Page 88 of Heart of a Villain

Dez coughed, thumping his chest. “That piece of shit concrete is worth almost nine figures?”

Julien chimed in, “The value was artificially inflated. I recognize it too. It makes no sense that it would be set up at a club, though. I know this place is nice but,” he quickly scanned the rest of the decor, “nothing else in here comes close to comparing.”

“Money laundering?” Joel absently asked, still assessing the crowd.

“Might be. See that man over there?” Julien flicked a discreet finger. “I’m pretty sure his name’s Bernstrom. Swedish name, but he’s American.”

Ant took another small sip from his glass. “Wall Street?”

“If you’re talking about wiping it clean,” Julien said. “That man could steal the mustache off of…quick, Gage, give me an actor.”

“But I don’t have an actor,” Gage said.

Julien rolled his eyes.

“Burt…Russell?” Adrían offered.

“Reynolds,” Joel corrected. “And, if a skilled thief is in the same building as an expensive piece of trash art, that’s not a coincidence. I know we’ve been saying that Mora’s run out of money. What if the time’s come?”

“It has to be expensive to retain Gamma without Central’s backing,” Adrían said.

Dez scratched his jaw. “I don’t think she completely stepped away from being involved with Central. She doesn’t control the organization, not as much as she used to, but I don’t think she officially cut all ties.”

Adrían examined the statue.

Considering its value, there was only minimal security nearby, which could have been due to not everyone being privy to the pillar’s price tag. It was also possible that there was more than visible security at the club. The item probably had all sorts of tech attached, all poised to go off blaring if it was so much as breathed upon too closely.

“We need to tell them,” Joel suggested. “We always say that we’re better equipped to protect our families, and I agree, but I think we should also give them more agency in their own protection.”

“Mo knows,” Gage offered.

“Because she’s Mo. Mo could be one of us if she wanted to be, like that one woman you mentioned at the jump, Delgano.”

“Hannah?” Adrían asked, grabbing a drink of his own. “From what I’ve seen so far, Mo’s skills surpass Hannah’s, but I haven’t seen Hannah in years. There’s no telling what she’s capable of now.”

They all silently studied him.

He cursed under his breath.

“We already figured that her being dead was a lie,” Mike said. “We just needed you to confirm it.”

“It was her only way out of this life.”

“Hannah, problem,” Giorgio asked.

There was no logical reason Giorgio should have ever been able to “creep up” on someone. Yet, Giorgio could move nearly as quietly as Mike did.

Adrían took a moment before he responded, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Regardless of them being Alpha and Omega, they were all now operating as one team. The last thing he wanted was to be the wrench that fucked up the fluidity of the well-oiled machine.

“Not when I knew her,” he answered. “And I don’t see her changing her mind and aligning herself with Mora. Mora tried to kill her. Mora’s her mother’s sister. If anything, Hannah would want revenge more than she’d want an apology.”

Joel pointed to the front of the club. “Our ‘dates’ just arrived.”

Adrían turned.

And he wasn’t the only person in the room who did.

If they were trying to lay low and not call attention to one another, they probably shouldn’t have let them arrive together wearing dresses designed by Xara, looking like they were the priceless artwork on display. They looked like gemstones, from Mo’s ruby romper down to Sayeda’s strapless, sapphire dress that graced the middle of her thighs.

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