Page 24 of Silence and Surrender

“Something like that.”

“And the sleepless nights?”

I stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“The circles under your eyes. The tension in your shoulders. The slight fatigue in your walk. You forget Allegra spent years reading people’s bodies. She noticed the moment you stepped off of Steele’s jet.”

Through the kitchen windows, I could see Allegra and Clara shaping bread dough together, flour dusting their matched dark hair. The domestic scene felt like a painting, something precious I needed to protect.

“I’m handling it,” I said finally.

“Like I handled things? Alone?” There was no judgment in his voice, just the weight of experience. “How’d that work out for me before Allegra?”

“That was different. You were—”

“Breaking laws instead of trying to uphold them?” He gave me a wry smile. “The weight’s the same, brother. Secrets are secrets.”

The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the vineyard’s tidy rows. In the distance, an olive grove caught the last golden light. Cooper had built this, transformed his life from moving other people’s treasures to creating his own.

“There’s something wrong at the bank,” I said finally. “Something I can’t ignore. But I can’t prove it yet.”

He waited, letting the admission hang in the cooling air.

“If I’m right...” I took another sip of wine, buying time. “If I’m right, everything changes.”

Inside, Clara’s laugh rang out, bright and innocent. Cooper’s expression softened at the sound.

“Let us help,” he said quietly. “Whatever it is, let family be family.”

“I’ve got it handled…but thanks.”

Cooper studied me for a long moment, then smiled slightly. “You know, for someone claiming it’s just work complications, you check your phone an awful lot. Almost like you’re waiting to hear from someone specific.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“I didn’t say what I think.” He swirled his wine again thoughtfully. “But I haven’t seen you this...invested in anything since Catherine. Or this distracted.”

“The bank—”

“Has survived without you checking your messages every five minutes before.” His eyes were knowing. “There’s someone, isn’t there? Someone mixed up in whatever’s got you training like you’re preparing for war.”

I focused on my wine, not meeting his eyes.

Cooper watched me over his wine glass. “You’ve changed a lot the past few years.”

“What do you mean?”

“You still get your fix through your usual...arrangements?” He referred to my carefully selected encounters with a pointed look. “The ones at The Dorchester? The Mayfair? The visiting executives?”

I stiffened. “That’s none of your business.”

“No? You don’t think I recognize what’s happening? I lived it, remember?” He lowered the pitch of his voice. “Before Allegra, I was worse than you. At least your women are willing participants. I had high-end escorts in every major city—Paris, Rome, London…Each one carefully vetted, extremely expensive, and completely forgettable.”

“It’s different—”

“Is it? Your corporate conquests, my high-end whores, we were both just avoiding real connection. At least I was honest about paying for it.” He studied me. “How many this year, Colton? How many women have you taken to The Dorchester or one of Steele’s hotels, pushed yourself between their thighs, and never called again?”

I looked away. “That’s not—”

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