He holds my wrist a moment longer, then releases me and reaches for the coffee pot himself. He pours, adds cream the way I take it, sets the mug in my hands. The gesture claims me through care—he doesn't ask if I want coffee, he gives it to me because I need it.
"The media's been outside since early this morning." He closes the laptop and focuses entirely on me with that intense attention that makes my pulse spike. "They tried the gate, got turned away by security. Now they're setting up on the public road."
"They found me here too?"
"They're covering both locations. Your building's got twice as many vans as we do here." His jaw tightens, and anger flickers in his eyes—dark and controlled. "Someone's feeding them locations. Probably the same source that leaked the board meeting."
Armand. Of course. He wants to keep me off balance, keep the pressure building, make sure I can't operate without being followed by cameras documenting every move.
I take a sip of coffee, let the ritual steady me. "Detective Broussard's interview is today."
"Rapier Strategic. More private than the precinct." Luc's watching me with that predatory focus. "You ready for it?"
Am I? I've been living this nightmare for weeks, but putting it into an official NOPD statement makes it real in a different way. It makes it evidence. It makes it part of a criminal investigation that will eventually become public record.
"I don't have a choice." I lean against the counter. "The longer we wait, the more Armand controls the narrative."
"No." He moves closer, crowding me against the counter. His hand settles on the back of my neck, warm and firm. The touch grounds me instantly. "You always have choices. The question iswhich one keeps you safest and strongest. This interview does both."
The certainty in his tone steadies my breathing. It's not false hope, but the reminder that I'm not fighting this alone.
"Then let's do this."
He tilts my face up with two fingers under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Eat something first. You're not walking into that interview running on coffee and adrenaline."
"Yes, Sir."
The corner of his mouth lifts in approval. Then he releases me and pulls eggs from the refrigerator.
Words won’t come. My mind has drifted somewhere soft and weightless, everything sharp and demanding stripped away. No board meetings. No Armand. No corporate warfare. Only Luc, anchoring me in the quiet he’s created.
Later, the drive to Rapier Strategic takes longer than it should because Luc insists on a counter-surveillance route. We leave the estate through the service entrance, take surface streets instead of the highway, double back twice to confirm we're not being followed.
His palm rests on my thigh the entire drive, heavy and warm. It's not casual—he's claiming me with his touch while his eyes track every vehicle, every intersection, every potential threat.
"Get down and stay down if I tell you to," he says as we approach the warehouse district.
It's not a request.
"Yes, Sir."
His fingers tighten briefly on my thigh. By the time we pull into the underground garage beneath Rapier's building, I'm convinced we've lost any potential tail.
Remy's waiting in the conference room with Detective Andy Broussard.
"Simone. Thank you for making time for this." His grip is firm, professional.
" Andy. I apologize for the delay. The board situation complicated things."
"I understand. Family dynamics often do." There's no judgment in his tone, just acknowledgment. He gestures to the conference table. "Shall we?"
We settle into chairs. Luc doesn't sit—he positions himself behind mine, one hand resting on the back of my chair. He's close enough that I feel his presence like a physical weight. The message is clear to everyone in the room: she's mine, and I'm watching.
Remy sits at the head of the table, his presence a reminder that this interview is happening on Rapier Strategic's terms, not the precinct's.
Andy pulls out a digital recorder, sets it on the table. "This is a formal statement for the record. You're not under arrest, you're not being charged with anything. This is purely informational, helping us build a case against the individuals who've been targeting you. Understood?"
"Understood."
