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If Cole finds out what Keira is up to, Sarah will be accountable.
“Have you forgotten the instructions I gave you at the restaurant? You’re responsible for her safety?” Torian smiles, wearing the expression like a threat.
“She’s safe.” Hunt claps me on the back. Hard. “Sarah has the situation under control.”
“So he knocks her up and leaves her to fend for herself?” Luca crosses his arms over his chest and backs away an inch, scoping our surroundings like we’re being watched. “He’s not what I’d call father material.”
I press my lips tight, half smirking, half scowling at the fucker who’s throwing me under the bus. “Cool your horses about the daddy stuff. Although it’s clear I’m an over-achiever, even I don’t believe my swimmers are that efficient.”
Luca snickers. “You’re dead. You know that, right?”
“Seriously, don’t go laying the blame on me.” I raise my hands in surrender. “That woman is a fucking force of nature. I’d have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to turn down her advances.”
“You amaze me.” Torian speaks slowly. Softly. “I can’t believe you’d be careless enough to use your distasteful sense of humor to disrespect my sister. You really do have a death wish, don’t you?”
Beneath the calm façade, he’s pissed.
If the tick under his eye is any indication, he’s fucking furious.
“Look, Torian, I’m just trying to cut through the awkwardness here.” I let my arms fall to my sides. “In all honesty, I care for Keira. I’d do anything for her.”
He looks me up and down, his smile strong. “We’ll see.”
Hunter remains ramrod, his statue status letting me know he’s tense as fuck. It’s also a great indicator that my conversation skills are lacking.
“What are you doing here at this hour, anyway?” Hunt asks, diverting the conversation without subtlety. “Isn’t it late to be making a visit?”
“Keeping a close eye on Richard. You two should come with us.” He starts for the doors. “I’m sure he’d appreciate the extra company.”
“Maybe some other time.” Hunter steps back. “We need to get the girls.”
“I’m not asking.”
Shit. We don’t have time for this.
I shoot a frantic glance at Hunt, and a whole heap of what-the-fuck-do-we-do silently passes between us. Keira could be ru
“Hurry up.” Luca jerks his chin. “Get moving.”
The trill of a cell has Torian pausing inside the entrance, the sound increasing as he pulls the device from his jacket pocket and co
I face Hunter, my eyes wide in silent communication. “What do we do?” I mouth.
His shoulder hitches in the slightest shrug. “What the fuck can we do?”
I rub a hand over my jaw, hoping to inspire a spark of brilliance that doesn’t come.
Hunt creeps closer. “He doesn’t know anything at the moment. If we don’t follow, he’ll get suspicious.”
“No.” I shake my head. “He knows something—”
“He knows you’re banging his sister. That’s all.”
There’s more to it. There has to be.
“Thanks for the update.” Torian’s murmured words reclaim my attention. “I’ve already arrived. I’ll see you in a minute.”
He’s meeting someone.
Is it Keira? Sarah?
I pivot back toward him, gaining no clues from his blank expression. “Is everything okay?”
“That’s a good question.” He places the cell in his suit jacket and heads toward the elevators.
My pulse pounds harder the further he walks. I’m not naive enough to think we’ve been dismissed. He expects us to tag along, like fucking puppies, or he’ll blow a damn fuse.
Hunt obviously knows it, too, because he starts to follow. “We’re leaving the first chance we get.”
“Yeah,” I mutter through clenched teeth. “First chance.”
The elevator doors open on our approach, and all four of us enter. It isn’t until the steel doors close that the confined space begins to resemble a tomb.
“That was the hospital on the phone.” Torian presses the button for the ICU and levels his eyes on me. “Richard passed.”
The news flash hits like a heavyweight champion, the impact bringing more fear, but also pride. Keira didn’t fail. She accomplished what she set out to do, despite the stupidity.
So where the hell is she?
“What the fuck happened?” Luca asks.
“They suspect a heart attack.” Torian’s eyes don’t lose their intensity as he waits for me to break. “But I’m sure I’ll find out more information soon.”
“Shit.” I wince. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Same here.” Hunt shoves his hands in his pockets, all casual in his feigned surprise. “Do you want us to head out of here and start contacting the family?”
“Yeah, good idea.” I nod. “We can get the process started.”
“There’s actually something more important you can do here.” Torian turns to the elevator panel and presses the STOP button, the moving tomb jolting to a halt. “You can both cut the bullshit and tell me who killed Richard.”
There’s no emotion in his statement. No malice or anger. No heartbreak or grief. His voice doesn’t even raise an octave, his words held inside this tiny space for no one else to hear.
“You said they suspected a heart attack.” Hunter scrutinizes him. The act flawless. Believable. “Why do you think it’s murder?”
“Because I received a call from hospital staff less than half an hour ago telling me Richard’s mistress was paying him a visit.”
A mistress? That was Keira’s cover, a fucking mistress?
Jesus Christ, sweetheart. Why the hell did you do this without me?
“I have no clue who she is.” I shrug. “I didn’t know he had a mistress.”
“Don’t play dumb.” Torian’s eyes narrow. “The fact that you’re here means you’re involved. And I’ll find out why later. For now, I just want to know who followed through with your manipulation.”
“We didn’t manipulate a fucking thing,” Hunter growls. “Watch who you’re accusing, because that shit can’t be taken back.”
There’s no reply. No reaction. Apart from the few inches Torian grows as he contemplates his options.
Hunt has been his right-hand man for years. His enforcer.
Burning that bridge with unfounded allegations is a huge deal.
But it’s also a huge fucking gamble pretending they’re unfounded.
“Why don’t we take a breather?” I raise my brows and look each man in the eye with a calm I don’t feel. “It’s been an eventful week. Let’s not make it a stupid one.”
“Says the man who slept with Keira,” Luca mutters.
Hunter clears his throat, the sound vaguely close to a chuckle.
“I’m sorry, man.” I meet the Navy asshole’s gaze with fake sincerity. “Did I fuck your mother in a past life? Or are you threatened by me for another reason?”
“You’re no threat,” he sneers. “You’re a fucking embarrassment. You never should’ve been entrusted with Keira’s safety.”
The throat clearing happens again. This time there’s no linger of laughter. It’s a warning to stand down.
A fucking warning to me.
I clench my jaw and bare my teeth through the jealousy. He’s jonesing for Keira. And apparently, I’m supposed to let that fly. “Thanks for the constructive criticism. I’ll take it on board.”
“Enough.” Torian glares at me, the ferocity finally deserving of a gold star. “We’ll discuss this later.” He slams his fist against the STOP button, making the carriage jolt back into movement. “Until then, neither one of you steps foot out of my sight.”
Great.
Fucking perfect.