It was no secret that Aria was both an enterprising individual and a territorial one, so it made perfect sense that she'd carve out a place for herself the moment she was presented with an opportunity to do so. And it put Boyd on edge. The balance they'd struck upstairs had been precarious enough, but down here, with the immediacy of the threat removed, all sorts of things could happen.

"I'm sure you'll raise this phoenix from the ashes in no time, but I'm not here to admire the real estate," he said, getting to the point. "I need a boost; red and green, specifically."