Page 87 of The Viper
She looked up at me, her eyes fierce despite the exhaustion. "I'm up for anything that gets us answers."
I kissed her forehead, then stepped back. "Let's go."
We headed downstairs, Noah waiting for us in the hall. He glanced at Lexi, then at me, and nodded.
"Mayor Kennedy's on her way," he said. "So is Ethan."
"Good," I said. "Let's end this."
Noah's expression was grim. "Let's hope it's that easy."
It wouldn't be. I knew that. But hope was all we had right now.
That, and the hunt.
29
LEXI
Dominion Hall was buzzing now.
It wasn’t chaos, not exactly—just an organized hum of motion that made the mansion feel alive. Footsteps echoed on the marble floors, doors opened and closed somewhere down the hall, and the faint clatter of pans drifted up from the kitchen like a heartbeat.
For the first time, I felt what it meant to be inside the Dane brothers’ world. Not just wealth or power. Structure. Readiness. Family, sharpened into something that could withstand fire.
I hadn’t slept. The adrenaline had burned off, leaving me hollow but restless, the kind of tired that made your skin feel too tight. When I caught my reflection in the mirror, I barely recognized the woman staring back—smudged mascara, hair tangled, yesterday’s dress creased from worry and salt air. I needed to feel human again.
A soft knock sounded, and before I could answer, the door opened.
“Hi,” a woman said, stepping inside with a bright, knowing smile. “You must be Lexi. I’m Meghan Delaney—Caleb’s fiancée.”
Her presence filled the doorway like sunlight. She carried a small garment bag in one hand and a tote in the other. Warmth clung to her, the faint scent of coffee and flour and something buttery that made my stomach twist with memory.
“I heard you were here with Lucas,” she said, setting the bag down on the bench. “And that you could probably use a change of clothes. I brought a few options.”
“That’s … incredibly kind of you,” I said, blinking at her. “You didn’t have to.”
She waved that off. “Of course, I did. We take care of our own around here.” Her voice carried an easy authority, the kind of comfort born from long nights in a kitchen—direct but nurturing. “You’re family now.”
The word hit somewhere deep. Family. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear it until it was right there, wrapped in her soft Carolina drawl.
Meghan pulled a pair of cream trousers and a pale blue blouse from the bag. The fabric looked expensive but lived-in, like something chosen for grace instead of performance. The outfit looked much more comfortable than the ones Lucas had prepared for me before New York. More practical for today.
“Try these,” she said. “And for your sister—Hannah, right?—I brought some comfortable things, too. Something soft.”
“She’s resting,” I said quietly. “But she’ll appreciate that. She just moved into her own guestroom—Atlas had Teddy set it up for her, just down the hall.”
“I’ll drop them by her room.” Meghan’s gaze softened, reading the exhaustion I couldn’t hide. “She’s lucky to have you, you know.”
I smiled weakly. “It’s been the other way around most of our lives.”
“Well,” Meghan said, smiling as she reached for the door, “you’re in good hands here. If you need anything—anything at all—you just ask. And when all this settles, you’ll have to come by my restaurant, Promenade. Dinner’s on me. I’ll even feed Lucas, if he behaves.”
Her laugh was low and melodic, the kind that filled a room and made it warmer. When she was gone, I let out a slow breath and unzipped the garment bag.
The shower was quick but steadying. I stood under the hot water until my heartbeat caught up with the rhythm of the house—the muted clink of glassware, the voices downstairs, the whisper of ocean wind pushing through the trees outside. When I stepped out and dressed, the blouse fell soft against my skin, the trousers a perfect fit. It was like she’d somehow known my size, my mood, and the small miracle of feeling like myself again.
By the time I opened the door, Hannah was standing in the hall, wrapped in a cardigan that wasn’t hers. She looked pale but stronger, a cup of tea cupped in her hands.
