Faulkner's was just as lively as I expected it to be when I arrived. Guest lounged about, discussing deals over expensive drinks, their laughter mixing with the low hum of jazz playing in the background.

I spotted familiar faces—businessmen, socialites, and a few politicians who pretended they had nothing to hide. They all moved with a confidence that came from knowing whatever they said or did within these walls wouldn't get out. Discretion was one of the rules Faulkner's took seriously, after all.

I wove through the crowd, nodding and exchanging small greetings but never stopping. It'd been two days since Davina's party and I was ready for Tia to give me some answers. Wesley had to work which was likely for the best, considering I didn't know what Tia would say. I needed some kind of explanation for why she'd gone out of her way to have Wesley and I steal Davina's files if she already had her claws in Anton Riley.

If Tia had Anton Riley feeding her information, then our little break-in would have been nothing more than an elaborate distraction. A test, maybe. Either way, the thought didn't sit right with me.

I reached the back of the lounge where the real business happened, past the velvet ropes that separated the powerful from the merely wealthy. A quiet nod to the bouncer, and I was through.

Tia was already there, seated in a booth with a drink in front of her, looking entirely at ease. She glanced up as I approached, a slow smile curving her lips like she'd been expecting me.

"Manolo," she greeted, tilting her glass slightly in acknowledgment. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

I slid into the seat across from her, keeping my expression neutral. "Figured we should talk."

Her smile didn't waver. "About?"

I leaned forward just a bit, lowering my voice. "About why you sent me after Davina's files when you already had Anton Riley feeding you information."

Tia took a slow sip of her drink, unbothered. "You think I'd rely on just one source?"

"That's not an answer."

"You Raymonds and your pride," she said more to herself than to me, shaking her head slightly. 

I exhaled through my nose, forcing myself to stay calm. "You sent Wesley and me after Davina's files, knowing you already had Anton Riley feeding you information. Why?"

Tia swirled the drink in her glass, watching the liquid catch the low light before speaking. "Because I don't trust Anton."

I narrowed my eyes. "You sure looked pretty damn comfortable relying on him the other night."

"Oh, please." She waved a hand dismissively. "Anton Riley is a cockroach. He'll scurry toward whoever offers him the best deal. And right now, that's me. But what happens when Davina makes him a better offer?"

I didn't answer.

"I needed a backup," she continued, tapping her manicured nails against the rim of her glass. "Anton was...useful, sure but there was only so much he could get away with without raising attention."

"So we were the distraction," I finished and rolled my eyes.

Tia smirked, taking another slow sip of her drink. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. You weren't just a distraction."

I leaned back against the booth, crossing my arms. "Enlighten me, then. What were we?"

She set her glass down with a quiet clink, tilting her head. "A test. A contingency. A means to an end."

I scoffed. "Right. So we were insurance."

Tia tapped a finger against her temple. "Smart boy."

I should've been angrier. Maybe I was. But at the same time, it wasn't like I hadn't seen this coming. Tia didn't do anything without a reason, and people like her never put their eggs in one basket.

Still, I didn't like being played.

"You owe me," I changed the subject instead. I doubted there was much more I could get out of her about Anton or who she planned on selling those files to. Not to mention, it wasn't my business anyway. I had my own war to fight before I could stick my nose into anyone else's.

"Names of who's helping your brother. You know I don't forget, Manolo." She slid a paper across the table to me.

I eyed the paper but didn't touch it right away. Instead, I looked back at Tia, trying to read the expression behind that ever-present smirk of hers.

"You could've just told me," I said.

She arched a brow. "Where's the fun in that?"

I huffed out a breath, then picked up the paper and unfolded it. My eyes scanned the names written in her careful, deliberate handwriting. Some I expected—low-level players I already had suspicions about. Others, though...

I clenched my jaw.

Tia watched me, clearly pleased with herself. "Surprised?"

I didn't answer.

I recognized more than a few names—people I thought were neutral, uninvolved. People who should have known better than to get tangled in my brother's mess.

"You sure about these?" I asked, even though I knew Tia wouldn't bring me lies.

"I don't make guesses, Manolo. You know that." She picked up her drink again, swirling the liquid lazily. "Everything on that list is verified. And before you ask, yes, I double-checked."

I exhaled sharply, folding the paper and tucking it into my jacket. "I'll handle it."

"I don't doubt it," she mused. "Just try not to burn everything down in the process. Unless, of course..." Her lips curved. "That's the plan."

I didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, I slid out of the booth, giving her one last look. "We're even now."

Tia's smirk deepened. "For now." I shook my head and stood up to walk away. I turned around just as Tia called out, "Manolo? Do tell Wesley I said hello."

I didn't stop walking, didn't turn back. I just raised a hand in a half-hearted wave and kept moving, letting the noise of Faulkner's swallow whatever smug expression I knew she was wearing.

Outside, the night air was thick, the city still alive with movement. I walked around the building to the back of Faulkner's where Wesley's car was parked and slid inside. I knew I couldn't stay too much longer since I needed to get his vehicle back to him before his shift ended, but I couldn't stop myself from pulling out a small piece of paper with the name Tia had given me during our first meeting.

Hudson Frost.

Hilda's brother and a person I once considered closer to me than my own blood.

Frowning to myself, I shoved the paper into my pocket along with the others and started the drive back to Wesley's place. I wouldn't think about Hudson. Not tonight. However, I knew playing hide and seek would only get me so far and sooner rather than later, I'd have to come out of hiding.