Chapter 18 Fishing
Anna's POV
Xavier swirled the wine in his glass thoughtfully. “If Sam sees you, Lucas, he’ll run. His clan will hide him. But if he sees her…” His gaze shifted to me. “He’ll come out.”
My stomach twisted. “You want me to lure him?” I asked carefully.
“Yes.”
“And the father?” Lucas asked.
“Yes, I don't expect him to be stupid, use her to lure that bastard out also.”
Lucas hesitated. “What if she tries to escape?”
The question stunned me. This was the same man who had promised to help me escape.
Now he was questioning my loyalty in front of Xavier?
Xavier’s eyes returned to me. “She’s smart,” he said calmly. “She wouldn’t dare.”
The confidence in his voice unsettled me more than suspicion would have.
He believed he owned me. Owned my fear. Owned my options.
I forced a small, obedient nod. “I won’t run,” I said.
Xavier studied me for a long moment before giving a satisfied smile. “Good. You’ll leave in an hour.”
He stood and walked past me, his shoulder brushing lightly against mine.
“Dress appropriately,” he added softly. “You’re going to see family.”
Family. The word felt foreign.
When he disappeared down the hallway, silence settled between Lucas and me.
The air felt heavy.
Lucas stepped closer once we were alone.
“You handled that well,” he muttered under his breath.
“Did I?” I whispered back. “You almost blew it when you questioned my escape.”
His jaw tightened. “I had to. If I didn’t, he would suspect something between us.”
Between us. I didn’t like the way that sounded.
“Is this part of your plan?” I asked quietly. “Using me as bait?”
Lucas exhaled slowly. “This wasn’t the original plan. But it might work in our favor.”
“How?”
“Sam owes Xavier a lot of money. If Sam is alive and using your card, he’s desperate. Desperate men make mistakes.”
“And what happens when we find him?” I asked.
Lucas looked at me carefully. “That depends on what he knows.”
A chill ran down my spine. “And if he knows nothing?”
Lucas didn’t answer immediately. “That depends on Xavier’s mood.”
I looked toward the staircase where Xavier had disappeared. Everything was spiraling.
Sam being alive complicated things. If he talked— No.
He didn’t know about my agency work.
He only knew fragments. Still dangerous. Still unpredictable.
Lucas lowered his voice even further. “If you’re going to do this, you need to act convincing. No hesitation. No hidden agenda. If Xavier senses anything—”
“I know,” I cut in.
I met his eyes directly. “You said you’d help me.”
“I will.”
“When?”
He hesitated. “Soon.”
That wasn’t comforting. But it was all I had.
To be honest, this would have been the perfect time to escape.
I looked at Lucas as we stood in the hallway, our voices low enough not to travel.
“You know,” I said quietly, “this is the best opportunity I’ll ever get. We’ll be outside. No guards watching every step. I could just disappear.”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “Yes. You could. But it would trace back to me.”
I frowned. “How?”
“Because I’m the one assigned to you. If you vanish under my watch, Xavier will know I helped. And he won’t just kill me, Anna. He’ll make an example out of me.”
I crossed my arms. “You could tell him I died.”
Lucas gave me a flat look. “Xavier wouldn’t believe that unless he sees your dead body. And even then, he’d have it examined. Full forensic check. DNA. Autopsy. He trusts no one.”
I hesitated, then took a step closer. “Then we run together.”
The words surprised even me.
Lucas stared at me for a long second before shaking his head. “I don’t want to run from Xavier. And I don’t want to leave his side.”
That stung.
“I just want you safe,” he continued. “But you have to work with me. No more escape attempts. No making things harder than they already are.”
His eyes locked on mine. “Do we have a deal?”
I held his gaze. If it weren’t for my new mission… I would have bolted without looking back.
But I needed to stay close to Xavier. Needed answers. Needed access.
“We have a deal,” I said finally.
He nodded once.
“What should I wear?” I asked.
“Something simple. Tell Eve you’re going fishing. She’ll arrange it.”
I nodded and headed upstairs. I almost collided with Eve on the staircase.
“Where are you going?” she asked suspiciously.
“Lucas said I should tell you I’m going fishing.”
Her brows lifted. “Fishing?”
“Yes.”
She studied my face carefully before sighing. “Xavier is letting you out of the mansion? That’s surprising.”
“Why?”
“It’s a test,” she said bluntly. “He wants to see if you’ll try anything unusual. Especially for someone he considers weak.”
I forced a small smile. “I won’t do anything foolish.”
Eve stepped closer. “Don’t try to impress Xavier. For your own good.”
I nodded politely.
But in my head, I planned the opposite.
If Xavier wanted to test me, I’d give him a performance worth remembering.
Eve handed me a pair of black jeans and a fitted white top. Simple. Casual.
I changed quickly and went downstairs.
Lucas was already waiting near the door. His eyes swept over me briefly before he motioned toward the car outside.
I was surprised when we got in and it was just the two of us. “No guards?” I asked as we drove off.
“The main operation doesn’t begin until nightfall,” he replied.
“Where are we headed then?”
“To your foster parent’s house.”
I shook my head. “They won’t be there.”
“Of course they won’t,” he said calmly. “So the house is either empty or sold. I just want to confirm.”
He reached into his pocket and handed me a small device. “Communication transmitter. Go in and report everything you see.”
I nodded.
He parked a short distance from the house. “Walk from here.”
I stepped out of the car, the familiar street tightening something in my chest.
Memories flooded back as I approached the house.
But I froze.
Two bulky men sat in front of the entrance, smoking weed. Tattoos crawled up their arms.
Their eyes narrowed when they saw me. “You’re not allowed here,” one of them said lazily. “Private property.”
“It belongs to my foster parent,” I replied evenly.
Before they could respond, I heard footsteps behind me.
Two more men stepped out, guns in hand.
My heart rate slowed instead of rising.
One of the men smirked. “Patrick didn’t mention having any foster daughter.”
Another lifted his gun and pointed it directly at me, cocking it with a sharp click.
“Hands up,” he ordered. “Where I can see them.”
I slowly raised my hands.
The device Lucas gave me pressed against my palm. And I prayed he was listening.