Page 46 of Fired at the Heart

I feel it like a physical pressure, not directed at me, but still present in the air between us.

“Don’t use that voice,” I warn him.

His eyes meet mine, heat passing between us that is nothing like the desire-fueled inferno from the last several hours. “Then control your people.”

“My people don’t need controlling.” I glare at Caleb. “We’re not the ones losing our cool.”

“You cold, fucking asshole!” Caleb lunges toward me, but Raphael grabs his shoulder to keep him in place.

Ezra closes his laptop with a resigned click. “It’s over. Whatever thread we were following has gone cold.”

The finality of his words settles over us, and no one speaks for a long moment. The warehouse creaks around us, the building settling as the night deepens outside.

“So that’s it?” Caleb breaks the silence. “We just give up on him?”

“We regroup,” Raphael says. “Try a different angle. We have data from the other sites we hit tonight. We’ll find property records, bank accounts…”

“That could take weeks,” I point out.

“Do you have a better suggestion?” Raphael challenges.

I don’t, and the admission sits bitter on my tongue.

Cassian’s hand settles on my shoulder. “Our contract was to assist in taking down six locations and to free what Omegas we found there. We gave you a bonus seventh, so our business arrangement is over.”

I stiffen, lips parting then closing again. Nothing Cassian said is wrong. And we’re out of leads.

“You still owe us for services rendered,” Rico reminds Raphael. “Our payment wasn’t contingent on finding your man.”

Caleb stares at us in disgust. “Are you serious right now?”

Jace shifts his weight beside me, his hand drifting toward his weapon. The tension in the room ratchets up another notch.

Raphael’s eyes lock with mine. “Avery?”

“We’ve more than fulfilled our side of the agreement. The job’s over.” I pull my shoulders back, shrugging off Cassian’s hand. “Are you reneging on our agreement?”

Raphael’s expression hardens. “We need to keep searching.”

“You can’t afford to keep us on retainer while you chase ghosts.” I turn to my team. “We’re done here.”

Raphael stomps forward, then freezes when Jace points his gun at him and a red dot appears on his chest from where Lena perches on a crate near the bay door.

A hint of desperation fills Raphael’s expression. “You can’t seriously be planning to walk away after everything that’s happened!”

I hesitate, my heart twisting, and before I can stop the words, they slip past my lips. “You could come back with us.”

Cassian stiffens, the muscle in his jaw bulging as he clenches his teeth, but he remains silent.

And so does Raphael.

I thought my heart was done breaking for this man, but he still finds new ways to crush me. “That’s what I thought.”

“Avery.” Raphael takes a step forward, closing the space between us, but not enough. “Don’t go.”

“There’s no reason to stay.” I lift my chin. “The contract is fulfilled to the extent possible. Anything further requires a new agreement.”

“That’s bullshit, and you know it!” Caleb explodes. “You’re just using that as an excuse to walk away.”

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