Page 6 of High Reward

“Being here. Understanding.”

She leans forward, presses her lips to my forehead. “Always.”

We stay like that for a long moment, the morning sunlight warming the room around us. In this cocoon ofquiet connection, the threats outside these walls seem distant, manageable.

Then the sound of a car engine breaks the spell, the distinctive purr of Victor’s Audi pulling into the driveway. Lili and I both tense slightly, our eyes meeting.

“He’s back,” she says, her voice a mixture of relief and apprehension.

I nod, listening to the car door slam, the heavy tread of his footsteps approaching the house. The key in the lock. I need to see him, but I can already sense he’s bringing bad news with him, and it’s going to burst our little bubble.

I’m worried about him, he’s carrying the weight of everything, and I’m overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness as I wait for him to appear.

Victor

Ipushopenthefront door, greeted by silence. The house is still. Too still. I listen for the sounds I’ve grown used to, Grace’s soft humming, Lili’s confident footsteps, but hear nothing. My hand instinctively moves to the gun inside my jacket before I force it back to my side. They’re here. They’re safe. I would have been alerted by our security team if anything had happened. Hunter’s threats and Kara’s vendetta are still outside these walls. For now.

“Grace? Lili?” My voice echoes through the entryway, too loud against the quiet.

No answer immediately comes, and the icy dread I’ve been fighting all night slithers back up my spine. I move through the house with practiced efficiency. Living room clear, kitchen empty, coffee pot still warm. They haven’t been gone long if they left at all. Stop it, Victor. They didn’t leave.

I take the stairs two at a time, my footsteps heavy against the hardwood. The bedroom door is ajar, light spilling into the hallway.

They’re there. Both of them.

I pause in the doorway, watching them. Grace sits cross-legged on the bed, still in the oversized t-shirt she slept in, hair tousled from sleep. Lili perches beside her, dressed in yoga clothes, one hand stroking Grace’s curls. Their heads are bent close together, sharing secrets or comfort or both.

Something twists in my chest at the sight. Desire and fear tangled into one hard knot. They look so right together. So vulnerable.

They glance up as I enter, both faces turning toward me like flowers to the sun. Grace’s expression brightens with relief, while Lili’s eyes narrow slightly, assessing. She cares but isn’t quite ready to trust me fully. I don’t blame her.

“You’re back,” Grace says, stating the obvious in that endearing way of hers.

“I had an early meeting.” The lie sits bitter on my tongue. “Sorry I didn’t wake you.”

Lili studies me, too perceptive for her own good. “Everything OK?”

I move to the bed, press a kiss to Grace’s forehead, then Lili’s. Their skin is warm against my lips. “We need to talk.”

Grace’s smile falters. “That sounds ominous.”

“Not ominous. Practical.” I sit on the edge of the bed, creating a triangle between us. “I’ve arranged additional security. Two more guards will be stationed at the house at all times. Neitherof you leaves without me. Period. Not even to go for a walk around the property. You stay inside the house at all times.”

Grace’s eyes widen. “Victor, that seems…”

“Extreme?” I finish for her. “It’s necessary.”

“Because of what happened to Trinity?” Lili asks.

I nod, giving them a portion of the truth. “Hunter blames us for Trinity getting shot. He’s... unstable right now, understandably so. Until we neutralize Phineas, we need to be cautious.”

“How is Trinity?” Grace asks, her empathy surfacing even amid her own fear.

“Still in surgery when I left to meet the others. It’s touch and go.” I rub the back of my neck, tension coiled there like a spring. “I’ve spoken with Matteo, Owen, Luke, and Tobias. We’re handling it.”

“Handling what, exactly?” Lili presses. “What aren’t you telling us, Victor?”

She sees too much. I need to give her something without revealing everything. “Hunter has given us a deadline. One week to deal with Phineas permanently, or he’ll retaliate.”