Page 69 of Hero Worship

"Which creates vulnerabilities," I added, tactical mind already mapping possibilities. "Points of access we can exploit."

"Exactly." Xavier's fingers resumed their dance across keys. "But we need to be smart about this. Strategic. They're expecting an attack from outside. What they won't expect is for their prey to walk right through their front door."

I caught the implication instantly. "No. Absolutely not. We're not sending Xander back in there."

"They'll be looking for me," Xander countered. "Wanting me more than ever after tonight. The forbidden prize that got away."

"Which makes you an obvious target," I growled, possessive instincts flaring. "The first person they'll suspect."

"Not if we play it right." Xavier's voice was pure ice. "Not if we give them exactly what they want while hiding what they're really getting."

Understanding dawned like lead in my stomach. "You want us to walk right into their lair?"

"The thing they want most," Xavier said, "is someone who truly appreciates their art. A wealthy collector who understands their vision. And what better bait than the one that got away?"

My stomach turned. I didn’t know if I could play that part.

Xavier nodded to Xander. "Ash will go in as the wealthy crime novelist with exotic tastes, commissioning his own private collection. After all, what's more attractive to a killer than someone who shares their particular interests? And Xander will be the perfect lure, the one who escaped, coming back willingly. While I work from the outside, breaking into their systems."

I looked at Xander, saw the mix of fear and determination in his eyes. Remembered how perfectly he'd played his role at the party, right up until everything went sideways. But this would be different. This would mean surrendering completely to Roche's twisted games, trusting that we could spring the trap before it snapped shut.

Silence fell as his words sank in. The plan was elegant in its brutality. Use Roche's own obsessions against them. Make them believe they'd found a kindred spirit rather than a threat.

"It's too risky," I said finally. "Too many variables. Too many ways it could go wrong."

"Less risky than a direct assault," Nikolai mused, studying Xavier with new respect. "And more likely to get us what we really need."

"What you really need?" Xander's voice cracked slightly.

"Evidence," Xavier said simply. "Not just of their murders, but of their clients. Their connections. The entire network thatlets them operate. The kind of leverage that would make certain powerful people very, very nervous."

The pieces clicked into place. This wasn't just about saving Misha or stopping Roche. “That’s why you hired Lucky Losers? You want Roche’s client list so you can blackmail some politicians?”

Nikolai adjusted his suit jacket, but didn’t meet my eyes. “Spoken like someone who doesn’t understand the value of having dirt on politicians and princes.”

My hands clenched into fists as I turned to Nikolai. "So that's what this was really about. Not saving Misha. Not justice for those victims. Just another power play to get dirt on the elite."

"You're naïve if you think saving one person changes anything," Nikolai said, lighting another cigarette. "The system that allowed Roche to operate will just create another monster to take their place. Unless..." He let the word hang in the air.

"Unless you have enough leverage to make the right people very uncomfortable," I finished, bile rising in my throat. "Viktor died never knowing this was just about expanding your influence."

Nikolai shrugged, his expression ice cold. "He made his choices. His death serves a greater purpose now. And this gives us the perfect opening," Nikolai added. "The grieving artist, seeking to memorialize their lost love in a unique way. While their security is distracted by more obvious threats..."

"We slip right through their front door," Xavier finished. "All we need is for everyone to play their parts perfectly."

"How can you be so calm about this?" I asked Xavier. "About sending your sibling into that monster's lair?"

He shrugged. "Because I understand probability. Statistics. The mathematical certainty that even monsters can be predictable." He turned back to his laptop. "And because I'll be in their systems, watching every move. One wrong keystrokefrom them and I can bring their whole operation down. We have more than enough time to lay the groundwork. Plant the right rumors. Make the right connections."

"And if something goes wrong?" The words felt like ash in my mouth. "If we miscalculate?"

"Then you'll have a front-row seat to watch us become art." Xavier's voice held no emotion at all. "Assuming you survive to appreciate it."

The casual brutality of his analysis made my blood run cold. But I recognized the strategy behind it. Sometimes the only way to catch a monster was to become one yourself.

The question was whether I could live with the cost if we failed.

Nikolai studied Xavier with new interest. “You understand what you're suggesting? The risks you're taking?"

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