Page 19

Rhys

L ight filters through the curtains of our hotel room, and I pull Jade close. Her arms tighten around me. She’s my anchor in this storm, and I’m not sure how I’d manage without her soothing touch. But she doesn’t want or need to be dragged into this.

“Jade,” I whisper. “I know you didn’t sign up for this. You don’t have to come with me. I understand if you want to stay behind. I know you have deadlines for your work, and maybe it would be safer.” My hands slide along her back, tracing circles. “I’ll leave you with security, and you can stay back at the Inn Above Tide until this mess blows over.”

Her body stiffens against mine, and I can feel the shift in her energy. Anger replaces the calm, like a sudden squall on a previously placid sea. She pulls away just enough to lock eyes with me.

“Rhys, no,” she says. “I won’t stay behind while you’re out there facing God knows what. I’m coming with you—unless you prefer I stay.” The fire in her eyes is one of the things that drew me to her, and it’s burning bright now.

“I would love to have you with me. I’m sure Jim will find a good spot for us. But I don’t know if it will be a week or a month or even longer that we’re gone. I don’t want to disrupt your work, and that’s an awful lot to commit to when you hardly know the other person.”

She hugs me close. “I know you just fine. And I want to be with you. I’d be a wreck if I wasn’t. I’m ahead of schedule with work right now, so more than likely I can manage this.”

Relief and worry collide in my chest. There’s comfort in knowing she’ll be by my side, but the thought of her in danger twists my gut. I guess I’d worry if we were separated as well… “But we stick together,” I tell her. “We follow Jim’s instructions and take no unnecessary risks.”

“Agreed,” she says.

And just like that, we’re a team.

“My sister has a place in Beaver Creek, in the mountains of Colorado,” she says after a moment. “They wouldn’t connect you with that spot.” She sits up, gaining momentum. “And there’s a potter’s wheel and kiln, so I can work. There’s a full office with internet you can use.”

“I like the idea…a lot,” I admit, giving her a wry smile. “We can run it by Jim and see what he thinks. Though I’m not sure how much work I’ll get done with you around all the time.” My gaze drifts over her, taking in the curve of her lips, the way her hair cascades over her shoulders, a siren in the stormy sea of my life.

Jade rises to her feet, pacing a short distance before turning to face me with a smirk. “I promise to wear clothes and keep my hands to myself while you’re on conference calls,” she says. “No crawling into your lap or trying to bed you.”

I chuckle. “Now, I’m disappointed.”

“I’ll call Alexis. We should start there.” She finds her phone where it’s been charging on the side table and dials her sister, putting the phone on speaker as it rings.

“Hey, Jade,” Alexis’s voice fills the room. “What’s up? It’s early. Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Jade says. “I’m fine, but something serious has happened with Rhys’s company. His security says we need to…get off the grid for a while.”

I can hear the surprise in Alexis’s response. “Jade, are you sure that’s wise? Going into hiding sounds pretty extreme. Maybe you stay here, and he goes off grid.”

“Hi, Alexis. It’s necessary,” I say firmly. “We’ll have plenty of security. I’m not taking any chances with Jade’s safety. We’re working with my security team on a location, but Jade thought your home in Beaver Creek might work if that’s okay with you.”

There’s a pause, and then Alexis exhales. “Okay, sure. I guess that’s fine. I’m not using it for anything right now. Just…keep her safe, okay?”

“Always,” I promise.

“Fine. Jade, I’ll text you the address,” Alexis replies.

Moments later, Jade’s phone buzzes with the information, which she sends to me, and I immediately forward to Jim. He replies not long after, confirming our plan. He has a team in Colorado who can join us. Amazing. I give Jade a thumbs up, since she’s still on the phone.

“Thank you, Alexis,” Jade says softly, her hand finding mine.

“Of course. I always want to help you. Take care of each other. And I want regular updates,” Alexis says.

“I’ll be in touch as much as I can,” Jade says. She picks up the phone and switches it off speaker to catch up with her sister for another moment. “Hey,” she says a minute later, “is the family plane available today or even this morning? It will be quieter, less conspicuous.”

