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"We managed to pull high-res surveillance stills from the charity gala. We caught several guys moving around Nolan and his brothers throughout the night. We're wondering if Alexis can take a look and help identify any of them since she knows that circle."

I keep one hand on the wheel, my eyes on the road ahead. "Hold on. Let me ask her."

I glance sideways at Alexis in the passenger seat. "Elijah pulled pictures of the men who were with Nolan and his brothers at the gala. He wants to know if you can take a look and see if you recognize any of them."

Alexis shrugs, her expression turning serious. "Yeah, I can do that."

I tap my earpiece. "She says okay. Where are you?"

"At Eden," Elijah replies immediately.

"On my way," I say, snapping the call off and redirecting the car toward the club.

I glance over at her as I pull into the fast lane, my grip tightening slightly on the steering wheel. "You sure you want to do this?"

Alexis rolls her eyes, looking out the passenger window. "Yes, Cain. I'm sure."

Twenty minutes later, we pull up to Eden and head straight up to the office. The door swings open to reveal only Elijah and Ezekiel waiting inside, surrounded by monitors and papers.

"Alexis," Elijah nods respectfully, stepping back from the desk. "Thanks for coming in to help us with this."

Ezekiel gives her a brief nod of appreciation. "We appreciate it."

“It’s okay,” Alexis smiles. “I’m happy to help, especially since you’re helping me even more.”

I lead her directly over to the main laptop, pulling out a leather chair for her. "Take a look."

Alexis leans in, her eyes scanning through the high-resolution surveillance stills Elijah pulled from the gala. Because she spent months serving Nolan and his inner circle repeatedly at The Blackwood, she recognizes most of the men immediately.

Pointing at the screen, she walks us through the room—explaining who Nolan usually speaks with, which heavy-hitters Brendan actually seemed interested in, and pointing out a handful of new faces who only started appearing at the tables after the twins returned to the city.

Then her finger stops over a stocky man in a tailored grey suit.

"Him," Alexis says firmly. "He's a union representative. He comes into The Blackwood a lot, but he almost always meets Nolan away from the main Devlin table. It's always quiet, always low-key."

Elijah's fingers fly across his keyboard, pulling up the gala's donor logs and cross-referencing the man's face. "Got him," Elijah mutters. "Name’s Tom. Traced the charity payment he made at the event... and look at that." He clicks through a series of bank transfers. "Payments from his subsidiary accounts straight to key dockworkers and local warehouses."

Levi strolls into the office right as the data pops up, leaning against the doorframe with a wide grin. "Look at you, Alexis," he chuckles smoothly. "Better than half our intel team. We might just have to put you on payroll."

A dark wave of annoyance surges through my chest. I step up right behind her chair, my frame towering over her as my jaw clenches tightly.

Alexis glances up, catching the sudden, possessive glare I'm leveling at Levi. A wicked, deliberate spark lights up her eyes.

I lean down close to her ear, my deep voice dropping into a dangerous rumble meant only for her. "Keep looking at me like that, doll, and you'll be running through those woods again before nightfall."

A bright flush immediately creeps up her neck and cheeks. She glances nervously over her shoulder toward the guys. "Shh! They're going to hear you."

"I don't give a fuck," I growl softly against her skin, keeping my hand resting firmly on the back of her chair.

Alexis flashes another coy smile, her eyes sparkling with a mix of defiance and absolute delight at the effect she has on me.

I'm half tempted to grab her by the wrist, haul her out of this office, and drive her straight back to my estate to finish what we started in the woods. But the harsh reality of our situation snaps back into focus.

I know Alexis. She’s stubborn to her absolute core, and as much as I want to keep her tucked safely inside my walls under my personal watch, I know I won't be able to convince her to stay another night at my place without a fight.

She needs her independence, and with her house now fully fortified with Elijah's high-level security and biometrics, it is time for her to return home.

I take a deep breath and ground myself.