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"It's washable."

Her lips quivered, and a tiny, reluctant smile appeared. It was the first genuine smile he'd seen from her, and it disappeared almost immediately. Soren found himself wanting to see it again, and that realization was far more dangerous than the men waiting outside his gates.

Chapter Five

Soren

Soren and Luca spent the rest of the morning watching the camera feed of their unwanted guests, and strategizing how to get rid of them. Lily had gone back to her room, but that didn’t seem to put her out of his mind. All he could do was think about his unexpected houseguest. Soren hadn't smiled in years—not a real one. The closest he ever came to smiling was the smirk he wore when an enemy underestimated him. Emotions were expensive. They clouded judgment, weakened resolve, and gave people something to exploit. Yet somehow, Lily Brooks had managed to make him want to smile over a handkerchief. He wasn't sure whether that made her dangerous or him reckless—probably both.

He watched from the office window as the three SUVs finally turned around and disappeared down the long private drive. "They're leaving," Luca observed.

"They're relocating,” Soren corrected.

"You don't think they're giving up."

Soren looked at him. "When has a man with a price on his pride ever walked away?"

Luca grunted. "Fair point."

Soren pressed the intercom. "Maintain lockdown."

"Yes, sir."

"And no one enters the estate without my approval."

"Understood,” the guard said.

He released the button. "They'll try another angle."

"They always do,” Luca said.

Soren nodded before walking toward the door. "I'm checking on her."

Luca chuckled. “You've checked on her four times in two hours."

"I've checked the security of the east wing."

"Sure you have." Soren didn't dignify that with a response. It was Luca’s job apparently to give him shit, and his second in command was damn good at his job.

The hallway outside Lily's room was quiet. He knocked once, and there was no answer. He knocked again, and there was still nothing. His instincts immediately kicked in, and he opened the door. The room was empty. The bed had been made, and all of the lights were off. His pulse slowed only slightly when he noticed the bedroom window remained locked. She hadn't escaped, but maybe she had wandered off.

Soren stepped into the hallway. "Maria."

The older woman poked her head out of the nearby linen closet. "Looking for your guest?"

"Yes."

A smile tugged at her lips. "She’s in the garden."

"The garden?" he asked.

"She asked if she could get some fresh air."

Soren frowned. "You let her outside?"

"I let her into the courtyard." She folded her arms across her chest. "The one surrounded by twelve-foot walls, security cameras, and six armed guards." Soren couldn't argue with that. "You looked worried,” she said.

"I wasn't worried,” he lied.