,” Moira says.Possession, not nostalgia, coats the words.“When she stepped inside the White House, she decided she preferred independence.Some buyers still think they’re dealing with me.I’m not fond of the confusion—or her carelessness.”
“Are you saying the President of the United States is behind the blackmailing of the senator?”Adrien asks, sounding like he doesn’t believe one word.
“No, not at all.I would be shocked to learn he’s aware.When Elena struck out on her own, she wasn’t searching for yet another boss.I also expect that none of her clients know she’s the source.She’s operating in the dark.”And somewhere in that dark, I can feel the edges of my old life reaching for me.“I’ve heard some say they thought they were still buying from Magpie.And that’s one reason I’m willing to help you Adrien.Eddie contacted me, let me know what’s going on—because he works with both Elena and I, and he was concerned you were onto him, and it could fall back on me.When your father called, I was curious what your take would be.I’m glad you’re looking for a partnership.And I have no reason to protect Elena.She’s untrustworthy.She takes risks.She’s cocky.That’s not in the interest of my clients.”
“How do you want us to proceed?”I ask.She didn’t agree to meet us without an angle.
“To uncover your extortionist, you’ll need to ask Elena.She doesn’t take blind pitches,” Moira says.“She’ll answer me.I’ll tell her there’s a change of guard and she should hear you out.”We’ve just been drafted into someone else’s chess game, and Moira’s the only one who can see the whole board.“She’s arrogant enough to believe I’ve forgiven her.She may not move until she needs you—press too hard and she spooks.”
She tilts her head, considering.“If I suggest you hold proof that brushes her operation, she’ll prioritize you.My work centers on corporate secrets and the occasional messy estate.She’s breaking U.S.laws.I’ll imply a deal with you prevents exposure from a larger investigation.She’ll want to protect herself.At the very least, she’ll want to assess you.”
Adrien responds, “I appreciate your assistance.”
“Now, once you meet with her, what information she gives you, or how you draw it out of her, that’s on you.It’s quite possible she may fear the client more than exposure.It just depends on the client.”
“It’s an interesting business you’ve built,” Adrien says.
“It’s the fountain of youth, better than any lotion or oil.”She smiles.“Love what you do.But I suspect you already share that notion.”Adrien’s smile is small, controlled, but the muscle in his jaw betrays him—the d’Avricourt mask slipping for half a breath.“After all, you walked away from your birthright.I approve more than your father does.”
“I didn’t walk away,” he says evenly.“The Sanctuary serves d’Avricourt.Understanding the client is the point.”
“You sound like him,” she says, checking her watch.“Do we have a deal?”
“Are there more Eddie Thorne’s?”His tone is cool, but I can feel the quiet fury under it—protective, possessive, dangerously human.
Moira’s lips curve on the ends, her only reaction to his question.“He only has access to two locations.”Her smile sharpens, thin as piano wire.Deals like this always draw blood; the question is whose.
“I’ll need names,” he says.“I’ll verify.If you tell me the truth, if I don’t uncover an unnamed entity, then we have a deal.”
ChapterThirty
Adrien
Hours later, we’re on a private plane, returning home.I’d have given anything to keep Brie in Paris for the weekend, but too much still hangs over us.Duty came knocking early.She’s busy with her team, and my mood doesn’t match the success we had today.
It’s not lost on me that what began as a ploy has become a true opportunity.I could continue the business Eddie Thorne started.I could pick up where he left off—decide which secrets are worth selling, which sins deserve daylight.The thought sits in my gut like good whiskey gone bad—warm, but burning all the same.Tempting, like opportunities tend to be, but the costs are too high.
Moira believes I’m pledging allegiance.What I’m actually buying is time.First, we need to follow the trail to Vasquez.I owe that to Brie and to the senator.Second, I need Moira to provide her other sources within The Sanctuary.And of course, I’ll hire KOAN to validate anything she shares.She might have a history with my father, but I don’t have a history with her.
The Gulfstream’s cabin hums with quiet luxury as we level off over the Atlantic.Muted amber light glazes the cabin walls; the air smells faintly of leather, eucalyptus, and Brie’s perfume clinging to my cuffs.She’s claimed the conference area, her laptop open, phone pressed to her ear as she coordinates with her team.I’ve retreated to the back of the cabin, nursing a scotch and staring out at clouds that mirror my mood—gray and turbulent.
