Page 172 of The Chase
“In what way?”
“Each and every one was stolen. Before it was stolen again.” I couldn’t say by Icon. Couldn’t let him know I knew.
He took a sip. “That’s quite a revelation.”
“It’s doesn’t appear coincidental. Too many paintings for that.”
“What’s your theory?”
“Perhaps there’s a collector out there who covets what other men covet.”
“Perhaps.”
“What do you think, Tobias? Why would he steal them?”
He lowered his gaze.
My forearms prickled as the fine hairs reacted to the way he looked at me. I raised my glass and chinked it next to his. “To us.”
He raised his. “Us.”
I stared upward. “How do you get Jade to respond to your voice?”
“Calibration.”
“How do you do that?”
“Jade, command imminent.”
My gaze roamed the ceiling as though his invisible friend could see us.
“Permit house commands to Zara Leighton.” He reached out and rested his hand on mine. “Say something.”
“Jade—” I clenched my tongue between my teeth. “This is Zara, I’d love to be able to lower the lights.”
“Are you using my technology to seduce me?”
“Did it work?”
The lights dimmed several degrees.
“She likes you.” He lifted his glass and took a long sip.
A trickle of moisture spiraled down his glass and dripped onto the counter. He wiped it away all while holding my gaze.
“What else does Jade do?” I asked.
“She performs a mean pole dance.”
I hit his arm and laughed.
“What do you want, Zara?”
“Let me be all you need. All you want. Fulfill you in every way.”
“That would make me very happy.”
I held my hands together in a prayer, waiting, hoping he was ready to tell me the truth. Confess.
