Beatrice’s POVEach step down to the basement stirs up my emotions. He’s the last person who really knows me—my wins, my losses, the things that keep me awake at night. I’ve taken our bond for granted. Whatever it takes, if he’s down there, I’m bringing him back.When I reach the bottom, I see Dalton sitting in the hall, absorbed in his phone. I walk over, relieved he can’t see how fast my heart is racing.“Where’s Nolan?” I’m more concerned about Flint than Nolan.He doesn’t look up, just gestures behind him. “In there. He came to check on his brother and found someone he recognized.” Then he squints at me. “Some guy’s been tailing you?”Panic rises in my throat. “What?”“They’ve got a black guy in there. Flint thought he was acting shady, and when Nolan spotted him, he said the guy had been following you. No other details, though.” Dalton shrugs. “You wanna go in? It’s probably chaotic. Nolan doesn’t mess around when he’s angry.”I swallow hard, trying to keep my composure. My firs
Beatrice’s POVI made it clear to Nolan that he needed to shower before I’d even think about dealing with him. He tried to persuade me to join him, but I was on a tight schedule to find Dai Qing, fill her in on James, and grab whatever info she had on my file. As I rushed out of Nolan’s room, I told him I needed to change because I had blood on my clothes—James’s blood. Just the thought of it makes my stomach twist.I sprint down the hallway and spot Yichun cleaning my area. I pop my head in and say, “Can you please get Dai Qing as fast as you can?” She nods quickly and takes off while I punch in the code to my room. The light flashes red, and it beeps at me. I messed up the numbers. My hand shakes as I try again. Taking a deep breath, I remind myself to stay calm. I can’t lose it now. Flint doesn’t know anything. James needs me. Breathe. I enter the code once more.Just as I’m pulling off my shirt, there’s a sharp knock at the door. Dai Qing walks in with her cleaning supplies, dropp
Beatrice’s POVThe blaring alarms are so loud they feel like they’re shaking the walls. I bolt upright, my heart racing and adrenaline pumping. Nolan’s already up, slipping into his pants. “What’s going on?” I ask, still trying to shake off the sleep. “Alarm system. We’ve got an intruder.” “Could Flint have accidentally set it off? Or maybe someone else?” I really don’t want him heading downstairs. It’s 3:10 a.m. They could still be lurking around. “Have you heard it go off at all since you got here?” Nolan snaps as he heads to the walk-in closet, rummaging through his clothes. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and quickly throw on my shirt and pants to keep up with him. He’s opened a gun safe and is loading up on weapons, stuffing ammo into his pockets like we’re gearing up for a fight. “You need to stay here.” “If you’re going, I’m going.” His worried eyes lock onto mine. “I don’t want you involved in this.” “If you stay, I’ll stay. If you go, I’m goin
Beatrice’s POVI stare at Flint’s unconscious body. No one would know if I left him out here. Ian was supposed to have searched the grounds. He’ll bleed out. There’s already so much blood.“Tris?” Nolan’s voice travels across the field, and when I scan behind me, he’s silhouetted against the double doors.Thoughts flick through my brain, almost too brief to catch. He’ll see me walk away. If Flint killed their father, I could get away with leaving him to die. We don’t know for sure. Could Nolan forgive me? Would he understand?Time’s up. Make a choice.“Nolan!” I scream. “Nolan!”He breaks into a run, and I drop to my knees beside Flint. Cradling his head in my lap reminds me of my brother and makes it impossible for me to do anything but sit there, staring at the blood leaking out of him and across the flagstones.Once Nolan reaches my side, there’s a flurry of activity as he struggles to staunch the bleeding while calling an ambulance and then a cleaning crew to collect and dis
Beatrice’s POVWe're deep into our second game of Settlers of Catan while we wait for updates. Nolan suddenly remembers that the game was stashed away in a cupboard from a previous waiting period. When I brought it up, he got quiet and mentioned that he used to play it with his dad. Later, Dalton decided to join us while we waited during some other tense moments. The thought of him playing this game with Nolan is both sweet and a bit sad. It's hard to picture him being good at it, but it feels wrong to think that way now that he's gone. Still, I appreciate the distraction from Flint's situation and James's extraction. I'm trying to keep Nolan's strategy in mind because my worrying won't change anything for either of them. When I look up from the board, I catch Nolan watching me. “Need a hand?” he teases, a playful spark in his eyes. “I think I can handle it.” “Because you have choices.” “I see them.” I nod at the board, fiddling with a card in my hand. “I wouldn’t
