Jace sat down, still feeling the ache between his thighs, the evidence of what Elias had done to him lingering in every sore muscle and flushed nerve ending. The city buzzed softly outside the tall glass walls, neon lights flickering in the darkness. But inside, the silence was thick.
He didn't want to speak first. Elias had been quiet too, seated in a chair by the window, watching Jace with a careful, unreadable gaze. The dominant presence he'd just experienced was now cloaked in mystery again. Still intense. Still unreadable.
Then Elias stood.
"Why were you avoiding me?" he asked. No malice, just cold curiosity.
Jace froze. The question was simple, but the answers were landmines. He couldn't tell Elias about the message he saw on elias phone.
Nor could he reveal the full truth about Noah. At least, not all of it. The Crane family-Elias's family-had ruined his life once. And yet, here was Elias, naked, powerful, confusing.
So Jace went with the lesser truth. The one that didn't expose the depth of his hatred. The one that let him feel, just for a moment, like Elias could be human.
"My brother," Jace whispered. "He's sick. The kidney transplant didn't take. He's in a coma. The doctors said... he needs another surgery. Soon."
Elias's expression shifted slightly. His brows knit together, just a fraction. He stepped forward, crouching in front of Jace.
"How much?"
Jace blinked. "What?"
"How much do you need for the surgery?" Elias repeated, calm but firm.
"I..." Jace hesitated, not expecting the question. Not like this. "Eighty thousand. Maybe more, depending on how he responds to the next surgery."
Elias nodded once and stood. "Come to my office tomorrow morning. I'll have a check waiting for you."
Jace looked up at him, startled. "You're serious?"
Elias leaned down, brushing a kiss against his lips. Soft. Almost sweet. "I don't like being kept in the dark, Jace," Elias murmured. "But I take care of what's mine."
Jace's heart stuttered.
Yours. He didn't say it out loud, but it echoed in his head anyway.
Elias stood and began dressing without another word. The moment broke like glass. By the time he slipped his watch on and reached for his coat, Jace had barely gathered his thoughts.
"I have a flight to catch," Elias said, buttoning his cuff. "Business. I'll be gone for a few days."
Jace nodded. "Okay."
Don't be late tomorrow." Elias's eyes found his one last time. "Bring your ID. I want it processed through security ahead of time."
"Right."
And just like that, Elias was gone, the soft click of the penthouse door echoing behind him.
Jace sat there in the quiet, still wrapped in the scent of Elias's cologne and the memory of his hands. Relief warred with guilt. He had the money. Noah could get the help he needed. But the cost...
He was falling. And that terrified him more than anything.
Because this wasn't supposed to happen.
He was supposed to seduce Elias. Get close. Dig into the Crane family's secrets. Use Elias's desire against him and destroy the people who had ruined his life. His family. But now, everything felt backwards. Elias was the one giving. Caring. Protecting.
And Jace was the one accepting it, trembling at the touch of his lips, aching when he left.
But the message still burned in Jace's mind.
'Did he ask about 2009 yet?'
What did elias know about 2009? What was Elias hiding?
Jace stood and walked toward the window, letting the cool glass soothe his overheated skin.
He should be celebrating. Sixteen thousand dollars. A lifeline. His baby brother had a chance now.
But he couldn't ignore the hollow gnawing in his gut. This wasn't charity. Elias was a Crane. And Jace was on a mission.
He remembered the vow he made to himself and to his brother. Destroy the family that took everything from them. That included Elias, no matter how good he made Jace feel. No matter how he touched him. No matter the softness in his eyes when he wasn't being cruel.
Maybe accepting the money was more than just survival.
Maybe it was a strategy.
Jace turned from the window and picked up his phone. He pulled up the address for Crane Global HQ. If Elias wanted him to pick up the check, that meant walking straight into the lion's den. And maybe, just maybe, he could use the opportunity to look around. Find records. Files. Answers.
Proof.
Proof that would bring the entire Crane empire to its knees.
Proof that the cranes were responsible for his parents' death.
He clenched his jaw, already imagining the cold, clean halls of the company building. The risk of being caught. The danger of it all made his blood hum with anticipation.
"You can do this," he told himself. You're not just a plaything. You're not just his.
He grabbed his jeans from the floor, slipping them on with shaking hands. The soreness in his body grounded him. Made him remember the pleasure.
This wasn't love.
This was war.
And tomorrow, he would walk into enemy territory.
For Noah.
For his parents.
For Revenge.
He closed his eyes, steadying his breath.
Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.