Chapter 3 - JULIAN’S FIRST RULE
Maya grabbed Derek’s phone.
“No.”
Julian reached for it.
She pulled away.
“No.”
“Maya.”
“They have my mother.”
“The photograph does not prove they have her.”
“They’re watching her.”
“Yes.”
“Then we have to go.”
“We are not going anywhere.”
She stared at him.
“Did you read the message?”
“I read it.”
“They said midnight tomorrow.”
“I know what they said.”
“And you’re just standing there.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“Do not mistake stillness for inaction.”
Maya stepped closer.
“That is my mother.”
“And that is why you are not thinking clearly.”
“I’m thinking perfectly clearly.”
“You want to walk into Vale’s hands.”
“If that keeps her safe—”
“No.”
The word hit the room like a gunshot.
Maya flinched.
Julian immediately lowered his voice.
“No.”
“You don’t get to decide that.”
“I do tonight.”
“Why?”
“Because Vincent Vale wants you precisely because he knows you would sacrifice yourself.”
Maya said nothing.
Julian looked toward Derek.
“Get Rosa Torres out of her apartment.”
Maya’s eyes widened.
“Wait.”
“Put her in one of the north-side properties.”
“Julian.”
“Two vehicles.”
“Stop.”
“Four men.”
“Julian!”
He looked at her.
“My mother is going to panic if armed strangers show up.”
“Then you call her.”
“And tell her what?”
“The truth.”
Maya laughed bitterly.
“You mean the truth I’ve been hiding for a year and a half?”
“Yes.”
“I can’t.”
“Then lie.”
Her eyes flashed.
“You just spent twelve hours furious because I lied to you.”
“I can survive hypocrisy.”
Derek almost smiled.
Maya did not.
Julian moved toward the study.
“Call her.”
Maya followed.
“What are you going to do?”
“Find out what Vale wants.”
“He told us what he wants.”
“He told us what he wants us to believe.”
Julian opened a cabinet containing several encrypted phones.
Maya stared at them.
“How many phones does one criminal need?”
“Depends on the criminal.”
“You are impossible.”
“So I’m told.”
He handed one to Derek.
“Call Emilio.”
Derek’s expression tightened.
“He won’t like being dragged into this.”
“I’m not asking him to like it.”
Maya folded her arms.
“Who is Emilio?”
“A man who knows Vale’s finances.”
“A criminal?”
Julian paused.
“An accountant.”
“That sounded like the same answer.”
“Sometimes it is.”
Derek disappeared into the hall.
Julian turned back to Maya.
“You need to call your mother.”
Maya’s anger collapsed into fear.
“What if they’re already inside her apartment?”
“They aren’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“How?”
“Because if Vale had her, the message would contain proof.”
Maya hated how calmly he said it.
“You sound like you’ve done this before.”
Julian’s gaze hardened.
“I have.”
She wished she had not asked.
Julian walked toward her.
“Maya.”
She looked up.
“Your mother is still free.”
She swallowed.
“She is still alive.”
Her eyes filled.
Julian’s voice softened.
“And I intend to keep her that way.”
Maya looked away before tears fell.
“I hate this.”
“I know.”
“I hate that I need you.”
Julian went still.
Maya immediately regretted the sentence.
But Julian surprised her.
“You don’t need me.”
She looked at him.
“You need help.”
He paused.
“There is a difference.”
Something inside her weakened.
Julian looked almost uncomfortable with his own gentleness.
“You were right before.”
“About what?”
“I decide things for people.”
Maya waited.
“It is how I survived.”
His mouth tightened.
“It is also apparently how I make everyone around me want to hit me.”
Despite herself, Maya laughed through her tears.
“Frequently.”
“I’m working on it.”
“You’re terrible at it.”
“It has been thirty seconds.”
She wiped her eyes.
“Fair.”
Julian stepped back.
“Call your mother.”
Maya dialed.
Rosa answered on the third ring.
“Mija?”
Maya closed her eyes.
“Mom.”
“Why are you calling so late?”
“I need you to do something for me.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
Julian raised an eyebrow.
Maya glared at him.
“Nothing happened to me.”
Rosa became instantly suspicious.
“Maya.”
“I’m sending some people to pick you up.”
“What people?”
“Friends.”
Julian quietly mouthed the word friends with disbelief.
Maya ignored him.
“They’re going to take you somewhere safe for a couple of days.”
“Safe from what?”
Maya struggled.
Then Julian touched the counter beside her.
Not her.
Just close enough to remind her that she was not alone.
“Mom, remember the loan I told you the hospital helped me with?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
“It wasn’t a hospital program.”
“What?”
“I borrowed it.”
Rosa’s breathing changed.
“For my surgery?”
“Yes.”
“Maya.”
“It was okay.”
“It clearly was not okay if you are calling me at midnight.”