Beatrice’s POVWhile I wait for Nolan to emerge from Flint’s room, I try to stay as still and calm as possible. Inside, I want to fidget, jump up and pace around, anything to release this nervous energy.When the hospital door swings open, Nolan pauses at the threshold for a minute, scanning the hallway for me, and I almost collapse in relief. His expression is the one I’ve come to recognize so well. There’s no rage or confusion anywhere. Whether Flint remembers or not, he didn’t say anything to his brother.“He wants to see you.” Nolan nods at me.We’re toe-to-toe and he still hasn’t moved from the doorway.“You okay?” I ask.A wisp of a smile flits across his face before it vanishes. His lips brush my temple as one of his arms circles my waist. “I’m headed home. I’m leaving one of the guys here to come with you.” He gestures to a man whose name I can never remember. Felix? Jorge? It’s strange to think how much I relied on Dalton. Nolan’s hand slides away, and his footsteps retr
Beatrice’s POVFrowning, I stare at the text for a few minutes. They’re calling me to headquarters for a meeting. While it would be nice to see James, the timing isn’t great. I need to speak to Dai Qing before I leave for the airport.I dial Sierra’s number and hold the phone to my ear.She answers on the first ring. “Oh, God, Tris. Is he still alive?”“What?”“Flint. He called me early this morning or late last night. I was in a meeting, and so my phone was off. But he left this rambling message on my phone because he was dying.” Her voice catches on a sob.“He’s alive, Sierra.” What else did he say in that message? She’s calling me, so he couldn’t have outed me as FBI to her, or she’d be here shooting me herself. “What did he say in his message?”Sierra takes a few steadying breaths. I picture her worrying a wad of tissues as she talks. “Some personal stuff.”“He has a phone in his room, if you want to call him. But—” I purse my lips. “He won’t remember calling you. His memor
Beatrice’s POVI reach out blindly for a steel chair and plop down into it. “You knew?” Dai Qing asks, her brow furrowing. “No,” I reply, shaking my head. “I was just a kid.” Her frown deepens. “But you know something now.” I feel a wave of nausea. If Nolan was behind John's death, could he also have had a hand in Claude's? Flint mentioned they killed for each other, and Nolan had told me about John. Flint fought Claude in The Corral, and Claude was really good, one of the best. Could Flint have done it? Did they both do it? “If you know something,” she says, tapping the folder, “you need to share it.” “I don’t know anything,” I say, glancing at her before looking away. “I was only ten. What could I possibly know? I didn’t even realize John was a mechanic. He was just a loser to us. I’m—” I struggle to find the right words. “Shocked he died like that.” Dai Qing sits down in the chair across from me and pulls the folder closer. She flips through it for a moment bef
Sierra’s POVIstare into my arms at the baby wrapped in a pale-blue blanket. He has dark hair, and his eyes are closed in sleep. His fingers have the tiniest nails, and I want to touch every one, count them, savor this moment. I'm so absorbed in the sight of a baby, it takes me a second to process Eric's words."What?" I glance up, a little dazed."Our son." Eric gives me an encouraging nod. "You weren't here for the birth, but I know you always wanted to name our boy Lucas after your brother."I laugh self-consciously and shift the baby to hand him to Eric. "This isn't my baby." When I try to pass the bundle, he steps out of reach. "He can't be my baby. It's impossible.""Not impossible," my father whispers. "You were searching for a surrogate when you two split.""Exactly," I agree. "Eric and I broke up, and we destroyed the embryos. I signed paperwork to have them destroyed."My father grimaces.Eric shifts his feet. "This isn't the reaction I was expecting.""I signed papers to ha
Flint’s POVWhile Sierra and I pack in our bedroom, I debate whether to let her come to Russia. There's so much we don't understand. I stuff more clothes into my duffel bag and glance at her as she wanders into the en suite to get her makeup.Curiosity is a powerful thing, and I'm definitely curious about what Eric has been doing. He didn't sound scared in his voicemail messages, or even full of his usual asshole bravado. No, he was excited. Why? I stop packing and lean against the dresser while Sierra continues to put things into her suitcase."Spit it out." She doesn't break her rhythm of sorting and discarding. "You're over there brooding about something.""Don't come to Russia."She laughs. "I'm going to Russia. He called me, not you, and he said you could come along for the show." She throws skincare products into her bag with a huff. "I don't care anymore about what he's doing. You're right. I'll fire him. I don't know why I haven't done it yet."She knows why. I understand why.
