4. Damon
4
DAMON
W hat did you really expect?
Had I really thought she’d welcome me back instead of tranquilizing me in her room and bolting? Okay, I didn’t really think she’d pull out the welcome mat, but I didn’t think she would be so hostile. And maybe I’d hoped there might be some part of her that was happy to see me.
The moment I’d seen her, with her sleek slim braids and stormy dark eyes, I wanted to hold her tight and pretend too many years hadn’t gone by.
Why would you think that? You abandoned her. Well, you miscalculated. And now you have problems.
“As I’m sure Ari will tell you, Galen, we have a complicated past. I was her father’s protégé, but I have turned over a new leaf and built a respectable life. But when His Royal Highness reached out with something this delicate, I couldn’t really say no.” I turned to Ari then, really laying on all the sincerity I could muster. “Ari, I know it’s a big ask, but you’re the only person in the world skilled enough to help us.”
I needed her. I didn’t care how I got her.
Galen sat back, his eyes flicking between myself and Ari, then settling back on Prince Lucas. “Your Highness?—”
Lucas held up his hand. “Please, just call me Lucas . It’s already weird enough being a prince. Don’t make it awkward.”
Galen smirked at him. “Fine, Lucas. Ari has given me a firm answer. We can discuss this further, but perhaps someone else on my team...”
Lucas slid me a glance that basically said, This isn’t going well.
I’d tried to tell him Ari was a lost cause. But he’d insisted on the best, so this was our Hail Mary.
“Look,” Lucas continued, “no one knows this, so I’m counting on your discretion. Before I became a prince, I had an unsavory past. Once my brother found me and brought me back into the fold, someone from my past apparently wormed their way in. The Royal Heart that was in the royal vault has been replaced by a replica. The real deal is up for sale during the Black Rose Auction, and I need it recovered by someone I trust so that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. You can imagine the embarrassment for my brother and his new bride if that jewel is discovered missing. Especially if it comes out that I might have known the perpetrator, which is what people will assume.”
Ari frowned. “You’re certain the one in the royal vault is a fake? Also, what is the Black Rose Auction? Can’t you just contact them about the dubious provenance of the item they have?”
Lucas pulled a card from his chest with a photo of the location on it and handed it to Ari. “As soon as I saw the necklace, I knew, but I discreetly verified it. My brother absolutely cannot know about this, and it will be a disaster if it leaks. At this point, I’m willing to do whatever is necessary to get it back.” He slid his gaze to Galen. “As for the auction,” he said, with a note of awe in his voice, “think of it as the sexiest secret playground for the wealthy and powerful. Anything and everything will be up for auction. This year’s entries include the freaking Noli Oblivisci. It’s a gorgeous piece. Gold and silver. Adorned with jewels. Used by popes.”
Ari raised a brow. “First question, why don’t we just call the FBI or Interpol? Make it their problem.”
I rubbed my jaw as I watched her intently. “Because the man who runs the auction has everyone in his pocket. So getting creative is the best option.”
“Why do you sound giddy about it? It’s obviously illegally obtained. No way they have their hands on that cleanly.”
“Obviously not,” I muttered. “This isn’t that kind of auction. But we will be within sneezing distance of some of the finest art and jewelry in the world.”
“You want me to believe you plan to keep your hands to yourself?” Ari asked.
Lucas nodded. “I only want what belongs to the crown. Besides, Reaper is not the kind of man you run afoul of. He’s ruthless.”
Ari sat forward, and I could see her mind working out how she would do it, what would be important. “Your brother has no idea that your past is coming back to haunt you?” she asked.
Lucas nodded again. “And I’d like to keep it that way while also keeping that heirloom safe for my family, especially for my future sister-in-law. She’s had a rough go of it and doesn’t deserve an international incident overshadowing her wedding. Unfortunately, to pull this off, we’ll need someone who can access a Klenman vault, which is why I reached out to Damon. The key is to let the necklace be shown, and then, before it’s packed up and transported, you two will remove it and replace it with a replica.”
Ari chuckled. “You mean you trust him to pull that off?”
What does she mean by that?
I tried to remind myself that she didn’t know who I was now.
