Page 97 of The Viper
I didn't buy it, but I didn't push. Not here, not with the whole damn family watching. Instead, I passed her the jam. "Try this. It's better than it has any right to be."
She took it, her fingers brushing mine, and for a second, the spark was there, electric and familiar. "Thanks," she said, her voice softer now, but that guarded look lingered.
We ate, the conversation turning to lighter things. Isabel asked Lexi about her favorite roles, and Lexi lit up, telling a story about a comedy shoot where the director let the cast improv for hours.
I chimed in, teasing her about whether she'd ever consider a dog as a co-star. "Big one," I said. "Loyal, no ego. Better than most leading men."
She laughed, the sound easing some of the tension in my chest. "Only if it's got better lines than Benji."
Ryker snorted. "That's a low bar."
The banter flowed, back and forth, the brothers piling on with stories of their own—Atlas's hound that once stole a whole roast, Elias's theory that dogs were smarter than half the tech he worked with.
Lexi leaned into it, her smile real now, and for a moment, it felt like we belonged here, like this could be our normal. But thatedge in her eyes didn't fade, and I couldn't shake the feeling it had to do with me.
What was it? Maybe Lexi was just scared—Hannah's attack was fresh, personal, a message meant for her.
But there was something else, something she wasn't saying.
I leaned over, keeping my voice low. "Should we take some food up to Hannah?"
Her eyes flicked to mine, and there it was—a brief, sharp edge, like a blade catching the light. "She's probably sleeping," she said, her tone too careful. "I'll check on her later."
I nodded, but my instincts screamed. This was about Hannah. Something she didn't trust herself to share yet.
I let it go for now, but I wasn't done with it.
Lexi stood, brushing crumbs from her pants. "I need to get back to the set. Franklin's probably pacing a hole in the dock by now."
"I'll go with you," I said, already rising.
She nodded, but her smile was tight, like she was holding something back.
We were just leaving the kitchen when Ryker snapped his fingers and motioned me over. He held out his phone, his expression serious. "From Ethan and Natalie," he said. "They've got a lead on the aviator impersonator."
I took the phone, scanning the message.
My pulse kicked up—this could be the clue we'd been waiting for.
Noah stepped closer, reading over my shoulder. "I can run with it," he said. "Meet them, see where it leads."
Lexi cut in before I could respond. "Lucas should go," she said, her voice firm. "I'll be fine on set. Security's tight, and Hannah will be there."
I shook my head, my instincts roaring. "No. I need to be with you."
She met my gaze, resolute, her eyes holding that same guarded edge. "I'll be fine," she said again, softer this time, but with a steel I hadn't heard before. "Go. This is important."
Every part of me wanted to argue, to lock her away where no stalker, no camera, no threat could touch her. But her expression stopped me—fierce, unwavering, like she was daring me to trust her strength.
I respected her too much to fight her on it, even if it killed me to let her go.
"All right," I said, my voice low. "But you stay with security. No wandering off. Promise me."
She smiled, a flicker of warmth breaking through. "Promise."
Noah clapped my shoulder. "Let's move. Ethan's waiting."
I glanced at Lexi one last time, memorizing the curve of her jaw, the fire in her eyes. She'd be escorted back to the set by one of Dominion Hall's drivers, a guy Noah trusted, but it didn't stop the knot in my gut.
