Page 50 of The Death Dealer

“The new rainforest project is the one we’ve devoted our attention to lately. We’ve met with resistance from those tasked with stripping the land, but from what I can tell, they have no pull or resources to stage any of these attacks.” Facts were missing, and not having all the pieces for the puzzle bothered Soleil. The few absent details were vital to determining who mightbe targetingSpring and her. “Did Alastair have any ideas?”

“None, but his security team is on it. I don’t care much for the odds of the people responsible. Alastair doesn’t suffer attacks on his family.”

“I should say not!” She eased out of Trevor’s grasp and rose. “I’llgive Spring a calland see if the two of us can come up with a list of suspects.”

“Good idea,” Damian encouraged. “But please remain within the walls of Mr. Stockton’s residence until I’ve had a chance to speak with him about security and wards.”

“Of course.”

“I think it’s tied to the Authority,” Trevor stated as his gaze transitioned from her to Damian and back. “Why else would they send me?”

“You said, ‘they,’ butit's possible only one person wasinvolved, right?” Soleil asked, glancing between the men. “Does the Authority always have checks and balances and multiple weigh-ins on a decision like, say, oh, I don’t know, hiring a Death Dealer to assassinate a random earth witch?”

Damian’s mouth twitched, and the fine lines beside his eyes crinkled. “There are indeed checks and balances. However, council members havebeen knownto go rogue, like in the case of Buttagier.” He shrugged. “Although, I suppose it couldbe arguedthe Fates were aware of his motives and moves.”

“Why do you ask?” Trevor leaned back against the headboard and cocked one knee to the side as he crossed his ankle under his straight leg. His casual pose was sexy as hell, and he looked right at home on her bed. Somuch so that she had difficulty remembering what she’d asked in the first place.

“You asked ifit was possible only one person wasinvolved,” he added helpfully, but the gleam in his eye was a telltale sign he’d accessed her unfiltered thoughts.

“Right.” Face warm, she left them to cross to the open window. A cooling ocean breeze swept through when she needed it most. The airflow wasn’t random, and she supposed she had one of the men to thank for its crisp rush over her skin. “If more than one person were involved, I’d believe your assignment had nothing to do with our project.” She turned. “But a sixth sense is telling me it does. And yet I can’t see an entire organization getting behind killing two witches who are doing nothing but bettering the environment.”

“Unless they don’t want the environment bettered.” Damian watched her with considering eyes as if he was putting all the puzzle pieces in place.

“There is that,” she agreed. “But why wouldn’t they? What do they stand to gain if we fail?”

“You said you ran up against resistance on the planting site?” Trevor asked. “Explain what happened, please.”

“It was a bunch of workers with machinery clearing the land. Spring and I had a stand-in and refused to let them destroy the area we recently regenerated.”

“Two women against how many men? Are you…” He choked off the rest of what he’d intended to say, but she heard it through their connection.

“No, Trevor. I’m not crazy.” Soleil rested her hands on her hips and gave him the stink eye. “For your information, Spring doesn’t go anywhere without Knox trailing her. We also had her brother-in-law Cooper Carlyle helping out.” When he would’ve spoken, she narrowed her eyes. “We're fully capable of taking care of ourselves in any situation.”

“Not from what I’ve seen,” he muttered.

She dropped her arms, balling her hands into fists, and stepped toward him. Damian was quick to intercept her.

“Trevor knows you’re capable, Soleil,” he said soothingly. “His reaction is extreme and demeaning to you but still normal for a man worried about the woman he loves.”

She caught what he’d said, but she doubted Trevor had.

“What I do, or who I do it with, is none of your business,” she said, peering at him around Damian’s shoulder. “You can keep your snarky comments to yourself. As a reminder,youweren’t the one to save me today. Sabrina did, by teaching me to use her cloaking shield. So put that in your pipe and smoke it!”

Her brother-in-law looked like he was struggling to keep his laughter at bay, and she gave him a quelling glance.

“You, too.”

Feeling exceptionally proud for standing up to them, she breezed by Damian, swiped her phone off the nightstand, and swept out the door into the hallway like a regal Regency heroine. Her imagined victory was short-lived. The call to Spring woke her up to the fact that the threat was real.

* * *

“You don’t needto say it.” Trevor closed his eyes and sighedheavilyas he rested against the headboard. “I was an ass.”

“As long as I don’t need to say it,” Damian replied dryly.

“She’s maddening.”

“The same could be said of you.”

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