She’s quiet a moment before she responds. “Great. Yes, I agree. Make sure the manifest reads Alexis and Bryant. We can’t take any risks.”

I open the door to our room and catch Scott’s attention. We have only a few hours before we need to disappear into the ether.

“Okay, got it.” Jade scribbles something on a notepad.

I admire her quick thinking. Using her sister’s name is a good idea.

“Thanks. I’ll be in touch once we get settled.” She finishes up and disconnects the call.

Then she meets my gaze, eyes sparking with a fire that tells me she’s far from crumbling under the pressure. Instead, she’s rising to it.

“Scott’s team is ready,” I say, squeezing her hand. “The plane was a good call.”

She nods just as Jim calls me back. Someone from his team will go to the Inn Above Tide, gather Jade’s things, and pack a bag at my house. I thank him and end the call.

“Jim’s sending someone for our stuff,” I tell her. “One less thing for us to worry about.”

“Good,” she replies. “But I need a few things from my studio.”

I look at Scott, and he says he’ll go with her.

“I need to run to the office. I need to talk to Jeannie, our new CFO. She started two days ago, and now, we’re only going to be available by phone. I need to prepare her.”

I head out with a security escort and slip into the office while it’s still early. The usual buzz of activity is just getting started. I’m here for one reason, to gather the essentials, —the paperwork and hard drives that can’t fall into the wrong hands. I drop my bag onto the chair in my office and log into my computer. My inbox blinks with a new message, an unwelcome distraction. It’s a reply to my email from Justin. I rub my temples before I even open it.

Rhys,

I got your email, and I heard about the break-in at Crystal’s. I can’t talk now. It’s not safe. Don’t trust Mason, Austin, or Theo. They’ve been meeting off-record, and there are whispers of deals that don’t add up. I don’t know who’s pulling the strings, but they’re not on our side. They’re coming for us.

J.

No explanations, no reassurances, just a stark warning that chills me to the bone.

I don’t have time to puzzle over how Justin knows about Crystal’s break-in. There’s a mole among us, or he’s tapped into information networks that we can’t even fathom. Either way, his cryptic warning sits uneasy with me. Mason? Theo? Austin? I can’t trust them? Who is he to tell me that? They’re not the ones who left.

Without hesitation, I forward the message to Jim and Mason. I know that’s the right call. As soon as I’ve hit send, I grab my phone and dial Jim’s number.

A thousand thoughts race through my mind. Justin’s words dig into my chest like thorns. “Don’t trust Mason, Austin, or Theo.” These are men I’ve fought alongside, built an empire with, men I’d trust with my life.

But what if Justin’s right? What if the threat is coming from inside? The thought twists my stomach, but there’s no time to dwell. After a few rings, Jim answers.

“Hey, Jim. It’s Rhys. Check your email. Justin sent me an email warning, and I forwarded it to you. He knows about what happened at Crystal’s, and he says I shouldn’t trust Mason, Austin, or Theo. That doesn’t make any sense. I trust the three of them with my life.”

“As you should,” he agrees. “Write back and see if you can get him to elaborate.”

I’m pacing my office, with my phone pressed to my ear, when I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the window. The man staring back at me is a far cry from the confident leader I strive to be. Instead, he’s frayed around the edges, the weight of responsibility and concern etching deeper lines into his face each day.

“Jim, listen, if it helps, we can shift our plans to include Crystal. She can come with us to Jade’s sister’s place in Beaver Creek.”

“No, no,” Jim says, steady as ever, “Crystal’s covered. She’s airborne, en route to Florida with Theo as we speak.”

“He went with her rather than to Santa Fe?”

“It took some work, but she finally agreed. We didn’t want her alone.”

My sigh echoes softly against the glass. Theo has always had a soft spot for Crystal. They’ve been close since the beginning. Hopefully, it’s good that he’s with her. At least, she isn’t alone.

“Okay,” I murmur. “Thanks. I’m getting the last of what I need at the office, and then I’ll be headed out. I’m going to touch base with Mason before I go.”

