Page 16

To prove I was trying my damnedest, I didn’t visit anyone last night. I stayed in my bedroom like a reasonable adult. I didn’t even get shitfaced or binge on fats and sugar. I laid in the bed that Katya, Cortez, and I had shared for the past seven months, rolling around in their mingled scents, and grieved. But that was only after I bawled my eyes out in Ava’s old room and the nursery.

I was on my best behavior, and it was nothing short of torture. For the first time in many years, I didn’t nocturnally stalk my loved ones. I may have had Roarke do it for me, but at least I can say I trusted him enough to believe him when he said he checked on everyone and they were perfectly fine.

I may have believed Roarke after I forced Aaron to recheck them all, and then I forced Cortez to send me text messaged pictures of our sleeping children. But at least I didn’t leave the house.

My best behavior.

Shaking like a fucking junkie with a serious heroin addiction and none of Stanton Green’s finest or some Methadone, I wait for the younger Green brother. My paranoia is getting the best of me, and Aaron and Roarke already told me to fuck off after ninety-six text messages and phone calls. A dozen emails too, but who’s counting? They won’t respond now, and they figured out I hijacked Marc’s cellphone again.

Their priorities have shifted. Cortez is sick of my shit. Aaron is distraught and rightfully blames me. Roarke’s loyalty shifted from that of my lifelong enforcer to Katya’s uncle. Not that he didn’t always put her safety first, but now he doesn’t seem to care about mine at all. Roarke camped out in my bedroom last night– to keep me in it. Best behavior, remember? And he wore that I want to snap your goddamn neck expression the entire time he humored my best behavior .

I need backup.

I need strong backup. Someone without a filter, where most people would find him insulting and rude, but Katya will find that behavior open and honest. Someone who doesn’t need to manipulate, extort, or use cerebral tactics to get Katya to capitulate.

I need to call in the Marines.

Am I misbehaving? No. I’m not. Katya is in that large home all alone, and the terror I experienced last night while dwelling on catastrophic outcomes was debilitating. Dominion is under attack, and my wife is left vulnerable when she is at her most vulnerable. I just felt this niggling sensation at the back of my brain, like my intuition was screaming warning alarms to protect her. Roarke thought I was overreacting, but I just sensed Katya’s terror.

Why Caleb? Not only does he not employ cerebral tactics, he’s immune to them too. I also heard a rumor from Roarke last night, one meant to enrage me and give me a taste of the agony I put Katya through, but that’s neither here nor there.

As head of security, Caleb’s day job is to tail the important residents of the castle. Most of the time, he just sits in front of the monitors in the command station– one of dozens located around Dominion. It’s winter break, so I assume he’s following the little prince this afternoon.

Niel is easy enough to locate. Just follow the peals of giggles and delighted shrieks of teenage girls. Or I could have just texted my sister to ask if Niel was with her. Yeah, Spyder would have been the easiest option, but my mind isn’t working at top speed today.

An hour into looking, I finally realized I should’ve thought of Spyder first. But after no sleep and a whole helluva lot of bawling, I’m slow today. I feel more insane now that I’m sane than I did when I was insane.

Wrap your mind around that conundrum.

“Niel! No, you didn’t!” Prissy’s high-pitched voice flows from the theater.

Yeah, I’m dense. It’s snowing outside and twelve degrees, but my stupid ass looked outside before hitting the one room they’re always holed up in.

Slow.

“Yeah, he did,” Ella says with pride, defending her brother to the ends of the earth. “It was awesome!”

“What’d the little prince do now?” I ask the silent and stoic war hero taking up residence in the hallway outside of the theater.

When on guard duty, all the bros are super focused, nearly impossible to distract. It must be a genetic trait to stand for hours on end, always alert. Even Aaron, who most days reminds me of a sweet puppy, turns into a guard the Secret Service would be honored to employ. But when their duty is over, it’s like the starch is washed off them. Chill. Mischievous. The bro energy is topped off.

The change in their demeanor is dizzying. Professional versus personal, they switch on and off specific traits, utilizing them for their environment.

“Truth or dare.” Caleb employs a dramatic eye roll that would make Faith proud. As if realizing just that, a smirk twists his lips. “Not that it wasn’t fun when I was their age, but I’m closing in on thirty-five, so it’s a bit– I feel like the Pedo Bear listening in on the little shits.”

“Yeah, considering two of those shits are going to be parents…” I muse in awe.

