LOGINSalome’s POV
"I will handle the driving and accompany you inside," Benedict said, his eyes meeting Jeremiah’s in the rearview mirror.
Jeremiah didn't answer immediately. He leaned back against the leather seat, his fingers tapping a slow, rhythmic beat against his knee. He looked like he was weighing a dozen different options before he finally spoke.
"No," Jeremiah said. "I have a different plan. Salome, you are coming with me instead."
I froze. Beside
Jeremiah’s POV“You have it all wrong, I am not here for a date,” I said. My voice was steady, even if my pulse was currently doing a frantic dance against my ribs.Clementine didn’t look like she believed me. She tilted her head and gave me a long, sharp look. I had to move fast. I leaned closer to the table and kept my voice low so the people around us wouldn't hear. I explained the situation as quickly as I could. I told her how Salome had gotten some bad information through the grapevine. She actually believed I had come all the way to Luceland just to meet some mystery woman. It was a joke, really, but Salome wasn’t laughing.As I spoke, the icy wall Clementine had built up around herself started to melt. She nodded along and her eyes softened. She didn’t look like she wanted to slap me anymore. Instead, she leaned in until her lips were inches from my ear. Her perfume was faint, something like vanilla and rain.&l
Salome’s POV“Forget about Jeremiah, Naomi. You’re honestly better off without him,” I said.I didn’t lower my voice. I wanted him to hear me. I kept my back straight and my eyes fixed on the table, even though I could feel my pulse thumping in my neck. Across from me, Naomi looked like she wanted to crawl under the tablecloth.I heard a sharp rustle of paper behind me. Jeremiah’s hands tightened on his menu, the cardstock crinkling under his grip. I didn't have to look at him to know he was glaring at the back of my head. He hated when I challenged him, especially in public. I knew he was probably trying to ignore the way my hair looked or the way I smelled, but he was too stubborn to stay quiet.He had set this whole night up just to mess with me. He made me sit right next to Naomi on purpose. He wanted to punish me for talking about his private life, and he didn't care who he hurt in the process.Jeremiah turn
Salome’s POV“You should just sit with them,” Jeremiah said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.The words hung over the table, cold and sharp. I froze, my fork halfway to my plate, and looked at Naomi. She and her friend stood there as if they had been slapped. The silence stretched out, becoming heavy and suffocating. Beside me, Aiden shifted in his seat. He raised one eyebrow at me, his eyes full of silent questions. I only had a shrug to give him. There was no way to explain the mess of our history without making the air in the room even thicker.I expected Naomi to turn and walk away. Anyone with a shred of pride would have fled after a comment like that. Instead, she took a shaky breath and pulled out the chair right next to mine. She gestured for her friend to sit beside Aiden. My heart sank. I didn’t want to be in the middle of this. I didn’t want Jeremiah five feet away, watching me like a hawk while I tried to eat my dinner.I placed
Salome’s POV“You’re actually smiling today,” Aiden said, sliding a glass of ice water toward me.I reached for the glass, my fingers brushing against his. “It is hard not to. The view is great, and the company is even better.”The peaceful moment shattered before I could take a sip. Movement near the entrance caught my eye. Richard walked in, his face lighting up the second he spotted me. He started to wave, his mouth opening to call out my name, but Benedict moved faster. He snagged Richard by the elbow and yanked him back, shaking his head with a look of pure panic.Then I saw why. Jeremiah was right behind them.He didn't look at the hostess. He didn't look at the menu. His entire focus was pinned on my hand, which was still resting near Aiden’s on the table. The skin around Jeremiah’s jaw went tight. I watched the pulse thrumming in his neck, the veins standing out like cords. He looked like he w
Salome’s POV“So, Luceland is definitely the spot,” I said, tucking my hands into my back pockets. I paced the small hotel room, my boots clicking against the thin carpet. “Portia got drunk and spilled it all to Barnabas’s mom. There is no way she’d lie about something that specific. It’s east of New York, just like the map shows.”Clementine sat on the edge of the bed and nodded. She looked tired but focused.“That gives us two paths,” I continued, stopping by the window. “First, we track down that old friend of Russell’s from the police report. If we can get her on our side, we might break the case. The catch is her loyalty. She was friends with Russell, sure, but she was likely part of Portia’s inner circle too. People like that tend to stick together to keep their secrets buried.”Clementine shook her head, her face falling. “I didn’t even think about that. If she’s still loyal to Portia, she’ll just tip her off that we’re asking questions.”“It’s a risk we have to weigh,” I said.
Salome’s POV“So, that’s the prize Jeremiah traveled all this way for?” Clementine asked.I watched the elevator doors slide shut, cutting off my view of Naomi. Her blonde ponytail had a perfect, rhythmic bounce as she walked away. It was the kind of hair that looked expensive. I didn't answer right away. I just stared at the brushed metal of the doors.“She seems nice,” I said, finally turning around. “She seems like she’s with him for the right reasons.”Clementine opened her mouth, ready to snap back, but she caught herself. She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as the lift moved again. “Fine. Maybe she is. But Jeremiah is still trash. The way he flirts with you right in front of everyone is pathetic.”My face went hot. We weren't alone, and Clementine didn't have a volume knob. “Keep it down,” I whispered, my voice sharp. “There is nothing happening between us. He’s my boss. If he wants to date her, that’s his business.”Clementine rolled her eyes so hard I thought they mig
Salome’s POV"You owe it to yourself to at least listen," Rigoberto’s voice had echoed through the receiver last night.I had spent an hour staring at the blank screen of my phone after the call ended. He was wrong. I didn’t owe that family anything. Not my time, n
Salome’s POV“You think he actually stays for the whole thing, or does he just check his watch every five minutes?” I asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.Arthur chuckled, stirring the pot on the stove. “Even the most powerful Alpha in the territory is
Salome’s POV"Salome, get up right now and look at your phone," Tabitha’s voice screeched through the speaker the second I pressed accept.I rubbed my eyes, the crust of sleep still heavy on my lids. My room was dim, the early morning light barely peeking through the cur
Salome’s POV“Barnabas, if you don’t get up this second, I will have security drag you back to the basement,” Jeremiah said.His voice was like ice. He didn’t even look angry, just bored, as he pulled his phone from his pocket. The calm







