Austin hadn't said a word since they left the warehouse. The flash drive Talia handed over now sat in a steel-locked case under biometric surveillance, but his mind wasn't at ease.
Too many pieces on the board.
Too many ways to lose.
He sat at the edge of the bed in the dark, elbows on his knees, staring at the wall like it might offer him clarity. Clair shifted under the covers behind him.
"You're not sleeping," she murmured.
"No."
"You never do when something's heavy on your mind."
He didn't respond right away.
Then, quietly, he said, "I think Elias is falling for her."
Clair sat up, resting a hand on his back. "Talia?"
"He's trying not to show it, but I've seen that look before. The same one I had when I first looked at you."
She smiled softly. "You mean when you kidnapped me?"
Austin chuckled, just a little. "Even then. I just didn't know what to do with the feeling."
Clair slid beside him, wrapping her arms around his torso. "So what's bothering you more? The drive... or the fact that your brother might have let someone into his heart?"
He exhaled deeply. "Both. Because either one could be used against us."
Clair leaned her head on his shoulder. "You've built a fortress, Austin. I know that. But not every open door is a weakness. Sometimes it's the beginning of strength."
He turned toward her, his hand brushing along her jaw.
"You always say the right thing."
"Because I'm not afraid of you. And I never will be."
He leaned in and kissed her, slow and deep. It wasn't hungry or possessive. It was tender. Patient. It said everything he couldn't find words for.
And when he pulled back, his voice was softer.
"I want to build a legacy with you, Clair. Not just an empire. Not just fear. Something real. Something that outlives me."
"You already are," she whispered. "One moment at a time."
The next morning, Clair stood in the hallway, waiting for Austin to finish a secure call. She'd promised not to interrupt, but her curiosity was eating at her.
She glanced toward his office door, slightly ajar, and heard the end of the conversation.
"No leaks," Austin said. "If the FBI moves, we counter before they blink. And watch Isadora. She's too quiet."
He ended the call.
Clair stepped in.
"Still no movement from her?"
Austin looked up, surprised to see her.
"No. That worries me more than a direct hit."
She walked toward him, holding something in her hand.
"Austin... I found this in the back of the nursery closet."
He took the object. A velvet box. Inside was a gold locket with a tiny diamond heart.
"This isn't mine," Clair said.
Austin stared at it.
"That belonged to my mother."
Clair tilted her head. "I thought she passed when you were young?"
"She did. But this... this locket was never recovered. I haven't seen it in years."
"Then how did it get in the nursery?"
Austin's eyes darkened. "Someone planted it."
"But why?"
"To rattle me. To make me question who's already inside my walls."
Clair frowned. "Do you think Isadora...?"
Austin shook his head. "No. Isadora wouldn't use sentiment. She'd use poison."
Clair crossed her arms. "Then we're being watched from within."
He stood and cupped her face gently. "You will not be hurt. I'll shut down this entire city before I let that happen."
"I'm not asking you to go to war, Austin."
"Then you don't know me yet."
Her eyes softened. "No. I do. That's why I'm asking you to fight smarter, not louder. We have more to lose now."
He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing her in.
"You always ground me. Even when I want to tear the world apart."
"That's what love does."
Elias was waiting for Austin in the control room.
"You look like hell," Elias said.
"I found the locket."
Elias's expression froze.
"The one Mom used to wear?"
"Yes. It was in the nursery."
"That's not random."
"I know. Someone's trying to get in our heads. Make us paranoid."
Elias looked at the monitors. "Then let's give them something to be paranoid about."
Austin nodded.
"Let's set the trap."
That afternoon, Austin staged a fake transfer of the flash drive. He made sure every surveillance camera in the building caught him handing it off to a decoy operative. Clair watched from the shadows, heart in her throat.
"You sure this will work?" she asked.
"If we're lucky, the mole will take the bait and go after the wrong person."
"And if we're not lucky?"
"Then I burn everything down and start again."
She knew he meant it. And it terrified her. Because the man she was falling deeper in love with could destroy cities with a whisper. But for her... he was trying to build one instead.
That night, they returned to the nursery. The crib was half-finished, tools scattered around. Clair picked up a soft blanket she'd ordered, a pale blue knit with tiny clouds.
"Do you think he'll like it?"
Austin nodded. "He's going to have everything we never did."
"And more," she said. "He'll have parents who love each other."
Austin looked at her.
"I do love you, Clair. I know I didn't say it before. Maybe I was scared to. But you've earned every piece of my heart. Even the broken parts."
She smiled, tears forming in her eyes. "Then I guess it's my turn to say it too."
He waited.
"I love you, Austin Montgomery. You stole me once. But now I give myself to you freely."
He crossed the room in two steps and kissed her, pulling her close until there was no space between them.
And in that moment, the outside world disappeared.
No enemies.
No betrayals.
Just them.
Building something real.