“Stop walking,” Gabriel ordered as they all trooped into the mansion. “We need to talk to you.” Unlike Amir, Gabriel wasn’t willing to keep his cool; that was why he rushed to stop Nathaniel from climbing the stairs. “Chloe, excuse us for a minute.”

The blue in Nathaniel’s eyes blazed. “Why should she leave?”

“Very well. Just freaking explain to me why, of all things you could have offered to Anderson, the Axion deal was your go-to?”

Chloe gently began to slide away. Her ...