Page 64 of The Viper
I turned back to Noah. "At least, that solves the question about the drone."
"Yeah," he said. "Someone wanted that photo. Probably sold it before you even left the property."
"The realtor?"
"Maybe. Or someone in her office." He shrugged. "Doesn't matter now. Damage is done."
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension coil there. "And the SUV at the café? You think they’re the guys Ethan told me about?"
Noah leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "I don't think they're connected."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The guys Ethan mentioned—the ones we're trying to track? They're subtle. Professional. They wouldn't let themselves be seen like that." His eyes sharpened. "Whoever was in that SUV wanted you to notice them. That's a message."
"What kind of message?"
"We're watching," Noah said. "Could be a rival production company trying to rattle the shoot. Could be some obsessed fan. Could be nothing."
"Or it could be something worse," I said.
He didn't disagree.
Across the room, Lexi's voice rose again. "Franklin, I understand, but you can't just—" She paused, listening, then shook her head. "Fine. Yes. I'll be there tomorrow. Yes, I promise."
She ended the call and came back, her expression somewhere between furious and exhausted. "Franklin says I'm the most unprofessional actress he's ever worked with. That I'm jeopardizing the entire production. That if I don't show up tomorrow ready to work, he'll replace me."
My jaw tightened. "He can't?—"
Noah laughed.
We both turned to look at him. He was grinning, actually grinning, like Lexi hadn't just described a career-ending threat.
"What's so funny?" Lexi asked, not amused.
Noah's grin widened. "Franklin P. Smith. The auteur. The visionary." He chuckled again. "If you ever need ammunition against him, Ms. Montgomery, Dominion Hall has all the dirt. From his early days scraping by on Slim Jims and Fruit Punch to his refined taste in high-dollar escorts in Aspen."
Lexi's eyebrows shot up. "You're joking."
"Not even a little," Noah said. "Man's got skeletons we could bury him with if we wanted to."
She blinked, processing. "Why would you even have that information?"
Noah shrugged. "Before we get involved, like by sending Lucas to keep an eye on set, we do our homework. Franklin's got investors tied to people we keep tabs on, too. Let's just say he's not as clean as his reputation suggests."
I felt a grin tugging at my own mouth. The look on Lexi's face was priceless—shock mixed with reluctant amusement.
"Forget about Franklin," Noah said, pushing off the desk. "Forget about the photo. You two should take the rest of the day and have some fun."
"Fun," I repeated, like the word was foreign.
Noah's grin turned knowing. "Yeah, Lucas. Fun. You remember that concept?"
Before I could answer, he left, the door clicking shut behind him, leaving us alone in the quiet room.
Lexi turned to me, arms crossed. "I feel like I'm missing the joke."
I smiled, an idea forming. A reckless, stupid, perfect idea. "How do you feel about spending the rest of the day on a yacht?"