Sierra’s POVWhen I slip into bed, Flint tugs me close, but for the first time since we've been together, he doesn't run his hands along me in ways to make me think of sex. Instead, he wedges me in so tight my face is practically squished against his bare chest, and he smooths my hair before kissing the top of my head. Every bandage is gone, and sometimes I lie in bed tracing his scars, asking for their stories as my heart races at the danger and aches at the close calls. A world without him isn't a world at all."You okay?" he says. "You've been too fucking quiet since your mom left.""I don't know," I whisper. Turning toward him, I'm comforted by the steady beat of his heart in my ear. "Anytime I hear someone gave up the chance to be a mom, it makes my heart hurt. I just-I would have done anything to have a baby, to be a mom."He's silent as his hand strokes my back. "Sounds as though your sister had it rough after your mother left.""Yeah. I can't process it. Being beaten by your
Flint’s POVThe tension between Sierra and Opal is unmistakable. They're circling each other, current events, upcoming commitments, neither of them saying what they're thinking. Nothing has happened to Charles–was the first question Sierra asked-which is unfortunate. With him gone, I could eliminate Eric or have someone do it. She would forgive me. Having her father wrapped up in whatever bullshit scheme they've cooked up makes it too complicated to get rid of one without the other. Especially since I can't yet uncover what they're planning. I'm on the cusp of telling her to fire Eric just to see if that sets something in motion.With our sleuthing, there are no hints of secret deals. No more sinister connections Sierra doesn't already know. No paper trails. Unregistered or foreign bank accounts are noted somewhere. We haven't even come across more evidence of PLA involvement with Eric or her dad. What the fuck are they planning? Opal's here perched on Sierra's couch like a bird pois
Sierra’s POVEkaterina answers my last few questions with ease and then says, "That was Flint De Luca.""It was." I gather my papers together into a neat pile."Rare for me to find a man intimidating."I glance up and a smile plays on my lips. "Was he a little intense?""A little? Were we in the same room? The guy is all coiled rage and X- ray vision." She drops her phone into her purse and rises from her seat."Are you-are you safe with him?"Before I can answer, Jay chuckles on the other side of the large wooden table. "You were the only person in this room who wasn't safe today." He frowns as he picks up his pen. "And maybe me." With a shrug, he says, "Point is, he's not a threat to her.""Why would he leave so abruptly?" Her expression is thoughtful. "He gave me that appraisal once-over before he left, which meant something.""Probably wondering how easy it would be to remove your head." Jay's voice is matter of fact, and if it wasn't for the horror on her face, I'd laugh."We do
Flint’s POVSierra rises and steps around the chairs between us to roll my seat back and perch on my lap. "Tell me." Her fingers stroke my furrowed brow."He seems to believe that whatever he and your dad have cooked up, it'll bring you and him closer together." I clear my throat. "You'll pick him."She grins and wraps her arms around my neck. "Never in a million trillion years. There is nothing he could say or do to make me leave you and go to him.""He seemed very confident."Her lips quirk up in derision. "That's his thing-he's confident even when he's wrong. One of his worst qualities." Sierra's gaze focuses above my head. "Heisa win-at-all-cost sort of person, though." Her expression morphs into one of determination. "I wouldn't be with him even if he threatened to kill me."I tighten my arms around her at the suggestion. "He'd never get a chance. He'd be dead as soon as the idea entered his head."There's a sharp knock on the door. She tries to stand, but I increase my grip on h
Flint’s POVWe've been in Switzerland for a week with no problems. Things have been so good between me and Sierra, but there's this weird heaviness in my chest. I've always been content. I'd never have labeled myself as happy, but I had the business, my brother, a shit-ton of income, and enough women to keep me from longing for the one I've got now.She travels around the office getting things organized to talk to Sean about my money. She's sure we can secure it without having to go to Boston and without the FBI catching on. I am less convinced. Broke is better than Sierra being in jail. I couldn't care less about what happens to Sean or anyone else from my old organization. That life is so far away.Even though I'm worried, I can't very well live off her wealth. For the rest of our time together, I'd be a kept man, or I'd slide into something illegal just to have control. I hate her solution, but I don't have an avenue around it. Cash equals independence.At the darkest corner of my
Sierra’s POVSeveral places spring to mind without me trying hard, and none of them is a second-rate hotel in Ireland. There are few times I can remember my father putting his wants, his needs,aftermine.“And you?” I glance at Eric.He scoffs and shakes his head. “We were engaged once. Those feelings don’t just turn off.”“Well, I suppose that was the problem with our engagement. You couldn’t turn off those feelings for anyone.”Beside me, Jay snorts and then covers it up with his fist and a cough. When we get to the pub across the street advertising an Irish breakfast, Jay enters first, and the three of us stand outside the door for a minute.“This is the new protocol?” My father puts his hands on his hips. “He sweeps the place before you ever enter? Seems to be an overreaction to a CIA meeting.”I sigh and purse my lips. Impossible to win. “How about me almost being shot? How about Valeriya being murdered? How about the PLA doing business with my company behind my back? Any of that
Sierra’s POVFlint’s hands cup my face, bringing my lips toward his. I meet his kiss, driving my fingers into his hair, pressing myself as tightly to him as I can manage with our clothes on. His tongue massages my mouth, and he skims the hem of my shirt, easing it up, circling my back. At the skin-to-skin contact, I shudder with pleasure. He grips my ass, molding me to his erection.God, I love the way he feels.When his mouth leaves mine to seek the most sensitive places along my neck, I moan and clutch onto him, afraid my legs might give out. My adrenaline spikes. His declaration of love is a drug coursing through me. Impossible to believe someone like him could love me.“Say it again,” I murmur.Flint chuckles against the curve of my shoulder. “You going to make me say it all the fucking time?”“Consider it the price of admission.” My voice is breathless, and I’m already reaching for the button on his jeans.He sucks on my earlobe and nibbles. “I fucking love you, Sierra. Just you.