“You know I don’t need the money, nor would I sleep at night had I kept it. More so, my people need to know they come first, to follow me. But the real moral of this story is that after that, there’s no one who questions my willingness to back that code up—and you, my Lady Hawk, are an extension of me. If you face anyone who dares threaten you or one of our own, or even a civilian, you deliver the message that code requires, and you do it with my support. Don’t hesitate because it’s someone you’ve sat across from and thought you trusted.”
My mind goes to my father’s bloody, lifeless body and my certainty that someone close to him stabbed him in the back before the bullets landed in his chest. “No hesitation,” I assure him.
“Then go shopping. Show the world that Lady Hawk is in the city and she owns it. The message to anyone Garner Neuville might have watching is that you’re so unconcerned about them, you’re shopping for lingerie for me. Feel free to actually do that, by the way.”
My lips curve. “Lingerie.”
“Yes. Think of the entire shopping experience as a final ‘fuck you’ to Garner Neuville before I put a bullet in his head.”
sixteen
On Thursday, Nathan heads to Milan to deal with Gallo, and Kayden spends much of the day in the War Room with Carlo, coordinating the aftermath of Alessandro’s rule, and then deciding to take Carlo to Paris with him. I sit on the opposite side of the War Room with Matteo, learning the ins and outs of dispatching, truly impressed with all the resources at our fingertips. Matteo manages the proces
s well, but it turns out Sasha was wrong about me pulling Kayden into the day-to-day operations. He’s already involved in them. Every action Matteo takes is fed directly to a console Kayden keeps live on his phone and iPad, and as I watch, he actually intervenes and declines a job Matteo intends to take.
Matteo’s reaction is similar to when I questioned him about security. He doesn’t like it, but of course Kayden can’t see this reaction, with the technology wall between them. And he thinks he hides it from me, but my father used to turn people into puzzles I had to solve. And while I understand having pride in your work, it rubs me wrong and I make a note to talk to Kayden about it.
However, when finally Kayden and I retreat to our private tower and sit down to a light dinner Marabella has left for us, his focus is wholly on the life-threatening mission ahead of him, and talking through plans and backup plans, rendering Matteo’s pride a less-than-important issue. My mental note made about Matteo, I am more than eager to help Kayden prepare for Neuville.
We’ve just finished eating when he finally gets a call from Nathan, who’s in Milan with Gallo. When the brief call ends he tells me, “Gallo accepted five million dollars to just go away.”
“You don’t seem pleased.”
“He took it too easily.”
My brow furrows. “It’s five million dollars, Kayden.”
“It’s a gut feeling, sweetheart.”
“Well, I hope it turns out to be nothing.”
“It won’t,” he says. “I feel it.” He reaches for his fork. “Let’s eat before I lose my appetite.”
We both dig in and it’s not long until we’re pushing aside the plates and he’s fixed me with a long stare. “What?” I ask.
He grabs the tube sitting next to him and pulls out a blueprint. “I’m going to ask you to do something uncomfortable.”
“What?”
“I have a blueprint of Neuville’s house, but I need to know what might be different. I need to know details that other people might not tell me or know.”
I scowl at him. “Stop acting like he makes me a delicate flower.” I grab the blueprint and we get to work, but the interesting part in going over the details with Kayden is the absence of even one flashback. It’s just . . . odd.
I’m still thinking this when we fall into bed, my back to Kayden’s front, his body wrapped tightly around mine. If there’s still some big emotional explosion waiting to erupt in my mind, keeping me from finding the necklace, why did talking about Neuville’s house, where most of my hell happened, not trigger a single image of those things?
On Friday we’re back in the War Room. Kayden is wrapping up details with Carlo, while I am back with Matteo, who is back to his normal, funny self, and I surmise that perhaps Kayden keeps him behind the computer for that very reason. By early afternoon Matteo and Carlo depart, and Sasha and Adriel join us in their place. The four of us take up residency at the table, our seats close, and begin reviewing the Paris plans, with Adriel and me playing devil’s advocate on each of three possible plans. Considering plans A and B require Sasha to make contact with Neuville, and use herself and the necklace she’ll claim to have as bait, I’m pleased to find Sasha her normal sassy, confident self.
Finally we move to Plan C, the only one that requires entering Neuville’s home, and Sasha and I compare notes, talk through security, and generally work through any problems that could be encountered. And again, she’s driven, focused, and ready for this fight, and I’m pleased she is the one by Kayden’s side. And oddly again, I have no flashbacks during this recap of Neuville’s private space. Maybe the chocolate shop is the final answer. Maybe I’m done remembering things.
We’ve just wrapped up for the night, all of us standing to depart, when Sasha suddenly looks at Kayden, leans on the table toward him, but doesn’t speak. I hold my breath, not sure what to expect, while Kayden seems to wait, giving her space to speak, which I admire in him, but he seems to decide she needs a firm nudge. “Say what you have to say, Hunter,” Kayden orders.
“The other day—”
“Is done.”
She gives him a three-second stare and then nods, turning and leaving. Adriel and Kayden lock stares, and I watch that exchange, aware then that Adriel objects to Sasha being a part of this mission, but I do not think he’s spoken it aloud.
“Say what you have to say, Second,” Kayden orders him.