8. Kian

Kian took his coffee to his home office, sat behind his desk, and dialed Turner"s number.

"Hello, Kian," the guy answered right away. "I was expecting your call yesterday. What took you so long?"

Kian chuckled. "I thought I would give you time to catch up. It isn"t easy to shift gears after a long vacation. I decided to take it easy today and work from home."

He planned to drive to the keep later and talk with the team, but that shouldn"t take too long.

"Same here. Neither of us works less while we are in our home offices. It"s just an illusion to think that the comfort of working in your sweats and flip-flops means that you are taking it easy."

"Ain"t that the truth? Did you have a chance to speak with your people about Margo"s family?"

"I did. So far, there have been several phone calls to the advertising agency where Margo worked, inquiring about her whereabouts. Also, someone was seen knocking on her apartment door, but they didn"t attempt to break in."

Kian frowned, a prickle of unease crawling up his spine. "Have your people checked her car for tracking devices?"

"I don"t think so," Turner admitted. "But I"ll have them on it right away. It will be interesting to see if the Doomers considered doing that."

"Did your people happen to track the callers who asked for Margo?"

"No. If they were Doomers, we wouldn"t be able to trace their calls because they use a private network like we do. So, what"s the point?"

"It could have been the cartel people."

"They are just as sophisticated."

Kian let out a breath. "Things used to be so much simpler not too long ago. I used to love technological innovation, but I"m starting to be wary of it. It"s getting harder and harder to hide."

"At least the Doomers are having the same difficulty. I don"t know how much longer they will be able to hide their island."

Kian wasn"t so sure. "They use old-fashioned bribery and threats to keep it hidden, not so much technology, and those methods will always be effective."

"True."

"Did anyone come snooping around Margo"s family"s homes?" Kian asked.

"There has been no suspicious activity near their homes or workplaces. We can let them return to their lives in a few days.

Kian weighed his options. On the one hand, he didn"t want to keep Margo"s family sequestered away indefinitely. But on the other hand, he couldn"t risk their safety, not when the cartel and their Doomer overlords hadn"t made their move yet.

"Let"s give it another week." Kian swiveled his chair and looked at his walled-off backyard. "If there are no further developments over the next seven days, we can allow them to return home."

"Of course," Turner said. "I"ll keep you updated on any changes."

When Turner ended the call, Kian leaned back in his chair with a sigh. There was always something to worry about. He had forgotten what it felt like to be unburdened.

Was there ever a time when he had been free of worry?

Perhaps when he was a little boy, still innocent and unaware of all the evil in the world.

A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. As he turned his chair around, the door opened, and Syssi walked in with two cappuccino cups on a small tray and a plate of cookies between them.

"I thought you could use a pick-me-up," she said, setting the tray on his desk. "You look like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. What"s going on?"

"Nothing new." Kian smiled. "Seeing you is like balm to my soul, a reminder of all that is good and right in my life." He took one of the cups, inhaling the rich aroma with a grateful sigh. "You have no idea how much I"ve missed these." He took a sip and let the smooth, creamy flavor roll over his tongue. "You, my love, are a master barista."

Syssi grinned, a blush staining her cheeks at the compliment. "Flattery will get you everywhere, mister."

Kian chuckled, feeling the rest of the tension drain from his body. "Is that a promise?"

"Isn"t it always?" Syssi teased, taking a sip of her coffee. "But first, tell me what"s got you worried. Is it Margo"s family?"

Kian nodded, setting his cup down with a sigh. "I just can"t shake the feeling that we"re not out of the woods yet. The cartel is like a hydra—cut off one head, and two more sprout in its place, and the same is true for the Doomers."

Syssi reached out, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "It"s all going to work out just fine. It always does."

It had so far, but Kian couldn"t help but worry about their luck running out someday. As vigilant and as careful as he was, someone was bound to outsmart him, outmaneuver him, and what would happen to his people then?

It wasn"t about losing money or being inconvenienced. It was, and always had been, about an existential threat. It was the life and death of everyone he cared for.

Shaking his head to dispel the gloomy thoughts, Kian forced a smile. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"

Syssi"s eyes softened with affection. "Only every day. But I never get tired of hearing it."

Pushing to his feet, Kian rounded the desk, pulled Syssi out of her chair, and sat on the other with her in his lap. "I love you." He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Just breathing in her scent was intoxicating. "I wish I could take the rest of the day off and spend it with you."

"Maybe you can." She leaned away to look at his eyes. "What are your plans for after your trip to the keep?"

"I don"t have any. How about I take you out on a date? We can go to By Invitation Only."

She laughed. "The answer is a resounding yes."