Jim agrees, and I end the call with a tap of my finger against the screen. The room is silent except for the low hum of the air conditioning and the distant bustle of the City beyond my office window.

I call Mason and get him up to speed on my plan and the email I found this morning.

“We’ll be on top of this,” he assures me with a sigh. “You all be safe. And I’ll make sure to check on Jeannie regularly.”

“Thanks.” I’m grateful as I hang up. Mason always goes above and beyond. Him holding down the fort means we’ve got eyes at SHN and Jeannie, the new CFO, won’t be physically alone here at EnergiFusion.

“What’s going on?” Mackenzie greets me as she strides into the office. “Why are you the only one here?”

“Crystal’s home was broken into last night despite all the security,” I tell her. “I’m just grabbing a few essentials, and I was hoping to talk to the CFO, because Jim Adelson wants the founders to disappear for a while.”

Mackenzie stops short, and her brow furrows. “If they don’t know who’s doing this, how do they know where it’s safe to hide?”

“You’re asking good questions, but I trust Jim. I’m doing what he asks.”

She nods. “Got it. Well, I’m loyal to all of you, and I have your back, no matter where you are. Just let me know what you need.”

“Thank you. Jeannie is going to need some help. Is she in yet?”

Mackenzie looks through the glass. “It looks like it. When would you like to see her? Your calendar is full.”

“You can send her in now, and I need you to cancel my day.” I sit down at my desk and start rustling through files. “Move what you can to video calls for later in the week, and let’s touch base tomorrow. I don’t think we want it to get out that we’ve gone underground, so I need to think about what we tell people.”

“Sounds good.” She strides out, and I start shoveling stuff into my messenger bag.

After a moment, Jeannie Young knocks on my glass door. “You wanted to see me?”

“Have a seat,” I tell her as Mackenzie walks in and hands me a cardboard box. I peek inside and find it full of files I might need. “Thank you.”

I spend the next twenty minutes talking through everything with Jeannie. I’m as honest as I can be without overwhelming her, and I feel better at the end of our conversation than I did when it started. She is a picture of self-confidence. “And Mackenzie will be here,” I assure her. “Don’t fool yourself. She’s the person who runs this place.”

Jeannie smiles. “I figured that out when I was interviewing. I’ll work on going through the books, and I have a few projects coming out of sales.”

“Sounds great. I’m on my cell if you need me. And Mason Sullivan will check in with you regularly as well.”

She stands and holds out her hand. “You do what you need to. I’ll keep the doors open.”

We shake, and relief floods through me. “Thank you.”

She walks out, and Mackenzie walks in with another box in her hands. “I’ve packed you some office supplies. Vincent Moreau from Clear Security will be here on the floor in case anything goes down.”

“Don’t let that French accent of his pull you in,” I warn playfully.

She rolls her eyes. “He’s married, and I’ve met his kids.”

I smile. “Fair enough. For the record, I really appreciate you. You deserve a life outside of this mess.”

“Let’s get Justin back first.”

I nod, hoping it’s that easy. I finish gathering everything I think I’ll want and need. “I don’t know how long we’ll be gone,” I tell her. “But let’s talk every day.”

“I’ve already put myself on the calendar at six a.m., seven your time.”

“Of course you have.”

“Well, if you’re in Colorado, that will be seven o’clock your time. And we can talk before your day starts, like we usually do. I’ll be calling in from home, and I don’t promise to be showered or even out of my flannel PJs, but we’ll make it happen.”

I smile at Mackenzie. I’d be lost without her. “Thank you. Truly.”

“Scott’s downstairs.” She straightens her jacket with a sharp tug. “Be careful. Because if anything happens to any of you—” She shakes her head, a rare chink in her armor.

“Hey,” I interrupt gently, “we’re going to get through this. All of us.” I place a hand on her arm. “Promise.”

She walks me to the elevator with my bag and boxes. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Stay safe, Mackenzie. We’re counting on you.”

“Always,” she replies, a touch of her usual fire returning. “Keep your phone on.”

“I will.”

The elevator doors close, and one thought remains. Here we go. There’s no turning back now.