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Her head tilted. Her lips parted. And then she whispered, “Vivi.”
That was all I needed.
I sat with her for a little while, brushing her hair the way I used to when I was little, letting the rhythm of it calm us both. We didn’t say much. We didn’t have to. She smiled, and I smiled back, and something unspoken passed between us.
When I kissed her goodbye, she reached for my face, her thumb brushing beneath my eye. “You’ve always been brave,” she said, her voice soft. “Even when you didn’t know it.”
My heart simultaneously shattered and healed all at once.
Emmaline hugged me tight before we left. She didn’t ask for details. Just kissed my cheek and whispered, “Go make it right.”
I carried that with me as I stepped onto Elias’s jet.
I wasn’t just leaving to chase down con men.
I was leaving to become the kind of daughter and sister my family believed I already was.
And as the jet lifted off that evening—Charleston falling away beneath us and Los Angeles drawing closer—I felt something stir in me.
Not just rage. Not just grief. But purpose.
And I knew, no matter what happened next, I wouldn’t run anymore.
I’d hunt.
With Elias beside me and justice in my blood, I was ready.
Let them come. Let the world tremble. We had work to do.
The jet leveled out above the clouds, the sky outside turning lavender with the approaching dusk. Inside, the cabin lights dimmed to a golden hue, soft jazz playing beneath the hush of engines and altitude. I sat curled on one of the leather club chairs, my knees tucked under me, sipping champagne from aflute I hadn't asked for but somehow still ended up with. Elias sat across from me, a laptop open on the table between us, the screen displaying records, maps, threads of the lives we were about to unravel.
He looked up, caught me staring, and raised an eyebrow. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
I smirked. “Depends. Are you thinking about becoming members of the mile-high club?”
His grin turned devilish. “I mean, it’s notnoton my mind.”
I laughed and set the flute down, stretching my arms over my head. “Tempting. But I’m honestly too amped up to be distracted. I’ve got adrenaline surging like I’m about to leap off a rooftop again. I want to sink my teeth into this case. And then …” I trailed off, letting the sentence hang.
He leaned back, clearly entertained. “Then?”
“Then I’m going to give you a night to remember in L.A.,” I said, voice low and promising. “Maybe somewhere with a view. Outdoors. Possibly semi-public.”
Elias nearly choked on his drink. “Jesus, Red. You trying to kill me before we land?”
I shrugged, unbothered. “Just keeping things interesting.”
His gaze lingered on me a beat longer. “You always do.”
There was heat in the air between us now—banked, but undeniable. It pulsed like a second heartbeat.
I raised a brow, the corner of my mouth lifting. “So … should we talk logistics?”
Elias leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes locked on mine. “Of?”
I sipped my champagne slowly. “The outdoor sex. Semi-public. L.A.’s a big city. Lots of options.”
He grinned. “You want rooftop or beachfront?”