Lincoln

When Archer shows up at my office with his laptop in hand, not even bothering to call, I knew it was important. Through the glass windows of my office, I watch his fingers repeatedly drum on top of Margo's desk, but then he glances my way and sees me wave him in. He stalks quickly toward the door, and when he enters, he's breathing heavily.

"You got the footage?" I ask, taking a wild guess.

He nods and brings the empty chair opposite my desk to sit next to me, placing the laptop in front of us. "It wasn't clear, but whoever broke into Sienna's apartment wasn't her ex. It was someone else."

I furrow my eyebrows together. "How do you know that if the footage isn't clear?"

With a click of a few buttons, he pulls up the video for me to watch, and I quickly understand what he's insinuating. The figure breaking into her home isn't male. The tunic hugs a pair of breasts snugly, making it obvious that the person working for Travis is a woman. But since she's wearing a ski mask and her hair is tucked inside, it doesn't give us much more. The footage is blurry enough that we can't make out the color of her eyes.

But the most shocking part of the video is when the woman enters the code to her townhouse like it's second nature to her. Whoever this is, whoever is working with Travis... She knows Sienna, too.

"I know it's not helpful enough, but it's something," he says. "I came over as soon as I realized."

I nod. "It is helpful, Arch. Thank you." I don't know who Travis hired to help him with his little task or who is lying to Sienna's face, but I promise on everything I've ever loved that I'll find who's terrorizing Sienna and torture them until they're begging for mercy.

A mercy they won't receive.

Archer sighs and shakes his head, a red strand of hair falling into his eyes. "For now, I'm checking over every security camera at the nearby airports, bus, and train stations. I'll catch these fuckers for you, Linc. Any man that harms a woman like that is..." He shakes his head again. "I just couldn't imagine if it was Carmen—"

"I know," I finish for him. "We'll have to keep an eye out and up our security even further at my apartment." But if it's someone she knows... Even worse... If it's someone we both know? How are we supposed to figure this out? Who's the traitor? "I had Cal phone tap all of Travis' known friends and relatives."

Archer's eyes widen. "You what?"

"Look, if the footage can't get us answers quickly, this will. I have the money to do it, so I'm doing it. You can't tell me you wouldn't do the same if Carmen were in danger."

His shoulders slump slightly, dipping his chin in agreement, but something is off. I know my best friend like the back of my hand. "What is it?" I ask.

The laptop closes in front of us before he rises from the chair, giving me another shrug. "I don't know," he replies. "I wish I could tell you. Carmen is just acting off lately. Since we've started dating, she's been weird about hanging out. She claims it's because of her busy schedule with the shop and all, but... These past few weeks, she's been different."

Both of our eyes drift to the laptop, and I gulp.

"I don't think she's the one betraying Sienna," he says tightly, reading my thoughts. "But things between us have changed, and not for the better. She won't spend the night with me, she never responds to my messages past ten, and when I try to bring it up, she shuts down. I'm not getting anywhere."

"You are a cop, you know," I tell him.

He forms his lips together in a thin line. "Carmen is a strong, independent woman, Linc. If I track her... If I follow her... You know as well as I do that I'll lose her trust and her for good."

"But if this has anything to do with Sienna being in danger, I need you to do it, Arch. If she's going behind our backs and leaking all of this information to Travis..." I shudder at the thought. If Sienna wasn't broken before, she will be if this is true.

But I'm not going to hide any of this information from her. I made the mistake once, and I'm not doing it again. She'll be presented with all the facts, and if she decides to become more cautious of Carmen, that's her decision. But what I'm not going to do is leave her out of the loop again.

Never again.

"I need you to send me that video," I say. Archer is still looking deep in thought, but then his jaw clenches when he stares out the glass windows of my office, and I turn to watch Jett striding for the door. "I'm glad you're on the same page as all of us now about him."

Archer steps away from the desk. "I have to head back to the station, anyway. Don't tell him I say hello because I don't."

Just as he finishes his sentence, Jett swings my office door open. Archer strides past him and leaves without another word, hitting his shoulder roughly against his as he passes.

"What's wrong with Archie?" Jett laughs, a knowing smile on his face. He sits in the chair Archer vacated and crosses one leg over the other.

"Why do you have to be such a dick?" I seethe. "Do you enjoy being hated by everyone?"

When his jaw ticks, I know I've hit a nerve.

"The stunt you pulled last week with Carmen was bold, even for you. I told you to stay away from her. What part of that do you not understand?"

He leans back further in the chair, his long legs sprawled before him. His hair is tied back into a sleek bun, the Armani suit draped over his body creasing as he crosses his arms over his chest. "I don't think that's possible."

I scoff. "What the hell are you talking about? You hardly know her, Jett."

He picks a piece of invisible lint off his jacket and shrugs. "I didn't come here to talk about her. I came here for another reason."

Fuck. This can't be good.

Still in disbelief about his feelings for Carmen, I sit down in my chair and spin to face him, raising a brow. "And what reason is that?"

"My half of the company shares," he replies.

"I don't have any control over it. Dad left that decision up to Mom in his will." Before, when the company was doing poorly, of course, Jett wanted no part of his shares, but now that the company's sales are sky-rocketing...

"Well, I just left Mom's house, and it didn't go well."

I shrug. "Can't say I'm surprised. What did she have to say?"

"She won't release them to me until I've matured and settled down. I have to get married, and she has to approve of the woman and our connection beforehand."

My eyes linger on his, and when I know he's serious, a laugh comes out of my mouth uncontrollably, and then I can't stop. I'm doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down my cheeks as Jett stares at me in loathing. I'm laughing so hard that I have to clutch onto my stomach, and the sound even reaches Margo out at her desk. I never laugh around my brother, so the expression on her face is as if she's looking at an alien through the window.

"Oh my god, this is so good," I pant, attempting to catch my breath. "You? Settle down? This is so fucking good."

Jett rolls his eyes. "I didn't come here to be laughed at. Can you truly not do anything about it? There's no loophole in the will?"

"Even if there was, do you honestly think I'd hand over your half of the shares free willingly? I like this proposition Mom gave you. I'd like to see you follow through with it."

He grunts and rises from the chair immediately, fastening the button of his suit jacket. "I don't know why I bothered asking you for help."

Out of the two of us, Jett has always been the wild child. Sure, I had playboy tendencies and enjoyed the bachelor lifestyle, but I was always responsible. Before I took over the company, I went to college, striving for a degree, and stayed out of trouble. But Jett...

He's more free-spirited. He enjoys living life on the edge and pushing the boundaries of everyone around him. Alcohol, drugs, strippers... He loves the nightlife. Anything that screams danger, he'll eagerly sign up for it.

"Does settling down really seem all that bad?" I ask. "Aren't you tired of sleeping all day and partying all night? There's more to life than having random women dance on you and drinking your weight in liquor."

Jett's eyes brighten at my comment, giving me the opposite reaction than what I intended. "Surprisingly, brother, the nightlife here intrigues me the most. I'm not tired of it in the slightest. Don't think I ever will be."

I sigh in defeat. "Kiss your half of the shares goodbye, then. I don't know what else to tell you. The decision is up to Mom, and if she wants you to get married, you better snap out of your lifestyle. And quick."

With an annoyed click of his tongue, Jett rolls his eyes and strides for the door. "I'll get my half of the company shares, Lincoln, one way or another."