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I dropped our bags and went into the kitchen to make coffee. As I listened, the voices of Stef, Wolfe, and Rhett making conversation in the living room became a murmur that made my skin prickle. I didn’t even want them here. Stef’s guards were scheduled to arrive shortly. I had zero interest in spending any of our remaining time together with my brothers.
Setting the coffee up, I tried to block out the chatter. While it was brewing, I took a moment to lean against the counter with my eyes closed, trying to center myself.
When I opened them again, nothing had changed, and I didn’t feel any better. I made the coffees and brought them to the living room, taking a seat on the sofa next to Stef. The moment my ass hit the cushion, she shifted closer, draping her legs over my thighs. Like she just needed to be close to me.
Rhett stretched his legs out, eying me with irritation. “Start talking.”
“There’s been a, uh, dramatic escalation in the hacker’s activities.”
“Fuck. Would I be right in assuming it involves Stef?”
“You would.” I briefly relayed the facts. “We haven’t notified the FBI of the files we’ve received, or that Stef is now on the hacker’sradar. I have no interest in seeing her dragged into this more than she is already. So I’m taking matters into my own hands in that regard. I’ve arranged for twenty-four/seven security for her. They’ll be here shortly to collect her and they’ll stay with her until this is resolved.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, that’s terrible.” Rhett’s annoyance seemed to have disappeared, so that was at least something.
“Yes.”
“I can’t stand this. Who is this fucker and why does he have it in for you so badly? And why can’t anyone find him?” Wolfe slammed his hand down on the arm of the chair.
“Fuck knows.” There didn’t seem to be anything to say to that, so the room fell quiet.
Until Stef let out a gasp, drawing all of our attention. “That’s it! I’ve finally figured it out!”
“What have you figured it out?”
“Here we have Grayson Rivers, brooding, elusive billionaire. Shrouded in mystery.” Rhett scoffed, earning him a derisive look from Stef. “You’re entangled in a high-stakes game of shadows with a supremely intelligent, almost ghost-like adversary who’s proving to be a master of evasion. It’s so obvious. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re Batman.”
That actually made me chuckle, relieving some of the tension.
“Go on. You can tell us. We can be your circle of trust.”
“Fuck that. I’ve got four kids to look after. I’m not getting into vigilante shit.”
“Coward.”
Wolfe shrugged, clearly unfazed.
“Oh. My. God.”
“What now?”
Stef held Patti up, pressing a kiss to her head. “Two words. Cat. Woman.”
“Catwoman is one word.” A very helpful addition to the conversation from Rhett.
“Depends on how you spell it.” Stef was up for an argument, it seemed.
“No, it doesn’t. It’s literally one word.”
“You’re just salty because you’re Robin.”
I’d never seen my brother sputter before, but it seemed he couldn’t form a coherent sentence for a few moments. “No fucking way am I wearing tights. Or the yellow cape.”
“It's that or Alfred. Dealer’s choice.”
Rhett was a dead man. Slayed. Hung, drawn and quartered. Eviscerated.
“Fuck you.” There was no heat in the words, which Stef obviously recognized, because her only reply was to blow him a kiss.