34. Chapter Thrity-Four #2
“Alright,” Elias says, pushing up the glasses he never wears unless he’s been on the computer all night. “Here’s what we pulled from Tiffany’s confession and the system logs.”
The table goes still.
“She didn’t just feed him basic intel. Sebastian had access to coded transport routes, warehouse keys, some of our financials.
He knows how to hit us where it hurts.” He pauses, glancing at the screen.
“And—someone else had to be helping her. The timestamps don’t line up with her login history.
She or Lena didn’t have clearance for half of the data she accessed. ”
A quiet curse leaves my mouth. Across the table, Max’s jaw flexes.
Elias keeps talking, each sentence landing heavier than the last. “And one more thing, Torque’s brother, Cyrus, keeps showing up in the relay data. Not directly, but close enough to smell the smoke.”
That pulls the oxygen out of the room. Torque looks like someone hit him. Wrenley reaches for his hand, but he doesn’t move. I catch Max’s eyes over her head and nod toward the door. He understands immediately.
“We’ll be right back,” I say, pushing back from the table.
Wrenley’s gaze snaps up. “You two conspiring again?” There’s a half-smile there, but the edge underneath it is not lost on me or Max.
“Just something I need to check,” I tell her.
She studies us for a beat, then exhales. “Fine. Don’t be long.”
Outside, the garden’s still damp from the morning dew. The smell of earth and roses mixes with the sharp tang of metal from the fence line. I walk until we’re clear of the windows, then stop, crossing my arms across my chest.
“First,” I say, turning to Max. “I need to apologize. For last night. I’d never hurt her. You know that.”
He nods, voice low. “I know. You weren’t awake. She’s fine. I’m fine. We’re all going to be fine.”
I let out a long breath, shoulders dropping.
“There’s something in what Elias said that doesn’t sit right.
Tiffany wasn’t working alone. There’s no way she could’ve known half that information without help.
And Torque’s brother—Sebastian couldn’t have found him without someone feeding him intel from the inside. ”
Max goes still, tension tightening through his shoulders. “I’ve been thinking the same thing. Since the night Torque and Wrenley confronted Cyrus. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to start a fire if I was wrong.”
“You weren’t wrong,” I say. “But I can’t figure out who it is.”
We stand there for a long minute, the wind stirring through the hedges. The mansion looms behind us, beautiful, dangerous, and full of ghosts.
Max folds his arms. “Alright. Then we keep this between us for now. No one else knows until we have proof. We lock everything down. No communication outside the family.”
I nod. “Agreed.”
The back door creaks open behind us. Wrenley steps out, sunlight catching her hair, making it look like it’s on fire. “What’s going on?”
We share a look, the unspoken agreement already in place.
“Nothing to worry about.” I say.
She narrows her eyes. “Uh-huh. Sure.” Then her tone lightens. “I’m heading into town. We need supplies. Which one of you is coming?”
I don’t answer right away. Town. She wants to go into town after everything that’s happened?
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “You’re not going.”
Her brows lift, slow and unimpressed. “Good thing I didn’t ask permission.”
Of course she didn’t, she never does.
My eyes stay pinned on her. “You shouldn’t be leaving the mansion right now,” my voice low and edged with hardness. “Not until we know where he is.”
Her expression doesn’t crack, but something sharp flickers behind it. “I’m not hiding in here because Sebastian decided to crawl out of whatever hole he came from.”
“I’m not asking you to hide,” I tell her, meeting her eyes. “I’m telling you it’s not safe for any of us to move without knowing what we’re walking into.”
Silence stretches between us. I exhale slowly, dragging a hand down my face. She’s going to go anyway. We both know it. As much as I hate it. She’s safer with me and Max than anyone else. My gaze meets his.
“I’ve got things to handle here,” I mutter
Max straightens slightly, sensing that neither of us will win this argument with her. He nods. “I’ll go,” he says.
Good. That settles it. She starts to turn, but pauses, studying me. “Don’t push me away because of last night, Liam.”
The words hit harder than anything she’s thrown at me today. I step forward, catching her face in my hands. My thumb brushes the fading bruise on her cheek. “I would never push you away,” I say softly. “I really do want you safe, and I do have some things to do here.”
She searches my eyes for a second, then nods. “Okay.” She leans up, kisses me once, slow and certain, before turning to Max. “Looks like it’s me and you then, my shadow.”
Max grins, that easy one that always gets her to roll her eyes. “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Sparrow.”
I watch them head down the path toward the gates, his hand on her lower back. For a moment, everything feels almost normal. Then the wind shifts, cold and sharp, carrying that familiar whisper of something closing in. I shove my hands in my pockets, jaw tight. Normal never lasts. Not for us.