The warning is clear: choose Remy, choose all of it.
"Good," I say. "Because I need people who commit completely. People who don't run when things get complicated."
Her shoulders drop, the tension releasing. Approval settles in her eyes.
Luc clears his throat. "Now that we've established everyone's staying, we should bring Margot in on the conversation we had on the plane."
Remy nods. "Luc's been thinking about making better use of his experience with Delta Force. A firm specializing in private security, tactical consulting, work that uses his skills without anyone else pulling the strings. He asked me to partner with him."
"Rapier Strategic," I add. "High-end security consultants with a legitimate business front. Corporate protection, threatassessment, intelligence gathering for clients who need discretion and results."
Luc's predator focus locks onto his sister. "I've been building infrastructure since I left the teams. My import/export business gives me access to equipment suppliers who don't ask questions. I've got contacts in corporate security and private intelligence from the Dominion contract work. What I needed was a partner with Remy's specific operational expertise."
"Someone you trust absolutely," Remy says.
"Exactly." Luc pulls his laptop open, calling up files. "Someone who understands that this work requires precision, control, and the ability to make hard calls without hesitation. Someone who won't flinch when things get ugly."
Margot stands, refilling coffee with studied casualness. "What kind of work are we talking about? Because if this brings the kind of trouble you just escaped from in Rotterdam back to New Orleans..."
"Different work," I say before Remy can answer. "Legitimate security consulting. Executive protection in high-threat environments. Corporate espionage prevention. Asset recovery. Intelligence gathering for clients who need information they can't acquire through official channels."
"Legal work," Luc adds. "Or at least legally defensible. We choose our clients carefully, refuse assignments that cross ethical lines, and maintain the kind of reputation that attracts premium contracts."
Margot looks at me directly. "And where do you fit in this hypothetical security firm?"
"Consulting," Remy says immediately, voice hard with certainty. "Chemical threat assessment, analysis of potential attacks, expertise on weaponized research applications. All from a secure location. She's not going into the field."
The tone brooks no argument, and I find I can accept that boundary. My value isn't in tactical operations.
"I'd also like to teach," I say. "Tulane has an excellent chemistry department. I could rebuild my academic career while consulting for Rapier Strategic part-time. It would provide professional legitimacy and cover for the consulting work."
"Two revenue streams," Luc says. "Academic salary plus consulting fees. Smart. And it gets you established in New Orleans with legitimate credentials."
"It also lets me do the research I love without Iron Choir hunting me," I add.
Margot sets her coffee mug down with deliberate precision. "If you're serious about this security firm, you'll need more than tactical expertise and chemistry consultation. You'll need logistics support."
The three of us turn to look at her.
"What kind of logistics support?" Luc asks carefully.
Her expression turns predatory. "How do you think I learned to coordinate restaurant supply chains across three time zones? Manage inventory that needs precise temperature control during transport? Handle customs documentation for imported ingredients that can't be delayed at borders?"
Remy straightens. "You've been running logistics for more than just your restaurant."
"JJ needed someone who understood complicated supply chains when she was setting up her trafficking rescue operations. Someone who could coordinate safe houses, arrange transport, handle documentation for victims who needed to disappear from official records." Margot's gaze is steady. "I've been providing logistics support to JJ's people for years. Quietly. Off the books. Because I'm good at it and because it gave me a way to contribute to something that mattered."
Remy straightens. "You know JJ? Jordan James-Fitzwallace?"
"Know her?" Margot's smile is sharp. "Several of her people began their careers at Beaumonts. I've been part of her network for years."
No one speaks for a long moment.
"You've been operational this whole time," Luc says, respect threading through his voice.
"Support, not operational." Margot's distinction is precise. "I don't go into the field. I don't handle weapons. I coordinate the infrastructure that makes operations possible. Documentation, transportation, supply chains, secure communications. The logistics that keep people alive."
Remy's staring at his sister like he's seeing her for the first time. "How long?"
