Chapter Twenty-Six

“You’re sure you’ve gone over everything?” I ask Jarod for the third time.

“Yes, triple sure. Whoever it was, they were definitely overseas, looks to be Russia.”

My gut tightens at that. I know one person in Russia that I don’t want watching the street cameras surrounding my apartment, and there isn’t a doubt in my mind that out of over seven billion people in the world, it’s him.

I nod at that. “Lock it down. I want to double the eyes on these streets until you can figure out how to block them out completely. If the DOT finds out, our asses are on the chopping block.”

Jarod, my operations manager and little prodigy, nods seriously as he begins typing away. I have a small team that runs the security company for me. Mainly because I don’t trust easily. It would be one thing if we were actually doing what Jarod and our three other employees thought we were doing: providing cyber security for high-profile clients like the DOT, investment bankers, and such. It’s even more important for covering up Zayden’s reckless behavior, and now, keeping Blake safe.

I’m texting the other guys to apprise them of the situation when an unknown number begins calling me. Dread sinks into my stomach as I step out of the room to answer.

“Hello?”

“Finally, a Graves who knows how to answer the phone.” Maxim’s thick accent echoes through the phone.

“Maxim,” I say curtly.

“Dominic. It’s been quite some time. You don’t stay in touch with friends?”

“Are we friends?” I ask dubiously as I move over to a free computer, logging into it before pulling up the phone tracking software.

“More so, we’re family, moy mal’chik.”

I let out a short, dry chuckle at that as my fingers fly over the keyboard.

“No sense in tracing, why not just ask me where I am?” he says.

My hands still as I stand up and look around the office.

“Where are you, Maxim?”

“I’m in Moscow still, though I hear Seattle is getting a much better summer than us. Maybe I should come pay a visit. See my boys.”

The thinly veiled threat is hard to ignore. I glance over my shoulder before lowering my voice.

“What do you want?”

“Your brother to call me back. He’s been ungrateful. I got him out of prison without so much as a thank you.”

“He’s been doing jobs for you,” I point out.

“Yes, that’s just business. I’d like a thank you as well. Tell him to call me. I have a new mark.”

“When?”

“I want him in Miami no later than tomorrow.”

I blow out a breath. Getting Zayden anywhere away from Blake will be fucking hard, but the further he is, the safer she will be.

“I’ll try.”

“You will do,” he corrects before the phone goes dead.

Fuck.

Pocketing my phone, I grab my keys and head out the door without another word. Jarod will lock up behind me. He practically lives here, I’m honestly not even sure that he has a home. I’ve caught him sleeping in the break room more times than I can count. Whatever.

It only takes one ring of the phone as I turn out onto the road when Zayden answers.

“What?”

“Maxim called,” I say.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You need to call him back or he’s threatening to come to Seattle. Which may mean he already knows more than we’d like.”

Zayden is quiet for too long before he finally curses under his breath.

“What does he want?”

“New mark. In Miami. He wants you there by tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll be home in five,” he grumbles.

My brows furrow at that.

“You’re not home? Who is with Blake?” I ask as I climb into my car, firing it up and backing out of the parking garage. A heavy feeling weighs on me that I can’t quite explain as I wait for his words.

“She’s fine. She’s locked in the house, and I needed to cool down.”

“Why?” I ask, to which I’m met with silence. “Why did you need to cool down, Zayden?” I ask again.

“She wants me, but she won’t let herself have me because of you,” he practically snarls through the phone.

I frown at that. “What do you mean?”

I’m met with silence again, and when I pull the phone from my face, I see that he has already hung up on me.

I can’t deny that I’m more than curious to know exactly what happened that made Zayden so upset, to push him to leave Blake’s side willingly. Then again, maybe it would be best to live in the dark on this one for now.

When I get home, I’m just stepping in through the door when I see Zayden standing over Blake. She’s asleep on the couch in a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. He’s just watching her silently, a small bag packed at his feet as he leans down to her, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead and whispering something that I don’t quite catch before he grabs his bag.

He turns around to face me, giving me a stiff head nod.

“Get in, get out,” I say as I clap his shoulder.

“In and out,” he agrees before casting one more look at Blake over his shoulder as he sneaks past me and out the door.

I shut the door behind him and stay in place for several seconds before I cross the room to Blake, scooping her up into my arms and carrying her to my bed. I set her down on her side of the bed before stripping down to my boxers. Sliding in behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist, one of my hands resting on her chest. I rest my chin over the top of her head, falling asleep to the steady beat of her heart.