“Fuckin’ A,” Caleb drawls. “Wild. I grew up as the little prince to my own empire– a criminal empire. Then I commanded Marines. Let’s put it this way, war makes more sense than those kids in there do. I haven’t a clue why they think the way they do. They are so unpredictable, like wild animals. I’m going nuts– I’m going to switch my shifts with Levi. He finds them hilarious, entertaining everyone with their antics in the command centers. I can’t handle it. It’s just too much–”

“Stimulation?” I offer, and Caleb nods his head in reply. “After living sixteen years in a regimented program with very serious men- yeah, teenaged girls would be too much to take. I would know…” I trail off, smirking.

“I know more about your daughter than you do.” Caleb grimaces, arms folded over his chest. “They need protection, and it shouldn’t be a family member who is privy to their very private shit. But damn, with Torian and Zane visiting the girls now, I refuse to invade their privacy. It would ruin the uncle vibe– if they want me to know they’re playing stinky fingers with the girls, they can tell me to my face. Ugh!” he grunts, quivering in disgust.

I laugh for a good long time at that, because I’m the type of person who finds their eccentricities intriguing. Others would find my thirst for knowledge inappropriate, but it’s not for shits ‘n’ giggles– by profession I delve into people’s psyches. I’m intrigued by their actions and reaction, then I dissect it. It’s pure psychology.

Caleb acts prudish, like sex is evil, but I know for a fact the guy goes to French Kissed Kink a few times a week and has three regular girls he pays. How innocent can he possibly be when he owns part of the establishment that caters to exotic dancing and the world’s oldest profession?

“And you think Wil wants to know what the boys are doing?” I ask, smirking like a bastard.

“And you think Levi doesn’t already know?” Caleb’s reply is cryptic. “If Torian or Zane farts sideways, Levi knows before they do. His OCD rivals your own. Just like you always went after the same type of woman– Syn, Regina, and Katya –Syn seemed to like tortured, insanity-driven men. Every man Syn’s ever slept with had issues, and it’s a short list.”

“Chickadee was with you, if I remember correctly.” I remind Caleb while chuckling underneath my breath.

“As I said, tortured, insanity-driven men.” Caleb volleys back without shame, not even blinking as he stares me down.

My mind lights up like Christmas. I didn’t know Caleb had any issues, and now I want to know every single detail.

“Do tell,” I prompt, barely covering my underlying excitement.

“Not on your life, mind-fucker,” Caleb taunts with affection. “Were you looking for me? ‘Cuz your daughter isn’t in there. Spyder is though. She loves watching Niel make an ass out of himself.”

“I was looking for you, and I believe you will be very pleased to see me.” I hesitate for a fraction of a second, fearing I’m headed down the wrong path– one that will push Katya farther away.

“I need your help. Aaron and Roarke are ignoring me. Cort said if I sent him another text he was dragging my ass home… well, it was a rather pleasant suggestion after that, but I digress.” I barely leash the dreamy quality in my expression, and then I instantly feel like an ass.

“Your enforcers are ignoring you?” Caleb sounds horrified, at the ready to knock some sense into those he employs. “They can’t do that. You can’t allow them to do that. They work for Dominion– you can’t have the tail wagging the dog.”

“They can after I’ve kept them awake for over twenty-four hours with pure insanity. Roarke kept looking at me like he was going to snap my neck if I didn’t shut my goddamn mouth for five seconds.”

Caleb rotates on his heel, side leaning against the wall, so he can face me. He’s several inches shorter than me, but his aura of power makes him seem bigger. Fierce. Calculated but not cold. Not surprising, considering he’s a government-issued killing machine.

“What are you making them do, anyway?” Caleb arches a brow in question, trying to get a read on me. There’s no way he hasn’t heard the rumors.

“I’m going through a mental detox of sorts. Cort and the kids moved back to Shadow Haven, and he’s easy enough to bother. I trust him to take excellent care of the kids. But Kat– Ava will be staying with her half the week.”

“What do you mean by that?” Must be Caleb hadn’t heard the rumors. “My folks, grandparents, and four siblings are scattered around The Green Building, visiting from Christmas to New Year’s. I haven’t had time to take a shit in peace, let alone put my ear to the grapevine.”

“I’m giving my wife space. Kat nicely told me fuck off. I’m trying, but I’m petrified something will happen to her and I won’t be there to protect her, with all the attacks on Dominion. I kept sending Roarke and Aaron over to Katya’s house, and they kept saying they went, but they were lying about it. So I had Cort check on Katya, which he did once , and then he told me to fuck off the other dozen times.”

