Page 6

A wave of anxiety rolled through me, and I inhaled a deep breath to ease the flow.

Life was about choices.Listen to your heart; it will always show you the way.

My mom’s words rang in my ears, reminding me of the power I had over my life. I shoved the jerk out of my head. I’d deal with him after the event.

My phone buzzed with a text message.

Elena:We’re heading to your gallery. Can’t wait to see you all.

Vivian:Sorry I can’t be there today. Will stop by soon!

Nessa:No worries. Stop by anytime.

Michelle:We need a painting for our family room when we come back from vacation.

Audri:I’ll be there. Need another masterpiece for my office.

Nessa: You got it.

Natalie:Congratulations! We’re still in Paris. See you soon.

Nessa:Please bring back some of those macaroons you gave me last time.

Natalie:Already got a box for everyone. (smile emoji)

All the girls chimed in with cheers.

Kiera: I need a lot of art! Will contact you for some commission work soon. Sorry I’m missing our girls’ day out. Catch up soon!

Nessa:Sounds good.

I smiled at these amazing ladies who were my biggest supporters. They’d become friends over their love for my art. I didn’t have many friends. Privacy was important to me because it protected my past, my mother, and what I needed to do.

But after getting to know these women, I’d opened up a little more. Being closed off made me miss out on a lot of things.

I checked on my hair, makeup, and dress, making sure I looked presentable instead of angry, sad, and wanting to strangle all powerful men.

CHAPTER FOUR

ATTIKUS

Arriving earlyat Nessa’s grand opening, I sat in my Maserati and studied the area around the retail strip. The renovation to the brick-front facade had increased the value and appearance of all the stores. Nessa Lambert’s Art Gallery stood out with the gold lettering and large windows.

I glanced at my watch. Twenty minutes before the event officially started. I turned on the spare tablet I kept in my car and reviewed the files of the two suspicious men at The Ritz-Carlton in Boston.

Facial recognition software gave me their identities. Pedro Lopez was the man with the missing tooth, and Martin Brown had the spiky hair. They worked in maintenance for Ultra Health and Fitness, which owned several gyms in New England. Three gyms were in Rhode Island.

Each of them had served time in prison for drug possession and theft. Who had ordered them to target Nessa? My team had hacked into their phones, but they used burners, and so did the other person, which made everything even more suspicious.

Were these men tied to The Trogyn? My friends and I had been working to eliminate this crime syndicate for a while. This dangerous crime organization had an extensive reach worldwide with powerful elite members who would do anything to keep their identities private. My boys and I had destroyed several of their businesses, so we knew they were after us.

A headache bloomed as I turned off the tablet, setting it aside on the passenger seat. I opened the glove compartment, retrieved the bottle of painkillers, and popped two into my mouth, washing them down with water. The past month had been hectic as hell, with no time to breathe. My body was crying out desperately for me to slow down.

After this event, I’ll take a week off.

The calf muscle in my right leg tightened, reminding me I had canceled my physical therapy session for the past few months.

If you don’t take care of yourself, who will?