Chapter 203


    “Since our only lead right now is Terry, then I propose this idea,” Julian said. “We need to snoop around


    his mansion.”


    “You want us to walk straight into the lion’s den.” Nichs crossed his arms over his chest.


    “Not walk,” Julian said. “Creep. It’s not snooping if they know you are there. So we move silently and


    undetected until we find whatever information we need.”


    “It’s a big mansion,” I said.


    “He has an office,” Julian said. “That’s where we need to look.”


    “I don’t like the thought of Piper in there,” Nichs said. “We know Terry has some kind of attachment


    to you. You’ll be in the most danger if we go.”


    My heart raced for sure. I wasn’t looking forward to crawling through Terry’sir, just like I’d rather avoid


    seeing him altogether for the rest of my life. But we needed this information, and I could help. And if


    worse came to worse, I would have the chance to prove myself.


    “Isn’t that what your self-defense lessons are for?” I asked him, coc k i n g my brow.


    He glowered at me. “One lesson is not enough.”


    “So teach me more then.”


    “I’ll have to.” In his eyes, a sh of fire sparked. He remembered as well as I the near kiss we shared.


    when he’d held me during our first lesson. When I struggled in his arms, and we both felt the heat rising


    between us.


    I swallowed thickly, remembering it now. A bit of that fire rekindled inside me now, looking at him, and


    his wide shoulders, and his kissable lips. If I moved a bit closer


    “I’m sorry to cut in, but we’re doing lessons now?” Julian asked. His smile had taken on a sharp edge.


    I forced myself to look away from Nichs, so that I could recover myself. Then I cleared my throat.


    “Nichs is teaching me some self-defense maneuvers,” I said.


    “She wanted to learn,” Nichs added.


    Julian’s brow lowered. “Let me guess. Here’s how to break a hold, and the like.”


    My cheeks burned a little. He no doubt saw.


    “Well, if Nichs wants to teach you how to protect your body, then someone else should teach you


    how to protect your mind,” Julian said. “Fair’s fair. Terry likes his mind games, so to help prepare for


    them,


    you should take menta l self-defense lessons from me.”


    I remembered Terry’s mind games and the off-putting things he liked to say around me. I wouldn’t mind


    having some preparation against that, and Julian seemed earnest, even if Nichs was ring at him.


    “Okay,” I said. “That sounds like a good idea.”


    Julian nodded. Nichs continued ring.


    “Maybe we should get back on topic,” Nichs said.


    “Right,” I agreed.


    Julian shrugged. “I’ll nudge the producers to push for apetition event at Terry’s mention. At this


    point, he’s inserted himself into everything anyway. We might as well give him the attention he so


    desperately craves. It would give us reason to be there in case we are caught.” (1)


    “He’ll hide all of his information if there’s an event there,” Nichs said. “Even if we could get into his


    office, I wouldn’t expect to find something there. It would be a needless risk. We’d be on his home turf.


    He could set traps for Piper and make her disappear.”


    “You don’t know that,” I said.


    Nichs held my gaze. The gold in his eyes shimmered. “I’m not risking you.”


    The words warmed me, but they were misguided. “It’s not up to you.”


    Nich s’s jaw tightened.


    Julian nced between them. “Listen, this might not be the only way. It’s just the most obvious one. We


    don’t have to rush into things.”


    “Piper needs time to prepare,” Nichs said. “She needs more lessons.”


    “I get that,” Julian said. “We can dy this as long as possible to give her that time. It might take me a


    while to convince the producers anyway.”


    “I should have a say in this,” I said.


    They both looked at me. Then they looked at each other again, as if I hadn’t said anything.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.