The tequila was aged, smooth, and burned in a good way.
We were in Asher's helicopter, hovering over the East River. The city lights were a blur of diamonds below us. It was quiet up here, save for the rhythmic thumping of the rotors.
"You're bleeding," Asher said.
He wasn't looking at my face. He was looking at my hand, where the hot barrel of the rifle had blistered the skin.
He reached into a compartment and pulled out a first aid kit. He didn't ask permission. He took my hand. His fingers were cool, his touch surprisingly gentle for a man known for hostile takeovers and ruthless corporate warfare.
"I'm fine," I said, trying to pull away.
"Hold still, tiger," he murmured, applying an antiseptic gel. "You saved half the social register tonight. You're allowed to be tended to."
"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "You don't know me."
"I know your type," Asher said, wrapping gauze around my palm. "I've seen eyes like yours before. In people who have seen too much. You remind me of... an old friend."
He looked up, his eyes dark and intense.
"Why did you marry him?"
It was the question everyone was asking.
"I wanted peace," I said, looking out the window. "I had seen enough ugliness. Julian... he seemed safe. Ordinary. I thought if I played the part of the ordinary wife, the nightmares would stop."
"Did they?"
"No," I admitted. "They just changed. Instead of bombs, it was silence. Instead of enemies, it was indifference."
Asher finished the bandage. He didn't let go of my hand.
"He's a fool," Asher said. "He had a lioness and tried to treat her like a house cat. He deserves to be eaten."
My phone buzzed. It was Julian. Again.
Jade, please answer. The police want a statement. The press is going crazy. We need to present a united front. For the stock price.
I showed the screen to Asher.
He laughed. "United front. Cute."
He took my phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Solving a problem," he said.
He slid the window open. The wind roared into the cabin, cold and violent.
"Asher, wait-"
He dropped it. My phone tumbled out into the dark void, falling toward the black water of the East River.
He slid the window shut.
"He won't bother you tonight," Asher smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile of a predator who had just cleared the playing field.
Meanwhile, back at the precinct, Julian was pacing.
"She won't answer," he told the Police Commissioner. "She's with Blackwood. Do you know how dangerous he is?"
"Mr. Vanderbilt," the Commissioner sighed. "Ms. Sterling acted heroically. The officers said she showed remarkable presence of mind. A lot of civilians freeze. She didn't. You, however, have some questions to answer regarding the security protocols at your event."
Julian walked out into the cool night air. Seraphina was waiting in the car.
"Did you talk to her?" she asked. "Is she going to sue us?"
Julian looked at her. Really looked at her.
The adrenaline of the robbery had worn off, leaving clarity. He remembered the feeling of the tablecloth against his face. He remembered Seraphina crying. And he remembered Jade moving like water, like fire.
"She saved us," Julian said. "And I pushed you down to get under the table."
Seraphina stiffened. "You tripped, Julian. It was an accident."
"Was it?"
He got in the car. He felt sick.
He opened his laptop. He needed to know. He typed "Jade Sterling background" into the search bar.
The screen flickered.
NO RESULTS FOUND.
Julian frowned. "How can there be nothing? She has a social security number. She has a driver's license."
He typed again. "Jade Sterling parents."
ACCESS RESTRICTED.
Julian stared at the screen. Not a denial. Not a 404 error. Restricted.
"She warned me," he whispered.
"What?" Seraphina asked.
"Nothing."
He closed the laptop. But the blank, gray screen seemed to stare back at him, mocking his ignorance.
