Page 56

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

Knight

Bishop’s safehouse turns out to be a three-bedroom ranch house in a quiet suburb. The kind of neighborhood where people complain about their HOA and debate whether their dog is part of the family or just freeloading. It screams middle-class normalcy—the kind of place no one would think to look for us.

My brother’s knack for hiding in plain sight never fails to impress me, though I’d rather eat glass than admit it out loud.

"Security's active." Bishop guides the SUV into an attached garage. "Full coverage, motion sensors, panic room in the basement if needed."

Eva helps Michael from the vehicle while I scan the area on my tablet. No suspicious network activity. No digital signatures that shouldn't be here. The security system isn’t as sophisticated as mine, but it’s solid enough to give us warning if anyone tries to crash the party.

“Inside.” I guide them through a door that leads directly into a kitchen that could have been plucked from any suburban model home catalog.

The countertops are spotless, the appliances stainless steel, and the air faintly smells of citrus. It’s the perfect facade. Nothing about it suggests a safehouse—except for the reinforced doors and windows if you know where to look.

“Rook?” I call as we step inside.

"Perimeter clear." His assessment comes from somewhere outside. "No signs of surveillance or pursuit."

Victor moves through the space like he's cataloging exits and defensive positions. Old habits. I catch myself doing the same thing—measuring distances to windows, calculating angles of attack.

Eva helps Michael sink into a chair at the kitchen table, her hands steady despite her obvious exhaustion.

“What happened to him? Why aren’t you sick?”

Victor turns at Eva’s demand. I brace myself for a sharp retort, but his eyes soften, and he smiles. “I’m just an old man, no danger to them. Michael … he wasn’t happy about his captivity. After the third time he tried to escape, they took … extra measures.”

Eva stares at him for a moment, then nods. "Medical supplies?" She looks at Bishop. "He needs fluids, probably nutrients."

"Fully stocked first aid station in the main bathroom." Bishop's preparation, as always, is thorough. "IV supplies if needed."

Michael tries to mumble something resembling a protest, but Eva’s already on the move. That determined set to her jaw is quickly becoming familiar. It’s the kind of expression that screams arguing will only waste your time.

She returns moments later with supplies that suggest Bishop prepped for anything short of open-heart surgery.

I watch as she starts an IV line in Michael’s arm.

"You learned this in a first aid course?" The question slips out before I can stop it.

"Advanced emergency care certification." She tapes the line in place. "I took the basic first aid with my job at the library, then decided to take extra training for myself."

Of course, she did more than basic first aid. Eva doesn’t do anything halfway—whether it’s finding her brother, breaking into my apartment, or insisting on being part of this rescue. The realization sends an uncomfortable warmth through my chest. One I absolutely do not have the bandwidth to analyze right now.

"We need to move the vehicles." Bishop checks his phone. "Rook?"

"On it." My brother's voice carries through our comms before he appears in the doorway. "Trade-off points are set."

The two of them leave to handle the cars, their movements so synchronized it would be unsettling if I hadn’t seen it a million times before. I’d comment, but then they’d have an excuse to gloat about their flawless teamwork, and my day’s already been annoying enough.

Victor takes a seat across from Michael, his expression unreadable as he watches Eva work.

"The organization that took you." I keep my voice neutral. "What exactly were they after?"

"Access to specific systems." Victor's gaze shifts to me. "They needed code that could infiltrate without detection. Something that could rewrite infrastructure from inside."

"Horizon Tech?" The pieces start falling into place.

"Among others." He glances at Michael. "Your brother's skill with neural networks made him valuable. They needed both of us—my experience with system architecture, his ability to create adaptive code."

Michael stirs at that, his voice stronger now that fluids are helping. “They knew exactly what they wanted. Specific targets. Specific systems. But they needed it to look like normal network traffic until it was too late.”

Eva's hands still where she's adjusting the IV drip. "That's why they took you?"

"That's why they took both of us." Victor's tone carries none of his usual arrogance. "They had the targets, but they needed someone who could build something undetectable. And someone who could make it adapt faster than security protocols. But it wasn’t enough. They needed a third person."

The implications are huge. "Me.”

“You. I couldn’t tell you outright, but since they were going to target you with the virus, I knew I could hide information inside it. Their plan was to use Michael’s sister to get to you.”

“I was tasked with building a program to build a relationship with her, which would in turn, bring her to you. The plan was to drive you out of that fortress you call a home, where they could pick you up.”

“How did you figure out my access codes?”

He snorts. “You’re not as unpredictable as you think you are. Hacking into your security feed was all I needed to see you tapping the codes in. From there, it was timing. They’ve been monitoring you daily for weeks, waiting for the perfect moment.”

My own paranoia used against me. Fuck’s sake. “How many targets?"

“More than just Horizon Tech.” Michael sits up straighter, his strength returning. “They wanted something that could spread through connected systems without triggering alerts. Something that could establish deep access before anyone realized there was a breach.”

Eva steps back, moving to the kitchen counter, her hands shaking slightly as she sorts through the medical supplies. I follow her.

"You should rest." My voice drops lower, just for her. "You've done everything you can for now."

"Have I?" She turns to face me, and she’s close enough that I can see the exhaustion in her eyes. "We got them out, but what about the people behind this?” There’s no denying the stress in her voice, the fear. “They're still out there. Still planning whatever they wanted that code for."

My hand lifts, fingers brushing her cheek. She leans into the touch, eyes closing for a second.

"We'll handle it. But not tonight. Not until they've rested, and we know exactly what we're dealing with."

The sound of the garage door announces my brothers' return. Eva steps back, but something in her expression tells me this conversation isn't over.

"Vehicles are clean." Bishop enters the kitchen, his gaze flicking briefly between me and Eva. If he noticed our proximity, he wisely chooses not to comment. “No one followed. We’re secure for now.”

"Get some sleep. Real rest, not just a nap between crises.” I point to the door. “There are bedrooms down the hall."

She glances at Michael, but he waves her off. "Go. I'm fine here. The IV's helping."

Victor watches the exchange with the kind of intensity that makes me itch. I meet his gaze, daring him to comment.

He doesn’t. He just nods. "Sleep would be good. For all of us."

I watch Eva disappear down the hallway, everything in me wanting to follow. To make sure she's safe. To guard her rest like I've spent the last few days guarding her life.

But we have work to do. Plans to make. An organization to deal with before they can regroup and strike back.

And I really need to stop thinking about how perfectly Eva fit against me during our escape.

Any time now … Really .