Page 43 of The Art of Loving You

I’ll fix this,” she vowed. “I swear I will.”

The agent searched my pockets and handed my car keys to Ella before pulling me forward. I stumbled, but not from the force of his grip. It was her words and the raw certainty in them.

Ella wasn’t walking away from this.

From me.

And as they shoved me into the waiting black SUV, that was the only thing keeping me from breaking apart.

The inside of the SUV was silent except for the engine’s hum and the distant chatter from the police radio. The air was cold and clinical, as if designed to strip away any sense of control.

My hands, cuffed behind my back, dug into the leather seat as I shifted, trying to get comfortable—not that it mattered. The agents in the front didn’t acknowledge me; their focus was on the road ahead, the steady rhythm of the flashing lights reflecting off the windows.

I let my head fall back against the seat, staring up at the ceiling as the reality of what had just happened settled in. It wasn’t that Ella hadn’t warned me.

Agent Dimmel finally turned, and with a stern expression, he sneered, “You’ve got quite a name, Mr. Devereux.”

I forced a smirk. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to put that on my resume.”

He didn’t react. “Do you know why you’re here?”

“Oh, I have an idea.” I kept my voice even. “But why don’t you go ahead and enlighten me?”

He tilted his head slightly, studying me. “Your father’s in deep, Lucas. You might want to think about how much you were involved with your father’s art deals.”

I let out a sharp laugh. “That’s cute. You think I had anything to do with this?”

The agent didn’t blink. “We know about the vault.”

My stomach dropped. I froze, my smirk fading. The hidden vault in the gallery wasn’t even in the public records—it was a family secret, a shadow inside a shadow.

And if they knew about it… That meant someone had talked.

I swallowed hard, my mind racing. Had Gabrielle said something? No, she was loyal and wouldn’t have had access to that information.

So who? Then I remembered Svetlana’s calm demeanor when I loadedThe White Angelinto that nondescript van. Now, it all began to make sense.

Another agent leaned forward slightly, sensing my hesitation. “You’re looking at twenty years minimum if we tie you to what’s inside that vault. More, depending on how deep this goes.”

I turned my head toward the window, trying to hide the flash of panic that surged through me. They had me cornered.

Agent Andrews sat back. “You want to help yourself? You tell us everything you know.”

I breathed in slowly, forcing my voice to remain steady. “You’re wasting your time. I don’t know anything.”

Andrews exhaled through his nose, clearly expecting that answer. “Suit yourself,” he said. “But if I were you, I’d start thinking long and hard about where I want to land when this is over.”

The SUV slowed and turned into the secured entrance of the federal detention center. My heart pounded as I took in the highwalls, rows of cameras, and iron gates locking into place behind us.

I was in it now.

And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure if I could talk my way out of it.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Ella

The Jaguar’s engine purred beneath my fingertips as I gripped the steering wheel, trying to steady my shaking hands. My mind raced as I replayed what had just happened at the bail bondsman’s office. The shock of Lucas being arrested right in front of me still hadn’t worn off. The last thing I saw before they took him away was the determined set of his jaw, the silent reassurance in his eyes as the agent tossed me the keys.

---