Page 96 of High Reward

We fall into silence again. Grace’s breathing gradually slows and settles into a steady rhythm. The stress of the last few days catches up with her. She drifts to sleep, her body heavier, more relaxed against mine.

I don’t sleep. Can’t yet. But I hold her, listen to her breathe, and let something close to peace wash over me for the first time since Phineas took me. I wouldn’t call it safety. That will take longer. But there is a certainty that I’m not alone in this.

And tomorrow, when Grace confronts Victor, I’ll be here for her. Whatever storms they weather, I’ll be the one they can both return to. It’s a different kind of strength than I planned to show when I told Grace to kneel tonight. But perhaps it’s the strength she needs most.

The strength we all need.

Chapter 24

Grace

I’vebeenpacingthelength of our suite for twenty minutes, wearing a path back and forth. Nine steps in one direction, nine steps back. The walls seem closer with each pass. If there’s anything I dislike about the club, it’s the lack of windows to let in sunlight or fresh air. The only sounds in the room are the gentle hum of the club’s ventilation system, and the sound of my own heartbeat in my ears. Lili’s words from last night are on a loop in my head. Victor knows who’s stalking me. He knows, and he’s decided it’s information I don’t need.

The digital clock on the nightstand says it’s just past eight in the morning. Victor didn’t return to the suite last night after bringing me home from our date. Lili got up to visit with Trinity Novak early this morning, so I’ve been here in this windowless box with nothing but my thoughts and the growing sense of frustration with people trying to protect me by hiding things.

I stop at the dresser, catching my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles under my eyes, curls a mess from sleep. The training collar Victor gave me gleams against my skin, a constant reminder of our connection. Of the trust we’re supposed to have.

Trust. The word tastes bitter now.

“He thinks he knows who it is,” Lili said last night.

I run my fingers through my curls, trying to tame them. This isn’t the first time Victor has decided what information I should and shouldn’t have. When Matteo’s cousin threatened our club two months ago, Victor didn’t tell me anything until after the threat was neutralized. When Trinity was shot just a few days ago, he filtered the information, giving me sanitized updates instead of the unvarnished truth.

Each time, his excuse is the same. He’s protecting me. Shielding me from worry. Handling the situation so I don’t have to.

My back straightens, and I smooth my hands down the front of my dress. I’m not some fragile doll to be placed on a high shelf. I’m a woman who’s survived my own struggles. Someone who has worked hard and built a life despite everything. And I’ve chosen to be with a man like Victor, a man who is complicated, controlling, battling his own demons, but who clearly cares, with my eyes wide open.

I deserve the truth. All of it. The doorknob turns. I turn away from the mirror as Victor opens the door. His hair is disheveled, shirt wrinkled, and the dark circles under his eyes match mine.He’s had a rough night, but his face softens with visible relief when he sees me.

“You’re awake,” he says, voice rough from lack of sleep. “I was hoping to catch you before you started your day.”

He crosses to me in three quick strides, and I’m pulled against his chest before I can respond. His arms wrap around me, and I lean into his embrace. He smells like coffee and the hand soap from the public bathroom in the club. I also catch a hint of cigar smoke from the cigar bar a few doors down. The sound of his heart under my ear is soothing, and for a moment I let myself melt into him. Letting the warmth of his body ease some of the tension in mine. His hand strokes down my back and I sigh.

Then I blink and pull away slightly. I can’t let this distract me. Can’t let his touch derail the conversation we need to have.

My hands stay on his chest, but I put enough space between us to see his face clearly. His eyes narrow slightly at my movement, sensing the shift in my mood.

“What is it?” he asks, hands settling at my waist.

I stare directly into his eyes. No hesitation. No backing down. Lili would be proud.

“It’s clear you’re keeping things from me,” I say, my voice steadier than I expected. “I need you to stop deciding for me what I can handle.”

His body goes still. Not tense, exactly, but alert. Watchful. The way he gets when assessing a threat.

“Lili talked to you,” he says. It’s not a question.

“Yes.”

A muscle in his jaw flexes. He doesn’t look away, but I see the calculations happening in his head. Weighing options, considering angles. He’s deciding in real time how much to reveal.

“Stop it,” I say, pressing my palm more firmly against his chest. “Stop trying to figure out what version of the truth to giveme. I want all of it, Victor. Whatever information you have about who’s stalking me, whatever you’re hiding to ‘protect’ me, I need to hear it.”

“Grace…”

“No.” I step back, breaking contact entirely. “Don’t ‘Grace’ me in that tone. Don’t try to manage this conversation.”

His hands fall to his sides and silence stretches between us. I can see the struggle he is having with himself. The part that wants to shield me is fighting against the part that respects me too much to keep lying.