Page 37 of High Reward

Hunter’s laugh is sharp and humorless. “Good news would be my wife never being shot at all.”

No one replies. What is there to say? He’s right.

The air conditioner hums, pushing cold air through vents that seem to be aimed directly at our necks. I resist the urge to shift in my chair. Behind Hunter, a bank of security monitors silently displays various areas of his casino empire. The man has eyes everywhere. Always has.

Hunter reaches for a file folder and slams it onto the table. The sound cracks through the room like a gunshot.

“Three days,” he says. “That’s all that’s left of your week. Draven’s still walking free, and I’m losing patience.”

“We’re making progress,” Owen starts, but Hunter cuts him off with a raised hand.

“Not good enough. So, I’m offering a solution.” He flips open the folder and pushes it toward me. Inside is an invitation to acharity gala, gold lettering on heavy cream cardstock. “Draven is hosting this tomorrow night at his estate. Security will be tight, but this invitation will get anyone in.”

I scan the details. A fundraiser for a children’s charity. The irony of Phineas Draven pretending to care about vulnerable children makes my stomach turn.

“You want us to crash it,” Luke says, leaning forward.

Hunter shakes his head once. His gaze locks on mine, unblinking. “I want Liliana to attend.”

My blood turns to ice. “No.”

“She’s the only one he’ll talk to,” Hunter continues as if I hadn’t spoken. “She shows up, creates a distraction, draws him out. My team will be in place to grab him.”

I push the folder away. “Absolutely not.”

“You kidnapped her,” Hunter says, voice rising slightly. “But now you won’t use her to solve the very problem you created?”

“I won’t use her as bait,” I say, each word clipped and final. My spine straightens, shoulders squaring automatically. “Not happening.”

Hunter’s knuckles go white against the table. “You don’t seem to understand the position you’re in, Serrano.”

“I understand perfectly.” I hold his gaze without blinking. “And my answer is still no.”

Matteo shifts beside me, crossing one leg over the other. I can sense him evaluating, calculating, the way he always does in tense negotiations. Owen’s face remains neutral, but his fingers tap once against his thigh, our silent signal for escalating danger.

Luke clears his throat. “Perhaps we could—”

“Send in the wife I know Victor is fucking to face the man who’s been beating her for years?” Hunter interrupts, leaning forward until his tie nearly touches the table. “That’s the plan. It’s clean, it’s effective, and it doesn’t give Draven time to slip away again.”

My jaw clenches so hard my teeth might crack. “That’s not her name.”

“What?”

“Her name is Liliana. Not ‘the wife.’ And she’s not a chess piece for you to sacrifice.”

Hunter’s face reddens, a vein pulsing at his temple. “Trinity wasn’t a chess piece either, but she’s lying in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of her because of your war with Draven.”

“Our war?” The words come out too sharp, too loud. I force myself to take a breath. “Phineas Draven has been a cancer on this city for years. You’ve just been willing to deal with him until now.”

Luke makes a small noise of warning. I’m crossing a line, but I don’t care.

Hunter slams his fist on the table. “Don’t you dare try to shift blame. Not when I can still destroy everything you’ve built.”

The threat hangs between us. I remain still, refusing to flinch or look away. The windows behind Hunter frame the desert sky, endless blue stretching beyond the Strip. Somewhere out there, Grace and Liliana are waiting for me to come home to them. Counting on me to keep them safe.

“Find another way,” I say finally.

Owen leans forward. “We have alternatives in motion. The gala approach is too risky, especially with Draven already on high alert after the shooting.”