Chapter 147 Dangerous Territory
Brair's POV
I tore myself from Lucian's embrace and grabbed the butter knife from the table, pressing the dull edge against his throat. My hand shook. "Stay away from me! You liar! Did you think paving the road for me would make me grateful?"
Lucian didn't flinch. His dark eyes locked on mine. "I was wrong. I know I was wrong. Reginald, the guaranteed loan, stabilizing your stock price... you know everything now. I'm not hiding anything anymore."
The knife trembled in my grip, leaving a shallow red line along his neck. "What gives you the right to make decisions for me?"
His hand came up slowly to cover mine. "Vincent is my mentor's close friend. Yesterday I arranged for you to meet him. I'm telling you now. I'm not keeping it from you."
My pupils dilated as the words sank in. Every critical moment over the past weeks flashed through my mind. The meeting with Reginald that had felt too perfectly timed. Daniel's sudden willingness to unite the Nightfall Pack. The mysterious buyers who had stabilized Vance Botanicals' stock price. All of it had Lucian's fingerprints on it—invisible threads he'd woven around my life without my knowledge or consent.
A memory surfaced from weeks ago, when I'd stood alone on my balcony staring at the full moon. I'd whispered to myself in bitter exhaustion, "I wish someone had been holding onto my life when it was falling apart."
Tears blurred my vision as understanding crashed over me. He had been that person. He'd been there all along, catching me when I didn't even know I was falling. The anger that had fueled me moments ago began to dissolve into something more complicated, something that made my throat tight and my chest feel like it might split open.
Lucian's gaze dropped to my wet eyes, his voice soft and uncertain. "Have you forgiven me?"
I couldn't form words. Instead, I rose onto my toes and pressed my lips to his, letting the kiss answer for me. The knife clattered onto the table as my hands moved to his shoulders, pulling him closer. His arms came around me immediately, holding me like I might disappear if he let go.
When we finally broke apart, I turned toward the window, my vision still swimming with tears. The full moon hung low in the sky, partially obscured by drifting clouds. "The moon looks drunk," I murmured, my voice thick. "Swaying in the clouds, about to fall into endless darkness."
Lucian's hand caught my chin gently, turning my face back to his. His eyes were steady and serious as he said, "Then let me be your moon. I'll never let you fall."
---
The next morning, I sat at the dining table pushing scrambled eggs around my plate with a fork, my eyelids drooping despite my best efforts to stay awake. Every muscle in my body felt heavy, and I had to keep blinking to bring the food into focus.
Lucian slid a cup of black coffee across the table toward me. "Do you remember what I told you last night about Sterling Pharmaceuticals?"
I made a vague humming sound of acknowledgment, my head dipping forward until it nearly touched the plate. My brain felt wrapped in cotton, thoughts sluggish and disconnected.
Lucian's hand came up to support my forehead before I could face-plant into my breakfast. His voice carried a hint of amusement mixed with exasperation. "I really did tell you everything. Don't come back later claiming you don't remember and call me a liar again."
I managed a weak nod, forcing my eyes open long enough to take a sip of the bitter coffee. The caffeine did nothing to cut through the exhaustion, but I appreciated the gesture anyway.
That afternoon, traffic ground to a halt three blocks from the hotel where I was supposed to meet potential investors. After fifteen minutes, I abandoned the car and decided to walk. The fresh air might help clear the fog from my sleepless night.
I was waiting at a red light when I spotted them. Willow and Daniel emerged from a law office across the street, their expressions grim and tense. Daniel clutched a leather document folder against his chest, and Willow's hand rested protectively on his arm as they spoke in low, urgent tones.
Before I could process what I was seeing, a black SUV came barreling around the corner at high speed. The driver seemed to lose control, the vehicle swerving violently toward the sidewalk where Willow and Daniel stood frozen.
Instinct took over. I threw myself backward as the SUV mounted the curb, tires screeching against concrete. Willow yanked Daniel sideways with surprising strength, and all three of us hit the ground hard as the vehicle skidded to a stop less than three feet away. The smell of burning rubber filled the air.
Daniel's document folder had flown from his hands, papers scattering across the sidewalk. He sat motionless, his face drained of color, eyes wide with shock.
Willow recovered first, scrambling forward despite a badly scraped palm. "Don't touch those!" she screamed at me, her voice raw with panic. "Stay away from them!"
I raised both hands slowly, palms out. "I didn't take anything."
Willow didn't believe me. She lunged forward and grabbed my bag, dumping the contents onto the sidewalk. She rifled through the empty compartments with shaking hands.
I straightened and met Willow's suspicious glare with a neutral expression. "Are you finished? I told you I don't have anything of yours."
Three large men climbed out of the black SUV, their faces hard and unfriendly as they approached. The driver stayed behind the wheel, engine still running. Something about the situation felt orchestrated—too convenient to be a simple accident.
"Briar!"
Julian's voice cut through the tension. He appeared from nowhere, his hand closing around my elbow as he positioned himself between me and the approaching men, green eyes sharp with protective fury.
"What happened here?" he demanded, his gaze sweeping over Willow, Daniel, and the scattered documents before settling on the three men who had stopped at his arrival.
I touched his sleeve lightly, keeping my voice steady as I looked directly at Willow. "I didn't take anything that doesn't belong to me."
Daniel finally spoke, his voice hoarse and defeated. "The documents are all here. Nothing's missing."
Willow's eyes never left my face, her expression a mixture of hatred and suspicion. A cold smile curved her lips. "Good. That's very good."
The words carried an unspoken threat that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Julian guided me away from the scene, his hand firm on my arm as he steered me down the sidewalk. Once we'd put some distance between ourselves and the others, he stopped and turned to examine me with concern. "Are you hurt? Let me see."
I pulled my arm back gently. "I'm fine."
His eyes dropped to the leather bag I still clutched against my side. "I warned you before about getting too involved in Sterling family secrets. This is dangerous territory, Briar."
"I know," I said quietly. "Thank you for your help."
Julian hesitated, clearly wanting to say more, but finally nodded and walked away. I watched until he turned the corner before ducking into a nearby coffee shop.
The bathroom was empty when I locked myself in a stall. My hands shook as I reached into the hidden pocket I'd sewn months ago for exactly this. The shipping manifest felt like it was burning through the leather.
I photographed every inch under the fluorescent lights—the warehouse address, shipment dates, and pharmaceutical compounds. Then I folded it carefully and tucked it into my coat's interior pocket.
Back in my car, I pulled up Vincent's assistant's contact information and typed out a brief message: [I need to postpone this afternoon's meeting. An urgent company matter has come up. I'll be in touch soon to reschedule.]