The cover story, when Lucien finally settled on one, was simple enough to survive scrutiny and vague enough to satisfy no one who actually cared to look closely — which suited both of them, since the people who mattered most in Lucien's life had learned a long time ago not to look closely at anything he preferred left alone.

"A security consultant," he told Nathan over coffee the next morning, in the flat, unbothered tone he used for decisions he had no intention of explaining further. "Following an incident with a former employee. He'll be staying at the penthouse until the matter's resolved."

Nathan's expression suggested he had several follow-up...