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That would be his downfall. Because what he didn’t take into account was who I would become with Dillon by my side. Dillon was more than my inspiration. He was my guiding light. I didn’t know who my true self was until Dillon made me think about it.
Yes, ‘Embrace your true self and you will be rewarded’ had been my father’s saying, but it’s hard to see yourself without a mirror. Seeing myself through Dillon’s eyes was the mirror I needed.
I wasn’t who I thought I was. I was someone who felt more than just lust. I was a person who needed more than to keep my loved ones safe.
Those things were a part of me, of course. But it wasn’t all I was. Dillon helped me see that. And once I had, for the first time in my life, I understood that I wasn’t my father. I was just his son.
Growing up with my father had shaped me. But it hadn’t turned me into someone else. I could still be kind and less guarded. I could still be a guy Dillon could love.
Forcing my thoughts aside, I went over the plan one last time and then rolled over to go to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, the sun was still rising. I couldn’t have slept more than four hours and I felt like it. My brain was working slower than usual. And considering it was the one tool I needed to survive today, this wasn’t good.
I tried to catch a few more winks but as soon as I closed my eyes, the plan spiraled through my mind. Would Dillon be able to keep out of sight while planting the bugs? Will Cali hold himself together when he looks into the eyes of the man who shot him and kidnapped Hil?
Past that, I had to get in and out of Armand’s office. His security team would be everywhere. This had been Lucien’s plan and my cousin was certainly a genius. But in the light of day and with my brain working at half capacity, this was feeling impossible. Did I call it off before someone I loved got hurt?
A soft knock on my bedroom interrupted my thoughts.
“Yes?” I asked wondering if the house staff had arrived early.
Eris took that as her invitation to enter. Dressed in a sheer nightie that showed off more than her perfect body, she crossed the room and climbed into bed with me. Making herself my little spoon, she wrapped my arm around her slender frame.
As soon as she did, I tensed. I hated that it was her body pressed against me instead of Dillon’s. But we lay together in silence until my tension caused her to whisper, “Do you really want to go through with this?”
She meant our engagement party. But it was the question I was asking myself about the heist. Feeling her body where Dillon’s should have been, answered my question. And knowing that this could be how it was for the rest of my life, made me sure.
“Yes, I truly do,” I answered, hoping she couldn’t detect the edge in my voice.
Eris smiled, seeming pleased with my response.
The longer I lay next to her, the more reinvigorated I felt. Refocused, I then ticked off each part of the plan as it occurred.
Right on time, Armand’s security team arrived. Hearing them shuffling around downstairs, Eris and I got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Grabbing cups of coffee, we drank it on the back patio.
It took security over an hour to go through every room. As they did, I watched them thoroughly while Eris lost herself in the view of the pool and beach beyond it.
When the suited men found no hidden cameras or mics, they gathered for a quick meeting and then left. That was when the kitchen staff and caterers arrived. Discussing logistics, they searched the space as intently as Armand’s security had. On the heels of that, the event planners and their crew arrived.
As soon as I saw Dillon in his meager disguise, my heart thumped. It wasn’t going to be enough if Eris spotted him. There was something too recognizable about the way Dillon moved.
“I just had an idea,” I said drawing Eris’s attention.
“What’s that?”
“It’s our engagement party, isn’t it?”
“Last time I checked,” Eris snipped.
“We should coordinate what we wear.”
It surprised me how much Eris’s face lit up.
“Really?”
“We’re a couple, aren’t we?”
“Yeah,” Eris said delighted. “See, that’s why I brought two suitcases.”
“It makes sense. Good thinking ahead,” I said with a smile.
