CALIX
I watched Rack disappear through the office doors like a storm barely being held together.
The second the door slammed shut, the tension he’d been carrying lingered in the room, sharp enough to taste.
And all I could think was,he’s a better man than me.
I’d never admitted that before, never even entertained it, but listening to them argue… hearing Olivia lay out the logic behind her plan while Rack fought against it with nothing but fear for her safety… I kept finding myself leaning toward her side.
That was the difference between us.
Rack loved with his whole chest, and I survived by winning.
The first step in becoming a Syndicate boss was to find a strong and capable second. The second step was to use everyone and anything at my disposal to win. For the Syndicate, for my family, for the greedy soul inside me that refused to lose.
Pushing off the desk, I lazily pointed toward the door Rack had just vanished through.
“He’s worried about you,” I said. “That’s all. Don’t take it to heart.”
My lips twitched faintly. “He cares so much he can’t stand even the possibility of danger being around you.”
“And you don’t?”
The question hit harder than it should have.
I immediately turned toward her, denial already climbing into my throat, but I stopped because the truth sat there waiting for me.
And because she wasn’t mine.
My jaw tightened.
I looked away before my face revealed too much.
“That's not true. I just…” Words caught in my throat. My heart squeezed, urging me to tell her the truth, to admit that I cared for her more than myself, but I bit my tongue, reminding myself who I was and who I was not. “I’m your maker, the one you should come to with your troubles, but also someone you can count on when you need someone to lean on. That kind of relationship takes time and trust. No better start than today, right?”
Half laughing, half cringing at myself, I made my way to the door, thinking of what to do first. Her voice stopped me in my tracks.
“I trust you, Calix.” The words stopped me mid-step, and I slowly turned, brows drawing together before I could stop them. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
She straightened as she said it, like she was bracing herself for me to argue. Her fingers twisted together tightly in front of her, knuckles paling from how hard she held on, but her gaze never left mine. Not once.
The air caught somewhere in my lungs, and for one stupid, dangerous second, I couldn’t do anything but stare at this woman.
Even with the glamor on, I could see her. The stubborn lift of her chin. The tension sitting in her shoulders despite the certainty in her voice.
Trust wasn’t something Olivia handed out easily. I knew that now. Every instinct she had screamed survival, distance, and self-preservation, yet here she was, placing that trust in my hands like I wouldn’t break it. Like I hadn’t already spent every second around her fighting the urge to ruin everything.
She trusted me? Really?
Before I could respond, she vanished into a blur of motion that shot across the room, then she was standing right beside me. Her fingertips landed lightly against my arm, so light I barely felt them, then her entire face lit up.
“Yes!” she burst out excitedly, dancing on her tippy toes. “I did it!” She looked absurdly proud of herself. “I got closer without crashing into you.”
I stared down at her, completely derailed by how cute she looked celebrating something so small.
Her grin washed every darker thought right out of my head. Fucking dangerous. That was how cute she was.
“That,” I said slowly, “is definitely the first thing we’re practicing.” I opened the door and motioned for her to follow. “You need to learn control before you accidentally put yourself through a wall.” She followed beside me while I led her deeper into the floor.
