The emphasis on the name Nico scrapes my nerves. Does he know? Is this some elaborate game where I’m the only one who doesn’t understand the rules?
“As I mentioned earlier,” I begin, steadier than the turmoil inside me, “I was setting up for the event when I discovered a hidden room behind a bookcase in the private salon.”
Ezra shifts behind me, close enough for me to feel the whisper of his movement on the back of my neck, and my skin prickles with awareness.
“The hidden room contained a few wooden crates and a cage.” My throat constricts around the words. “Jade was inside it.”
Sebastian’s right hand twitches at his side, the only indication he heard me at all.
“Continue,” Aaiden commands with the practiced neutrality of someone who’s heard a thousand desperate pleas and granted none.
I swallow, trying to remember what details I’d already shared with Aaiden. What story I’d crafted in my panic to help Jade without exposing myself.
“The cage was metal, about six feet by four. Industrial grade. Jade appeared weakened but not severely injured. He mentioned being fed twice daily, enough to keep him alive but docile.”
Ezra moves, circling to my right until he stands at the edge of my peripheral vision. His fingers brush the back of my neck, sending electricity racing down my spine, and I lose my train of thought.
“And?” Aaiden prompts, impatience creeping in.
“He said he’d been there five days.” I struggle to maintain my focus as Ezra’s fingers trace a path along the collar of my server’s uniform. “He mentioned being brought in with the art shipment. Tomorrow night, they’re planning to—” I fumble as Ezra’s touch dips just below my collar, skimming the unmarked skin at my nape. “—to sell him at the gallery event.”
The touch withdraws, but its ghost remains as a lingering heat spreading through my body.
Aaiden’s focus sharpens, and I realize I lost Nico’s higher register while distracted by Ezra.
Sebastian speaks for the first time. “Did you see any other captives?”
I shake my head. “Just Jade. But the room was large enough to hold more cages. There were shipping crates I didn’t have time to investigate.”
Silent communication passes between Sebastian and Aaiden.
Ezra’s possessive hand settles heavy on my shoulder. “And you’re certain about the timing? The auction is tomorrow night?”
His voice vibrates through me, too close to my ear, intimate in ways that remind my body of things my mind tried to forget. I step forward, breaking contact, but the damage is done. Heat creeps up my neck, and my uniform becomes constrictive, the fabric rough on my sensitized skin.
“Yes.” I resist the urge to put more distance between us. “Jade was clear about that. He said they were waiting for the gallery event to clear out the merchandise.”
Sebastian moves, his big frame surprisingly fluid as he circles the desk to stand beside Aaiden. “The timing is problematic. We’ll need to move fast.”
Aaiden’s fingers drum once on the polished oak. “Agreed. And be discreet.”
The collar of the shirt chokes me, the wig itches, the contacts sting, and the makeup Ezra smeared is tacky on my cheeks. I’m caught between identities, neither Nico nor Knox nor whoever I am beneath the layers of deception.
“He tried to appear strong, but he seemed afraid,” I add, the words slipping out before I can consider their utility.
Aaiden’s features tighten, but he remains silent.
“Is there anything else you can tell us about the security measures?” Sebastian’s focus sharpens. “Guards? Cameras? Access points?”
I calculate how much knowledge would be reasonable for a server who stumbled upon a secret room versus what I discovered during my systematic casing of the building.
“Two cameras in the main salon. Guards rotate every thirty minutes at the staircase. The hidden room itself didn’t have visible cameras, but the entrance is concealed within a bookcase in the private salon.” I pause, then add, “The trigger is a small button hidden behind the Valenne painting on the adjacent wall.”
Sebastian’s eyebrows rise at the specificity of my observation, but he says nothing.
Aaiden leans back in his chair. “It appears you have a detailed understanding of the Halcyon Hall’s layout and security system. I believe you should return with us to free Jade.”
Aaiden’s proposition hangs in the air like a guillotine blade. His eyes, the same flat green that had looked down on me as he slid the check across this very desk, assess me now with the detached interest of someone appraising livestock.
