“Can you get a clear image?”
“Working on it. But he’s good. Whoever taught him to move like that—” Marcus stops. “Wait. Right. That would have been you.”
The irony isn’t lost on me. I spent decades teaching Damien to evade detection, to move through the world like a shadow. Now those same skills are being used against me.
“Keep tracking. Let me know the moment he approaches the pool or any of her family. And can you patch Nathaniel in tothese reports? It would be more efficient than me relaying all the information.”
“Understood.”
I update Nathaniel. His expression darkens.
“He’s testing your defenses.”
“He’s reminding me that he knows this game as well as I do.” I set down my phone. “What resources do we have?”
I open the tactical display on my tablet and send the mirrored image to the TV showcasing the maps Marcus prepared. Everything we would need: the resort and the wedding venue with all entrances, exits, and blind spots marked.
“Weapons cached at three locations. Here, here, and here.” I mark the points. “You’ll have access to all three. Silver, blessed blades, the usual.”
“Stakes?”
“Traditional but effective. Elena prefers blades, Sofia has her own preferences, but stakes are available if needed.”
“Exit strategies?”
“Boat standing by at the marina. Marcus has contacts in Miami who can provide extraction if we need to disappear quickly.” I zoom in on the wedding venue. “The ceremony is tomorrow at four. Open-air pavilion, good sightlines but limited cover. The reception follows in the main ballroom—more enclosed, easier to control access.”
“You think he’ll wait for the reception?”
“I think he wants maximum impact. The ceremony is about Violet and Chris. The reception is when Poppy’s family gathers, when the cameras come out, when everyone is relaxed and vulnerable.” I pause. “That would be the most likely time to strike.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s when I would do it. But we’ll be prepared either way.”
“How do you think he’ll attack?”
“I don’t know.” The admission burns. “Damien has always been patient. Creative. He’ll have something planned that I haven’t anticipated.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be prepared for whatever he throws at us.”
“I hope so,” I switch to the live pool feed. “Because I don’t think I could handle losing her.”
Poppy is there—a splash of color among the lounge chairs, surrounded by women in swimsuits and sun hats. Her sister’s bridesmaids. Laughing. Drinking champagne. Normal.
She looks happy.
I watch the steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she laughs at something someone said. Watch her tilt her face toward the sun. Watch her be human in all the best possible ways.
Elena is positioned by the pool bar, a book open in her lap. Sofia is on a yoga mat near the entrance. They’re watching. They’re ready.
“Well, ya got two of the fiercest ladies that I’ve ever met,” Nathaniel throws his arm over my shoulders and pulls me in. “They’ll never let anything bad happen to her.”
“Julian.” Marcus activates my earpiece. “I lost him.”
The words hit like ice water. “What do you mean you lost him?”
“He went into the staff quarters, where there’s a gap in camera coverage. I’ve got eyes on both exits, but he hasn’t emerged from either.”
