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Addie snickers, and now I’m going to have to cut Michael, too, just for making my girl laugh.

“Z has officially been captured,” he announces, clicking the Send button with triumph. “And now… we wait.”

“I hope you’re not stupid enough to tell Claire they kicked our asses,” I tell Michael, nodding towards Jeff.

He waves a hand. “Don’t worry, princess, she’ll know it took the entire military to bring down the big bad wolf. Your reputation won’t be tarnished.”

“I’m not worried about my rep. It’s simply just not believable.”

Chapter 42

The Diamond

My equilibrium teeters as my feet dangle over the cliff. I’m sitting on the very edge and I’m just waiting for the earth to give beneath me and send me crashing into the rocks below.

I’m balancing on the edge of life and death, and the thrill it gives me is undeniable. My heart is in my stomach, and even though it’d take putting my head between my legs for me to fall over the ledge, it feels like one inch forward, and my life is done for.

I love it.

The sun begins to dip in the cotton candy sky, a beautiful array of colors stretching toward me. I’m not sure if it’s the beauty before me or my precarious game with death that makes me feel alive.

Though both have the power to make me feel insignificant.

“So I see today is the day we both die,” Zade announces from behind me, causing me to jump.

“Why would we both die?”

Stupid question. I know what he’s going to say the moment the last word leaves my mouth.

“Because if you fall, I’ll follow after you.”

“Claire would be happy about that,” I say, kicking my feet against the rock. “Your death would be the best thing to ever happen to her.”

To no one’s surprise, she asked a million questions before she believed that Jeff and Gary actually captured Zade and me. He had to explain how he found Z. On their way to L.A., they received intel that Zade would come after an auction house in Washington, so they quickly set up a coup and captured him. Of course, I came running when I found out he was being held hostage, and voila. Z and the diamond have been captured.

When she wanted to do a FaceTime call, we could see the intent in Jeff’s eyes from a mile away. The second she got on the call with him, he planned to expose us. But Zade had already anticipated that. It’s not hard to assume the old fart would try to pull one over on us. He’s as predictable as he is stupid.

Everyone has a weakness. A soft spot like on the back of a baby’s head. Hit that spot hard enough, and they’re done for.

Of all people—his wife, kids, and mistress—his mother was the catalyst. Funny that he’s a momma’s boy when women are the number one thing he doesn’t respect.

Bernadette Shelton is nearly on her deathbed anyway, but after one of Zade’s mercenaries took a heart-warming picture of her lying in bed on oxygen, and his gun poised on the tank, Jeff decided to act right. He doesn’t know that Zade nearly kicked his employee’s ass for it and forced him to leave her an edible arrangement for the scare, but the threat worked regardless.

Zade coached Jeff on the story, he then answered Claire’s questions, and she decided it was legitimate enough to come off her cozy island.

Mission accomplished.

Her flight is sixteen hours, so we went back to Parsons to catch up on sleep while Zade is having a team watch over Jeff at the distillery. Gary… well, he died. He was useless with his blown-out kneecaps, so Michael finally put him out of his misery.

“Baby, if you want me dead, I’ll hand you the knife to stick in my chest. Sending us both over the cliff would be a little overkill.”

“And I thought my mom was the dramatic one,” I mutter.

My back is still to him, but I swear I can hear the fucker grinning. “You’re right, you’re the sensible one.”

Shithead.

“You want to tell me why you’re out here?”