The next morning began entirely too early.

At least according to Riley.

“Why is the sun awake?”

Kade didn’t look away from the road.

“It’s seven-thirty.”

“Exactly.”

“You were briefed yesterday.”

“I heard the words.”

“Apparently not.”

Riley glared at him from the passenger seat.

The black sedan slid smoothly through downtown traffic.

For someone who used to drive strangers around for a living, Kade somehow managed to make every drive feel like a military operation.

Hands at ten and two.

Eyes constantly moving.

Checking mirrors every few seconds.

It was both impressive and mildly terrifying.

“Do you ever relax?”

“No.”

“That was a serious question.”

“So was my answer.”

Riley groaned dramatically.

Into her earpiece, Mia’s voice crackled.

“Focus, Torres.”

“You sound just like him.”

“That’s because you’re distracting both of us.”

“Wow. Betrayed by my own handler.”

“I am not your handler.”

“See?” Riley pointed at the earpiece. “Handler.”

Mia sighed.

Kade almost smiled.

Almost.

~

The gallery was gorgeous.

Which Riley immediately hated.

Not because it wasn’t beautiful.

but Because it was expensive beautiful.

The kind of beautiful that made people stand in front of a blank white canvas and nod thoughtfully while pretending they understood it.

Modern sculptures filled the room.

Paintings lined the walls.

Guests wandered between displays holding champagne.

Everyone looked rich.

And Riley suddenly felt very aware that she had spent twenty minutes this morning arguing with a toaster.

“Remember the objective,” Mia said through the earpiece.

“Observe suspicious activity.”

“Correct.”

“No stealing art.”

“Correct.”

“No touching suspicious buttons.”

“Still not part of the briefing.”

“Yet.”

Kade guided her deeper into the gallery.

Tonight they were posing as wealthy investors.

Which was hilarious. Because Riley still had three dollars and forty-two cents in her personal checking account.

“Smile,” Kade said quietly.

“I am smiling.”

“You look like you’re plotting a crime.”

“I am judging the art.”

“That’s worse.”

~

For nearly forty minutes, nothing happened.

They walked.

Talked.

Pretended to admire paintings.

Kade remained frustratingly handsome.

Riley remained determined not to think about that.

Everything was going according to plan.

Which was exactly when things went wrong.

“Agent Mercener.”

The unfamiliar voice made Kade stop.

Immediately.

Riley noticed the change.

The tiny shift in posture.

The tension in his shoulders.

The way his attention sharpened.

Danger.

A man stood near one of the sculptures.

Mid-forties.

Expensive suit.

Cold eyes.

And unlike everyone else in the room—

He was looking directly at Kade. Not at their cover identities.

But At Kade.

The spy.

Not the investor.

Not the driver.

Not the disguise.

But Kade.

“Oh,” Riley muttered.

“That’s probably bad.”

The man smiled.

It wasn’t friendly.

“Very bad,” Mia said in her ear.

For the first time all evening—

Mia sounded worried.

The man approached slowly.

“Didn’t expect to see you here.”

Neither Kade nor Riley moved.

The gallery suddenly felt much smaller.

Much quieter.

“Who is that?” Riley whispered.

Silence.

Then Mia answered.

“Kade.”

The man stopped a few feet away.

His smile widened.

“Kade, tell your partner who I am.”

Partner.

The word made Riley’s stomach flip for reasons she absolutely refused to examine.

Kade’s jaw tightened.

And when he finally spoke—

His voice was colder than she’d ever heard it.

“His name is Victor Kane.”

The name seemed to suck the air out of the room.

Mia cursed.

Actually cursed.

Which Riley had never heard before.

And that scared her more than anything.

Because if Mia was nervous…

Then this man wasn’t just dangerous.

He was history.

The kind of history that left scars.

Victor’s eyes shifted toward Riley.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Like he was examining something valuable.

Or vulnerable.

And Riley suddenly understood one thing with terrifying certainty:

This mission had just become personal.

And whatever had happened between Victor Kane and Kade—

It wasn’t over.

Not even close.