Chapter 8 · The Third Key

"Give me the key." Theo's voice cut through the warehouse cold, sharp enough to match the gun in his hand.

Adrian didn't move. The third key sat heavy in his pocket, still warm from the forge. Mara stood three feet to his left, her hand hovering near her belt where she kept the cuffs. She'd come here expecting a bust. What she got was Theo and five men who looked like they ate inspectors for breakfast.

"Not yours to take," Adrian said.

Theo smiled. It was the kind of smile that made Adrian's stomach drop. "See, that's where you're wrong. My buyers paid upfront. Big money. The kind that buys silence and makes problems disappear." He tilted his head. "You want to be a problem, Adrian?"

"Your buyers want the breach opened," Mara said. Her voice stayed level, but Adrian caught the tension in her shoulders. "That's treason."

"That's business." Theo's smile widened. "And you're in the way, Inspector."

Adrian's fingers closed around the key. The brass burned hotter now, like it knew what was coming. The lock-mark on his wrist throbbed in time with his pulse.