He wouldn’t exactly call them friends, even though they’d known each other since childhood. That was far too generous a title.

And they weren’t enemies, either. If anyone messed with either of them, they’d be the first to throw a punch—at the offender, then at each other.

No, they weren’t friends or enemies. They existed somewhere in a far worse gray area.

It was a strange push-and-pull between them. An illegal favor here, a loan there, but never any real affection crossing that invisible line. They had their history, their unspoken rules. They trusted each other—sometimes. Just enough to keep things functional, but never enough to acknowledge there might be more to it.

So, it was no surprise when she walked into his office like she owned the place.

“Thomas Shelby.”

Her voice sliced through the tension in the room, but her smile told him she wasn’t worried. Not in the least.

“You’re gonna wanna sit down for this.”