Page 94 of Stalked

Lia glances at me, hesitating. I give her thigh a reassuring squeeze under the table before releasing her.

“Go ahead,” I murmur. “I'll join you soon.”

She rises, following Mira, who's already leading the procession out. Bianca extracts herself from Knox's possessive grip with obvious reluctance. When the door closes behind them, the atmosphere in the room shifts immediately.

Xavier doesn't waste a second. “Ilya Orlov is becoming a problem.”

“I told you we should've handled this more aggressively from the start,” I say, leaning forward.

“What's the latest?” Landon asks, his expression calculating.

“After what he did to Bianca?” Knox's playful demeanor has completely vanished, replaced by something cold and lethal. “We should've put him in the ground the moment we got her back.”

Xavier drums his fingers on the table. “It wasn't that simple. Orlov has connections that run deep. An outright move would've brought heat on all our operations.”

“So we've been fighting this territorial war instead,” I say, refilling my glass. “How many shipments has he intercepted now?”

“Three,” Landon replies. “And he's been systematically approaching our distributors, offering better rates.”

Knox's knuckles whiten around his glass. “Every day he breathes is a fucking insult after what he did to her.”

I've never seen my youngest brother like this—the Joker replaced by something dangerous and barely contained. The bruises on Bianca's wrists might be fading, but the ones on Knox's soul are still raw.

“We have a plan,” Xavier says, voice low and authoritative. “The Ravenwood Children's Foundation Gala is next Saturday. Orlov confirmed his attendance yesterday.”

“A public event?” I raise an eyebrow. “Bold move.”

Landon leans forward. “We've arranged to have complete control of security. Every entrance, exit, and service corridor will be covered by our people.”

“And Tyson's carnival crew will handle the extraction,” Xavier adds. “They'll be working the event as caterers—perfect cover for getting Orlov out without raising alarms.”

“Tyson agreed to this?” I'm surprised. The carnival mostly keeps to itself, despite our business arrangements.

“After what Orlov tried to do? He's eager to help.” Xavier's expression is calculating. “Colt and Nash will lead the team. They're... particularly motivated after Orlov's men roughed up one of their performers.”

Knox's eyes gleam with dark anticipation. “So we finally get to take this bastard off the board.”

“Once we have him secured,” Xavier continues, “we'll negotiate from a position of strength.”

“Negotiate?” Knox scoffs. “After what he did to Bianca?—”

“We need his connections,” Xavier cuts in. “Kill him, and we lose access to his supply chain.”

I lean back in my chair, watching my brothers discuss Orlov's fate like we're deciding on a fucking wine pairing. Fifteen years ago, we were scraping by in that shithole apartment, and now we're plotting international drug negotiations over dessert plates that cost more than our monthly rent back then.

The way Lia looked around this house tonight—eyes wide, taking in every detail—reminded me how far we've come. From that angry kid with nothing to his name and a girl he couldn't keep, to this. Power. Money. Respect. And finally, Lia is back where she belongs.

37

LIA

The espresso martini slides down smooth, warming me from the inside. Xavier's living room is stunning—all cream and gold, sophisticated without being pretentious.

“This is delicious,” Sadie says, examining her glass with appreciation. “What's your secret?”

“Homemade vanilla syrup,” Mira replies, settling into an armchair with her own drink.

Bianca curls up on the opposite end of the couch from me, tucking her legs beneath her. “So, Lia. How does it feel being back in Ravenwood after spending years in New York?”