Maya closed her eyes.
“The company is dangerous.”
Rosa said nothing.
“I didn’t know when I borrowed from them.”
“Mija.”
“I’m sorry.”
Rosa’s voice cracked.
“You saved my life.”
Maya covered her mouth.
“You do not apologize for saving my life.”
Julian looked away.
Rosa continued.
“But you should have told me.”
“I know.”
“And you should not be handling this alone.”
Maya laughed weakly.
“I’ve heard that recently.”
Rosa sighed.
“I suppose the terrifying man you work for knows.”
Julian turned back.
Maya blinked.
“How do you know Julian is terrifying?”
“You mentioned him.”
“I barely mention him.”
“You mention him constantly.”
Maya’s face went scarlet.
Julian’s eyebrow rose.
“Mom.”
“Is he there?”
“No.”
Julian’s expression became offended.
Rosa laughed.
“You’re a terrible liar.”
Julian leaned closer to the phone.
“Mrs. Torres.”
Maya nearly dropped it.
Rosa went silent.
Julian continued.
“My people are on their way.”
“Are you the reason my daughter is in danger?”
Maya shut her eyes.
Julian did not evade it.
“Possibly.”
Maya looked at him.
Rosa’s voice turned cold.
“Then you had better be the reason she gets out of it.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“You have my word.”
“I don’t know what your word is worth.”
“To most people?”
He glanced at Maya.
“Quite a lot.”
Maya wanted to disappear.
Rosa was unimpressed.
“I’ll decide that myself.”
The call ended.
Maya stared at Julian.
“You flirted with my mother.”
“I absolutely did not.”
“You used your dangerous voice.”
“I have one voice.”
“You have at least twelve.”
“That seems excessive.”
“Your meeting voice.”
Julian frowned.
“Your threatening voice.”
“That is usually the meeting voice.”
“Your angry voice.”
“Same.”
“Your fake polite voice.”
“That one is useful.”
“Your terrifyingly calm voice.”
Julian considered.
“Fair.”
Maya suddenly laughed.
The sound startled both of them.
It was wrong to laugh.
Men were watching her mother.
Someone had fired into a bakery.
Her debt was connected to a criminal war.
Yet for five seconds she laughed until tears came again.
Then the tears stopped being laughter.
Her shoulders folded.
Julian froze.
Maya covered her face.
“I’m so tired.”
He took one step toward her.
Then stopped.
He clearly did not know whether she wanted to be touched.
That hesitation mattered more to her than he could have known.
Maya moved first.
She leaned against him.
Julian stopped breathing.
Her forehead rested against his chest.
His hands remained at his sides.
“You can hug me.”
“I was waiting for authorization.”
She gave a broken laugh.
“You’re ridiculous.”
His arms came around her.
Slowly.
Carefully.
As if Maya were something more dangerous than every gun he had ever held.
She stayed there for several seconds.
Then Derek rushed back into the room.
Julian immediately released her.
Derek pretended not to notice.
“Elena confirmed Rosa is secure.”
Maya exhaled.
“Thank God.”
Derek’s expression remained grim.
“But Emilio found something else.”
Julian’s face sharpened.
“What?”
Derek placed a laptop on the table.
An old financial ledger filled the screen.
“There are transfers from Saint Aurelius Holdings to Briarwood going back six years.”
“I know.”
“Not these.”
Derek enlarged one row.
Julian read it.
His face changed.
Maya moved beside him.
“What is it?”
Neither man answered.
Maya looked closer.
One name appeared repeatedly.
CROFT DOMESTIC STAFF PROGRAM.
Maya’s stomach dropped.
“What is that?”
Julian stared.
“I have no idea.”
Derek scrolled.
Dozens of payments.
Names.
Dates.
Addresses.
Maya recognized one.
It was the apartment where she had lived before she began working for Julian.
Another entry listed the background-check agency that had recruited her.
Then another line appeared.
MAYA TORRES — PLACEMENT CONFIRMED.
Maya stepped back.
“No.”
Julian looked equally stunned.
Derek scrolled farther.
The payment had been authorized nineteen months earlier.
Seven days before Maya’s first interview at the Croft residence.
Maya whispered.
“They put me here.”
Julian’s eyes became ice.
The final column contained a code.
Derek searched it.
A scanned document opened.
It was an internal Saint Aurelius memorandum.
TARGET PLACEMENT SUCCESSFUL.
MAINTAIN FINANCIAL PRESSURE.
DO NOT APPROACH UNTIL CROFT ATTACHMENT IS VERIFIED.
Maya stopped breathing.
Julian read the last sentence again.
And again.
Then his hand began shaking.
Not from fear for himself.
Because Vincent Vale had not discovered Maya after she entered Julian’s life.
May you like
He had planted her there.
And someone had been watching long enough to know that Julian Croft had fallen for her.
