Chapter 45

Ramon POV

He froze at the sound of my voice, his entire body going rigid. Slowly, he turned toward where I sat in the shadows, his expression carefully neutral despite the fear I could smell emanating from him.

“Ramon,” he said, his voice steady despite everything. “I thought you’d be asleep.”

“I was waiting for you.” I stood, moving into the dim light from the hallway. “We need to talk.”

“It’s late,” Lake said quickly. “Maybe we could talk in the morning? I’m exhausted, and I just want to check on Ollie and—”

“Ollie is fine. He’s asleep in my mother’s room, completely safe and unaware that his brother spent the evening d***ging and robbing a client at an upscale escort club.”

The words hung in the air between us like an accusation and a plea. Lake’s face went through several expressions—shock, denial, fear, and finally resignation as he realized there was no point in lying.

“You followed me,” he said flatly.

“I had you followed