“Let me get this straight.” Caleb eyes me as if I’m insane. “You are forcing three men to pester a woman that is trying her damnedest to avoid you, and you can’t figure out why the whole lot of them are ignoring you? Is that right?”

“Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.” Hearing my behavior spoken out loud from someone else, I can finally recognize how badly I was acting. “It’s unfathomable, right?”

“Lunatic,” Caleb breathes.

“Yeah, that too,” I quickly mutter. “I trust you to guard Katya. She’ll understand the gravity of the situation, because of how dangerous our lives have been. Your teenage wrangling duty will be over. It’s a win-win for both of us.” I sound like a most excellent used car salesman. “Wil can scare the crap out of the kids while you keep my wife safe.”

“Is that what you’re really worried about?” Caleb looks at me with sympathy, seeing through my ploy. “Are you really worried about Katya, or are you trying to keep tabs on her?”

Closing my eyes, I try to will the tears away. “This is hard for all of us. Cort has the kids, and once I get my shit together, he and I will have each other. Aaron and Roarke are never far from us. But Katya, she’s alone– I fear she’ll hurt herself or someone will harm her. So if I have to lie and say MdJ placed a guard with Katya for her physical safety, so be it.”

Eyeing me with obvious suspicion, Caleb asks the most important question. “Why me?”

“I trust you. You’re a highly moral man, who can’t be coerced or forced. If I bothered you last night, you wouldn’t have even checked on Katya, humored me by lying, or told me to fuck off. You would have set firm boundaries I would have abided by. Katya is more bullheaded than I am– she won’t listen to you, but she might hear you out.”

“I’ll think about it.” I can sense Caleb is weighing the pros and cons, mind almost as analytical as mine.

“I understand you only know of Katya, and you’ve probably heard things that aren’t favorable–”

“I’m not deaf.” Caleb tells me more in those three words than most people do in paragraphs. I’ve been purposefully blind to how people treat Katya, leaving her open to misperceptions.

“I’ll tell you a bit about Kat, okay?” When Caleb nods his assent, I continue on. “My wife is quiet. An introvert. A workaholic. She likes to read constantly. She has a wicked sense of humor that is beyond dark. She’s kind and loving, but only if you’ve earned it. You can breathe easily around her in companionable silence. Kat won’t mind if you sit down and read with her or watch television– she watches science fiction and action movies and shows. You’ll get along famously.”

“Why do I get the feeling there is more to this than you are saying?” Caleb’s suspicions would be right.

I’ll deny what I’m up to because it would be considered plotting. I’m letting nature take its course. But first I have to put them into one another’s path. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll deny I had a hand in it. If it does, then I will be able to forgive myself by doing a selfless act that gains me nothing.

Last night was far from fun. I thought Roarke was trying to rub me raw by suggesting my childhood buddy had a torch lit for my wife. The harder Katya’s backbone grew, the more Roarke wanted to snap my neck. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to hurt me with lies or with knowledge, after snarling about how I cheated on Katya with Regina. Suggesting a friend would swoop in and steal Katya from me would be a just punishment, so I couldn’t decipher Roarke’s motivation for telling me.

Roarke said a few people have voiced Caleb’s strange obsession to be in the same vicinity as my wife, no matter where she is. Even I’ve seen Caleb ghosting around Edge during office hours. When called out by Roarke, Caleb denied it, saying he was tasked to watch Ava– Ava wasn’t at Edge. Caleb’s next excuse was that his building was across the street, so he was in the neighborhood to visit Roarke. Since it was Roarke who was gleefully telling me this, clearly he thought Caleb a liar.

Caleb being a liar is a foreign concept, but men do all sorts of odd behaviors to gain a woman’s attention.

Gross on my part, but if Caleb is interested in Katya, he’s more likely to protect her for me.

“The only thing I want is for Katya to be safe.” Truth. A partial truth. “It would put my mind at ease, so I could concentrate on something else.”

“Bullshit,” Caleb growls just as a high-pitched squeal emanates from the theater, followed by a bunch of cackling. Caleb winces, cowering like rapid gunfire is coming out the teenage girls’ mouths.

“I’m in.” Caleb’s hand flashes out to shake on it, honoring it before I can change my mind. “I can’t take this shit anymore. Your daughter is the quietest, so I can handle Ava when she’s with her mother. I’ll get my shit and move in– I assume you’ll tell Katya first, right?”

“Sure.” Not on your life.