TAYLOR POV
I stood outside Malcolm's mansion with my hands behind my back, looking calm, patient, loyal.
Inside, I was counting ways to kill him.
The front yard was too quiet. The kind of quiet that makes your ears ring. Even the guards kept their distance from the steps, like the air near the door might bite. The sun was up, but the place still felt cold.
I checked my watch again.
Rose was late.
Very late.
And Rose was never late unless something had gone wrong… or something had gone very right.
I took out my phone and called her.
Nothing.
No ring. No answer. Just silence.
I clicked my tongue softly. "Interesting," I murmured.
Behind me, a voice cut the air like a whip.
"Is Rose back?"
I didn't turn immediately. I let one second pass. Just enough to show calm. Then I faced him.
Malcolm.
His boots scraped the stone as he walked toward me. His eyes were sharp. Hard. Cold in a way that made most men look down.
I didn't.
Not fully.
"No," I said. "Not yet."
