Page 56

I didn’t hesitate. My hand tightened on her waist, my jaw setting as the answer burned through me. “We’re going to find whoever killed Diego,” I said, voice low, lethal. “And we’re going to put them in the ground.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, a flicker of that cold resolve flashing in her gaze. She didn’t say anything, just nodded once, sharp and sure, and settled back against me.
I held her tighter, feeling the steady beat of her heart against my ribs, and knew—whatever it took, whoever it was, they’d pay. For Diego. For her. For us.
23
CLAIRE
Later that day, the hotel lobby was too bright. Too polished. Too full of people whose lives hadn’t just shattered.
I stepped inside, the air-conditioning sharp against my skin, and let my eyes sweep the room. Too many suits. Too many tourists dragging overpriced luggage across marble floors, their conversations a dull hum that made my pulse throb.
Marcus was behind me. Close enough that I could feel him, his presence a steady heat at my back. He hadn’t wanted me to come alone. He hadn’t said that outright—he never did—but the way his jaw had ticked when I told him my plan had been enough.
Now, he was here. A shadow at my side, a protector I hadn’t asked for but wasn’t stupid enough to refuse.
I didn’t have the energy to fight him on it. Not today.
Isabel was waiting for me near the concierge desk, her arms crossed, weight shifted onto one hip like she was prepared for a battle. I barely knew her, but I knewof her—she was engaged to Ryker Dane, which meant she’d been pulled into this world the same as I had.
She was beautiful in a way that felt effortless. The kind of woman who looked like she had secrets. Like she knew how to use them.
Her gaze flicked to Marcus, then back to me. “I’m guessing this isn’t a social visit.”
“No,” I said, my voice steady despite the exhaustion dragging at me. “It’s about Diego.”
Her expression softened just slightly. “I’m so sorry.”
A beat of silence stretched between us.
I wasn’t here as a journalist. I wasn’t here to twist her into giving me something she shouldn’t. I was here as a woman who had lost someone.
She must have seen it in my face, because after a long breath, she nodded. “Come on.”
She turned, leading us past the front desk, through a hallway marked Staff Only.
I followed, but not before noticing the two men positioned near the entrance of the lobby—broad shoulders, sharp gazes, the kind of alert stillness that only came from training. They weren’t hotel security. They were Ryker’s men.
Of course.
It shouldn’t have surprised me. The fact that Ryker had even let Isabel stay at work today was unexpected, but now I understood. He wasn’t stupid, and he sure as hell wasn’t careless when it came to what was his. If she was here, it was because he’d made damn sure she was protected.
Marcus stayed close as we stepped inside a small security office, his hand brushing my lower back. The touch was light. Almost absentminded.
But I felt it everywhere.
Isabel closed the door behind us, exhaling as she moved toward the monitors. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think I’ll be working here much longer. At least, not in my current capacity.”
I glanced at her, arching a brow.
She let out a soft, knowing laugh. “Ryker’s buying the hotel. The deal should close soon.” She shrugged. “Apparently, owning half the city wasn’t enough for him.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised. Of course, Ryker Dane wasn’t content with just running a billion-dollar security empire. The Palmetto Rose would be his soon enough, which meant Isabel wouldn’t just be an employee—she’d be untouchable.
Safe.
Protected.