Page 104 of House of Lies

Why the hell do I suddenly feel so inferior?

Ethan’s voice breaks the reverential hush surrounding us.

“An excellent replica,” he murmurs, stooping to study the painting.

It would have taken a whole choir of crickets to fill the silence that follows.

Ethan straightens, looking first at Smith, then back at Myles. Then at the painting. Back to Myles.

He takes a hurried step back, gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head. “Don’t tell me this is…”

Myles grins. “Smith said it was one of your faves. Who better to appreciate it than a genuine fan?”

Ethan looks a shade paler. “Jesus fucking Christ, Myles.”

The man pats him on the shoulder. “The Balmont Boys take care of their own.”

Myles turns to me, that same devilish smile on his face. “What do you think, cherry pie? Are you okay sharing Ethan with Lady Agnew?”

I chuckle nervously, but when I see how Ethan is staring at the painting, Myles’s words aren’t that funny anymore. I sniff. “Looks like a bit of a snob. I don’t know if I should curtsy or give her the finger.”

Ethan laughs. Like a full on belly laugh. He claps his hands over his eyes like he can’t bear to stare at Lady Agnew anymore and then waves everyone out of his entrance hall and back into the living area like he’s herding geese.

Something Myles says comes back to haunt me.

The Balmont Boys.

I stare at the four men Ethan allowed into his penthouse, and a small shiver races through me.

Why does that name sound so…mafia?

Chapter 42

Ethan

I take out two beers from the fridge, uncork a bottle of red wine, and set down a bottle of twenty-five-year-old Dalmore single malt and a tumbler on the kitchen island. Cassidy looks at all the alcohol with the same dazed look on her face as she had when she was examining the painting.

I can’t even bear to think about that right now.

“What’s this about a favor?” Myles asks as I pour him a glass of wine.

Smith Hutchinson, in his dark suit, accepts the tumbler of whiskey with a silent nod and goes to stand by the window. With his tall, slim body and dark suit, he could have been an emperor ruling over his land.

Rich takes a beer and goes to stare at the painting before taking a slow tour of the living area. He’s never been one to sit or stand still for long, especially after a line or two of coke.

Troy thanks me quietly for the beer and goes to stand with his back against the wall, keeping all exits in sight. With his military background, it’s second nature to him.

The Balmont Boys love scattering like this. Then it’s impossible monitoring all of them at once.

I grab Cassidy’s wrist and drag her to my side, slipping an arm around her waist to keep her close. “We need you to find someone for us.”

The moment Myles’s smile widens, I realize I chose the wrong words.

“Male? Female? Non-binary? Trans?”

Cassidy’s grip is a little tighter than before.

Myles chuckles. “Who am I kidding? I know what you like. Question is, do you want a trained professional, or someone you can break in? And is this an overnight thing, or a live-in situation?”

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