“It’s done.”

A smile flickered across his face. “So I’ve heard. The client sent a message this morning to let me know. I knew you could do it, Aina.”

She fought the urge to say, Of course I could.

In a few strides, he reached the door, took her hand, and pulled her inside the office. He took her to his desk, then let go of her hand and unlocked his safe. He pulled out a box of money and gave it to her. It was so heavy, it dragged down her pocket once she placed it inside.

“Do you have any more big hits coming up?” she asked, keeping her voice casual. “I’d be happy to take them off your hands.”

“Perhaps.” One side of his lips pulled upward in a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s say that if your Kouta Hirai hit was a diamond, then my next job is a black diamond. A once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

His voice trailed off. Curiosity tugged at her, but when he didn’t elaborate, she knew he wouldn’t say anything else. All she wanted was for him to tell her she could be free to start her own tradehouse, but she had to wait for him to say so.

It was like any other kill. She told him it was done, he paid her, and they moved on with their lives. But there was something different now, something nearly tangible in the air that electrified when he approached. His footsteps pressed into the carpet below, somehow even heavier than the box of kors. Was she really going to leave him now? Would the others bid her goodbye, wish her luck? Would he?

Uncertainty shot through her like lightning. She’d been planning this for years, but now it seemed anticlimactic, or like perhaps she was getting in over her head. Would she be more content to stay here, living under his protection, if he would simply hold her, tell her he cared, and that he didn’t want her to leave?

“You’ve done well, Aina. I knew I was right to bring you here.” His blue eyes shone with pride, with the most praise anyone had ever shown her. “You’ve done enough. You’ve earned enough money, you have the support you need, and you’re as skilled as you need to be. I won’t stand in the way of your success, but you can still come to me if you need assistance. I’m sure I’ll see you again.”

She nodded and took a step back, one hand resting on the doorframe. But he’d already returned to his desk. Before he could look up and ask why she was still standing there, she left, surprised to find she was trembling.

What did I expect, a party?

The Dom looked so cold and bleak from the outside. She thought of Tannis and Mirran, Mazir’s empty bed, the three recruits Kohl trained. She’d kept her distance from the others most of the time, too focused on her own job and too wary to trust any of them enough to become true friends. But they’d still worked together, trained together, bandaged each other whenever someone was injured, and did their best to keep Kohl happy so they could all stay here.