I frowned and lifted my gaze to hers. “I get paid either way, Ari. Hell, I get paid for making this introduction. If that’s all...” I pushed to my feet. “Lucas, I told you it was a long shot. She’s not going to help us.”
Galen sat forward. “I promised we’d hear you out. Your Highness—sorry—I mean Lucas, we’ll discuss it. But right now, it doesn’t seem like Ari is interested.”
Lucas nodded. “I understand. It’s potentially dangerous and complicated. There are very few people in the world who have the skills and the nerve required to pull something like this off. I hoped Ari was one of them, but I wouldn’t want her doing anything she’s not comfortable with.”
My lips almost twitched, but I kept them under control. Oh, Lucas was good. A master of manipulation.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help,” Ari said. “But I don’t work in the field. And the Black Rose... That’s just mad. First of all, from the looks of this card, security will be out of this world, and you won’t have access to the security system several days in advance. Second, it’s held in a remote, exclusive location. Ingress and egress alone are going to be a challenge. Any way you go in, security is going to see you.”
Lucas shrugged. “I didn’t say it wasn’t difficult. I just thought you’d be up for a challenge.”
And for a moment, as Ari leaned forward like that, staring at the photo of the mansion, I could see it: that hint of rebellion, that sliver of fascination that wanted to dare her to try it. But right then, when she was on the cusp of choosing adventure, she pulled back again and buttoned up tight. “I’m sorry, you came to the wrong person. I can’t help you.”
Despite knowing she’d say no—despite a part of me wanting her to say no, to do what her father would have wanted her safe—without Ari, none of this would be possible.
And you want her.
That sliver of weakness was going to be my undoing.
Lucas shrugged and stood. “It was worth a shot. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us.”
Ari nodded. Lucas and I strode toward the door, both knowing we’d have to come up with a different plan. Probably a riskier one. I could pull it off solo, maybe, but it was a gamble. If Lucas did it with me and had no alibi, Reaper and his people would come after him. Lucas’s reputation preceded him in certain communities. And while his brother’s influence could save him, my association with him would not save me. We were running short on time, with a little over two weeks to go. We’d have to try someone else.
An odd weight lifted, and relief flooded my veins. Just seeing her again had made my heart ache. Skinny, scrawny Ari, always chasing after her dad, begging to be a part of it all. But her father had wanted her far the hell away from his world. He’d done everything he could to keep her out of it, including pushing her away for her own good.
When he wasn’t watching, though, she was shadowing him and learning. Picking locks with utmost efficiency. All the things her father refused to teach her, she had gone and learned on her own. That was Ari though: always determined.
As Galen walked with Prince Lucas ahead, I stayed back several steps to talk to Ari. “Meant to tell you last night before you tranquilized me: you look real good, Ari.”
She lifted her chin and looked down her nose at me. “I know.”
I grinned at her. “You grew up, kid.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you don’t see someone for years.”
“Last time, you threatened to shoot me if I came back. You still feeling those violent tendencies?”
“I am. Lucky for you, I hate blood so I only tranquilized you.” She looked beautiful with her eyes spitting fire.
“Yeah, lucky for me. I can see it in your eyes, Ari. You want to do this, but you’re saying no because of me. But we need you. You know how good you are. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes.”
“I don’t know how many times I have to repeat myself.” Her dark eyes were clear and direct. The hints of mischief and longing and rebelliousness I’d seen in them not so long ago were hidden behind a mask. “I was clear. I’m not doing this. I’m not you . I’m not my father.” Her words were punctuated by venom and felt like a jab.
“Ari...” I reached for her, but she stepped back out of range easily.
“No. Don’t you Ari me. Because of you , my father isn’t here. A million things I experienced, and he wasn’t here,” she said, her voice cracking. “He preferred to be with you more than with me.”
There was nothing for me to say.
“Good luck to you, Damon, but don’t come back. I’ll use real bullets next time.” Then she turned and walked away from me.
But just before she got out of earshot, I called out, “He’d be proud, Ari Sari. With or without you, his legacy lives on.”
I knew what I’d done. I’d just struck a match while holding a gas can, and I needed to make my quick escape. Evoking his connection to me would not endear me to her.
You are an asshole.