Never.
She stands like a queen, with or without handcuffs on. She looked at hardened criminals and smirked. And she's apologizing to him? Fury rises in me, hot and immediate. Not at her. At him. At the audacity of a man like that being the one she runs to. He has no idea what he's holding. No idea what walkedinto his life. He holds her like she's fragile. Like she's small. Like she's something to manage.
She is not small. She is not manageable. She is a force. And she is his.
The thought hits harder this time.
Mine.
I don't believe in fate. I believe in leverage. In power. In control. But as she shifts in his arms and I catch one last glimpse of those green-gold eyes… I know one thing with absolute clarity. I will know everything about her within the hour. And I will not forget her. Not now. Not ever.
She pulls back fromPeteslightly. Not far. Just enough to breathe. And that's when he sees me. Pete's eyes instinctively lift. He follows the line of her gaze. Finds me. For a split second, confusion flickers across his face. He doesn't know why he's looking at me. He just knows something is off. He tightens his arm around her waist. Subtle. Protective. Controlling. His jaw shifts, not aggressive, more… uncertain.
He looks like a man who's just realized someone else has noticed what he has. I don't look away. I don't blink. He's assessing me now. Tailored suit. Still posture. Icy stance. No visible agitation. He doesn't know who I am. But he knows I'm not random. Men recognize a threat before they understand it.
Audra says something against his chest—I can't hear the words—and he nods, murmuring reassurance. "It's okay. It's okay."
She doesn't look back at me. But her shoulders stiffen slightly. She felt it too. Pete leans down to kiss the top of her head. It's a claiming gesture. Soft. Domestic.
Wrong.
He leads her toward the exit, one hand firm at her lower back. Something dark uncoils inside me. Not jealousy. Not yet.
Certainty.
Ramirez shifts beside me. "Happens every time. Rich husbands get mad. Then they pay. Then it disappears."
"What's her name?" I ask.
Ramirez glances at me. "Which one?"
"The redhead."
He looks over and scans the departing group.
"Uh…" He checks the clipboard in his hand. "Audra Hale. No priors. Vet assistant. Married."
Married.
I don't react.
"Counterfeit purchase," Ramirez continues. "Paid cash. Clean record. This'll get knocked down to a fine."
I nod once. As if it's information that doesn't matter.
Ramirez studies me for half a beat. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"You don't usually ask."
I straighten my cuff.
"She didn't cry."
Ramirez snorts. "That's your criteria now?"
"She didn't cry," I repeat.