Page 84 of These White Lies

Finn waves a hand, cutting me off. “If I didn’t know you were so wound up, I’d be offended.”

“I’m not wound up.” I glare at him, but he ignores me.

Elizabeth is nothappy about being left behind when I prepare to leave later that night. But once I remind her that half my head would be with her if she came with me— even locked in an SUV—she caves. I’m learning she gives in a lot faster when the risk is mine instead of hers.

“Is this dangerous?” she asks from the doorway, arms folded.

“I’ve got his back,” Vincent answers for me.

Her eyes cut to him. “You’re going with him?”

He nods, and the tension leaves her shoulders. She shifts on her feet, clearly still anxious, and I want to kiss her. Tell her that everything will be fine. But Sera is watching, and the last thing I need is another argument.

We parka quarter mile from Carrow’s estate. Fortunately, because these estates sit on multiple acres for privacy, the streets are dark without much traffic. The entire property isn’t fenced, and we cut through the adjoining woods, branches brushing against my black long-sleeved shirt as we move into position. From our vantage point, the property appears vacant under the moonlight.

I lift my scope. “Two guards.”

“Look at these lazy shits,” Vincent grouses. “That fucker is on his phone.”

“Should have hired us,” I say, scanning the line of the building. “I count four cameras on this corner.”

We creep closer and circle the house slowly, taking mental note of every security feature and all the points of strength andweakness. By daybreak, we’ve timed their rotations down to the minute, and all the weak points are logged. I’ve clocked the extra guard inside the house patrolling. The guards change out at seven a.m., and the housekeeper arrives at eight. When the daytime surveillance team arrives, we retrace our steps to the SUV.

“So, we can count on three for sure,” I say, turning the key in the ignition. “Maybe one or two more when he’s home.”

“Easy peasy.”

I turn my head slowly and stare at him in the passenger seat like he’s sprouted a second head.

“What?”

I gape at him. “Did you just sayeasy peasy?”

He flushes and mutters a denial.

“Youdid.” My eyebrows go up. “Are you having a stroke?”

“The kids say it.”

It clicks. Vincent is cold with no compunction about hurting people. However, over the last few years, he has spent holidays and birthdays with the Bloom family. He guarded the billionaire family for decades, and after the patriarch David Bloom’s death, he slid into the role of pseudo-grandfather for the newest generation.

I can’t help it. I chortle as Vincent scowls darkly at me.

“Keep smiling, dickhead.”

I only grin wider, not even pretending to hide it.

“What’s wrong?”I ask, shutting the door behind me.

Elizabeth is sitting on the sofa in the common room when I find her. She looks sad with a slightly guilty expression, which makes me instantly pissed off at whoever upset her.

“My parents saw Keith’s obituary in the paper.”

I stop halfway across the room. “Thepaper?”

“Yeah.” She lets out a slow exhale and sets the phone down. “They’re upset I didn’t tell them. And… They’re not wrong. Ishouldhave called them. They were never his biggest fans, but they knew him for a long time.”

I drop into my chair across from her. “You’ve been a little busy.”