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Now Ray’s covering my medical bills, and he’s sent me on this fucked-up mission: seduce that same billionaire’s soon-to-be-ex-wife.

They’ve been separated for a year. She’s served him divorce papers. But buried in the prenup is some cheating clause that stays alive until the divorce is final, and he wants to use it to cut her out of everything she’s owed.

Absolute soap opera.

I don’t do this kind of thing. I like simple. Find the man. Put him down. Walk away.

I stare at the windows of her house and flex my bad hand against my thigh until pain sparks up my arm.

This is a filthy job. Not because of the sex. It’s the rest of it I don’t like. The pretending.

But I’ve got Theo now. I’ve got debt. I’ve got one working arm and no room to be precious.

So I’ll do it.

At least the mark isn’t hard to look at.

Blonde. Pretty face. Fills out a pair of jeans real nice. She’s a tiny thing though—five-two on a good day. I’m already half-broken; trying to fuck a woman that short might finish the job and wreck my back, too.

Still.

Could’ve been a lot worse.

The lights in her living room flick off. I glance at my watch. Nine thirty. Bedtime, like clockwork every damn night.

“Are we done yet?” Theo asks, bored out of his mind.

“No.”

I need to figure out what the hell I’m doing.

I’ve been watching her for a week. She barely leaves the house—two grocery runs, one trip to the pet store, all fast and clean. In and out. Head down. Like she’s got no interest in being seen by anyone.

Friday night finally looked promising. She went to a wine bar with a friend, so I followed, made sure she saw me, then waited for her to come over. They always come over.

She didn’t.

Eventually, I had to make the move myself, which was irritating enough before she laughed at me, shut me down, and went home.

I’ve got one more approach before this starts looking like exactly what it is. And since she barely leaves that house, timing it right won’t be easy.

I need a real way in. A legitimate reason to be near her.

“Why are we watching that house?” Theo moans again.

Jesus Christ.

I gesture toward the empty place next door with the For Rent sign out front. “We’re watching that one.”

“Why?”

“Owner wants to make sure nobody messes with it while it’s vacant. Security stuff.”

The lie comes out smooth enough to impress me. I don’t usually lie. No need. But with Theo, I’ve been doing it constantly. Last week he found my switchblade and I told him it was for stripping wires. Kid bought it without a second thought.

“Are we going to sit here all night?” he asks.

“Not all night.” My voice comes out sharper than I mean it to. “And if you’d stop yapping for one damn second and let me think, we could leave sooner.”