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“I do… yes.”
“Have you heard anything?”
The moment the question lands, Hanna’s expression is a mixture of annoyance, dread, and shock. She only manages to shake her head… but we both already know what’s coming.
“We’re not the only ones who found out about the forged paintings.” His words clutch my lungs and rip them straight out of my chest.
I’m frozen, unable to look Hanna in the eyes anymore.
What have I done?
RONAN
“What do you mean?Have you told someone?” Hanna finally manages to ask, disbelief in her tone.
Finn repeats what Carter told us before we went to the island. That someone powerful is looking for two women who match their descriptions, regarding an art deal struck some time ago.
“That can’t be… I would have heard something.”
Hanna’s eyes become slightly vacant, searching deep into her memories.
“It’s my fault. I’ve done something… I’ve screwed it up,” Annika says, wrapping her arms around herself, her gaze fixed on the dining table, as she gently shakes her head.
An urgent knock on the door interrupts us, and Finn rushes to answer it as we all turn to see who’s arrived. Vin, Carter and Madds walk through, keeping the pleasantries brief as they sit around the table. Carter is opening the laptop he brought with him, his fingers sliding fast over the keyboard.
“It’s not you.” Hanna rubs Annika’s back, trying to soothe her shaking as I squeeze her thigh. “I should have heard something. I didn’t look hard enough.”
I wish I could say their enemy and his team are so good at what they do, that they made sure she wouldn’t find out they’re looking for them. But the guys and I talked about this… whoever these people are, they’re not hiding. Even if they’ve kept their enquiries within a tight circle, the message is clear—I’m coming for you.
“No,” Annika continues. “I should have been more careful. I must have…” she trails off, that soft bottom lip trembling slightly, and there’s this deep-seated need inside of me to wrap her in my arms, comfort her. But unfortunately… there’s more.
“Please stop. We always knew this was a risk. We both understood this right from the start. Even if we weren’t fully ready, we knew there was a big chance someone could find out at any point in the transaction or after it.” Hanna grabs her friend by the shoulders, forcing her to look at her.
“But that doesn’t change—”
“It does, Annika! This is not on you!” Hanna raises her voice, but pain still settles in her friend’s features.
“It really isn’t on you.” Carter’s calm tone forces a tense silence in the room, all eyes snapping to him. He stops typing, lacing his fingers together as he settles his forearms on the table and turns to the girls. “There was no mistake in the painting. That’s not how he found out it is a fake.”
“How then?” Hanna asks.
“The original was found.”
“Jesus Christ,” Annika mutters under her breath. “Which one?”
“The Punishment of Innocents by—”
“Gravano!” Annika’s chair grunts painfully as she abruptly pushes back, the look in her eyes one of utter terror that I can’t fucking bear to witness.
“Little—” I go to touch her, but she’s breaking away.
“You’re wrong. You’re wrong!” She raises her voice in panic. “It’s not possible. If it was, the art world would have gone mad over this. It’s a Gravano, for fuck’s sake! No, you’re fucking lying!” She’s almost shouting now, pleading with Carter to reveal the lie, the mistake, anything but let this be the truth. The color has drained from her face, building inside of me a rage I never thought I could feel.
“What the fuck did he do to you, Annika?!” I seethe, already plotting the death of a man I don’t even know by name.
She ignores me. Hanna turns to her, and I notice now that she doesn’t look better at all.
“We’ll b—be okay. You’ll see. We’ll be fine.”
