Chapter 14 #2
I step outside, dial.
"What?"
"You should've stayed with her instead of going to the warrant execution." His voice is flat. Direct. "That's protocol when you're running close protection."
"Needed to see it."
"Because you're thinking with your dick instead of your training.
Because you care about her more than you should.
" He doesn't soften it. "You walked into Julien's trap thinking about protecting her instead of assessing threat probability.
Got lucky he didn't kill you. This kind of sloppy shit gets operators killed. "
"Immediate threat's about to be neutralized. Armand's getting arrested today."
"And the next threat? The one that comes when you're too busy thinking about her to see it?" His tone hardens. "She needs you alive more than she needs you taking stupid risks."
He's right. I've been making decisions based on claiming her, on personal investment, on shit that has nothing to do with tactical effectiveness. That kind of thinking is exactly what gets operators killed.
"Noted," I say.
"Luc—"
"I said fucking noted." I end the call.
He's right. I know he's right. I've been off my game since Dominion, since I felt her surrender for real and knew I wanted to keep her. Not for the job. Not until the threat's gone. For myself.
That kind of thinking makes operators sloppy. Makes them prioritize wrong. Makes them vulnerable.
I don't care. That's not changing whether Armand's arrested or not.
I head back inside. Simone's ending her call with Henry.
"He wants me at his office soon," she tells me. "Press conference this evening."
"I'll drive you."
My phone buzzes. Text from Andy:
FBI wants to interview you both before we hit Armand's office and residence. Can you come to Rapier Strategic?
I show her the screen. "FBI wants statements. Pre-raid interview."
"Now?"
"Soon as we can get there."
She nods, heads upstairs to change. I check security feeds. Media vans still camped outside, reporters waiting.
Within the hour we're in the armored SUV heading downtown. Simone's in full CEO mode—tailored suit, controlled polish. But the tells are there. The way her thumb presses against her wrist. The tension in her jaw.
"You don't have to do this interview," I tell her.
"Yes, I do." Her voice is firm. "Armand was monitoring feeds from inside my building. FBI needs to understand exactly what he's been doing."
Remy's waiting when we arrive at Rapier Strategic. He nods to me, keeps his distance. We both know what's changed.
Two FBI agents stand when we enter the conference room. Special Agent Adrian Locke extends his hand.
"Mr. Pascal. Ms. LaCroix. Thank you for coming in."
We shake. Locke's partner, Special Agent Isabella Rivera, has sharp eyes that catalog details the way I do. Assessing, calculating, building her case.
"We've been through the evidence from the maintenance room," Locke says. "Access logs place Armand Deveraux at the monitoring station multiple times over months. Combined with financial evidence linking him to Julien LaSalle, we have grounds for federal charges."
"What charges?" Simone asks.
"Wire fraud, conspiracy to commit stalking and witness intimidation.
Building related charges for Julien LaSalle's execution, though that evidence is more circumstantial.
" Rivera pulls out a tablet. "Once we arrest Armand, this becomes very public.
We need to coordinate your protection and media strategy. "
"Simone stays at the estate," I say. "Secured, no media access."
"Agreed." Locke makes notes. "We'll include her as a victim in the federal complaint. That'll buy her some cover from the press."
My phone buzzes. Text from Andy:
Raid teams in position. Armand confirmed at the Deveraux Oil office. Ready to execute.
Simone's sitting beside me, shoulders back, hands folded. She's holding it together.
I show the screen to Locke. He reads it, nods.
"Execute," he says into his phone. "Both locations simultaneously."
I’m aware of everything—Simone’s breathing beside me, her fingers pressed together, Rivera watching us, Remy standing near the windows with his arms crossed.
Locke's phone rings. The sound cuts through the silence.
He answers. Listens. His posture shifts slightly.
"Confirmed," he says. "Armand Deveraux in custody. Federal charges filed. Transport him to federal holding."
He ends the call and looks at us. "It's done. Armand Deveraux has been arrested on federal charges. He's being processed now."
The words land heavy. Simone's fingers tighten where they're folded in her lap. I feel the breath she takes, the way she forces herself to stay composed.
Quiet for a long moment. Then: "It's really over."
"Immediate threat is neutralized," I correct. "The legal battle is starting."
"But he can't hurt me from a federal holding cell."
"No. He can't."
Rivera stands. "We'll need follow-up interviews once we process seized evidence. That can wait. Coordinate with your attorney for public statements."
We shake hands, head for the elevator. Simone's quiet on the drive to Henry's office through downtown streets. I let her have the silence.
Media vans swarm Henry's building when we arrive. Cameras flash as we exit the SUV. I keep Simone close, one hand on her lower back, scanning for threats even though the immediate danger is gone.
Inside, Henry's coordinating with his team, building the framework to protect Simone while Armand's empire crumbles. Legal strategy, media positioning, narrative control.
The afternoon grinds on. Henry's team builds the legal strategy, coordinates the media positioning. By the time the press conference starts, Simone's ready. She walks out to face the cameras, head up, posture controlled. Every inch the CEO who survived her uncle's conspiracy.
From the side, she delivers her statement without hesitation.
"My uncle, Armand Deveraux, has been arrested on federal charges. The FBI's investigation has revealed evidence of a surveillance operation. I am grateful to law enforcement for their diligent work, and I look forward to continuing to lead LaCroix Petroleum while the legal process moves forward."
Cameras flash. Reporters shout questions. She doesn't break, doesn't falter. Just turns and walks away while they scream after her.
Pride surges watching her walk off that stage. Strong. Unbreakable.
Back in the SUV, she finally lets the mask drop. Leans her head back against the seat, eyes closed.
"You did well," I tell her.
"I'm exhausted." She doesn't open her eyes. "Can we go home?"
Home. Not the estate. Not the guest house. Home. Like it's ours now.
"Yeah." I start the engine. "We can go home."
The drive back is quiet. She dozes in the passenger seat, finally allowing herself to rest. When we pull through the gates, she stirs.
"We're back," I say.
"Good." She reaches for my hand. "I just want to not think about any of this for a while."
Inside, I guide her upstairs. She strips without prompting, climbs into bed. I join her after securing the doors.
She curls against me immediately. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For keeping me safe. For being here. For not letting me face this alone."
"You're mine," I say. "I don't let what's mine get hurt."
She’s quiet for a long moment. Then: "I'm falling for you. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that. But I am."
I tilt her face up, make her look at me. "I claimed you at Dominion. Everything after that was just proving you could handle being mine. So yeah, you're supposed to say it. And I'm already there."
Her eyes search mine. Whatever she finds makes her relax against me. "Okay."
"Okay." I pull her closer. "Now sleep."
Within minutes, she's asleep. I stay awake longer, processing everything. Armand arrested. Simone safe. Immediate threat neutralized.
But Remy's warning won't let go. I'm off my game. I'm thinking with my dick instead of my training. I walked into Julien's trap because I was focused on her instead of assessing probability. That kind of thinking gets operators killed.
I should be worried. Should care that my feelings for her are a tactical liability. Should recognize that the next threat might exploit exactly this weakness.
My phone buzzes softly. Text from Andy:
Armand lawyered up. FBI's processing evidence from raids. Press going crazy but managing it.
I set the phone aside and pull her closer. Armand's locked up. She's safe. Everything else is noise I'll deal with tomorrow.