Page 35 of Romancing His Heart

“Seth,” I yell.

He comes barreling out of the dining room, followed by Ash.

“Someone is in our apartment. Ash, take Red. Seth, are you armed?”

“Always.”

“Good, let’s go,” I order, already standing in the elevator car.

The gruffness of my voice seems to wake up Red.

“Wait, no, Loki, wait,” she says just as the doors slide closed.

“Loki?” Seth barks. “Focus, okay?”

Realizing I’m still staring at the doors, I shake Red’s panicked expression from my mind.

“Who’s in the apartment?”

“I didn’t see anyone, just heard a crash. I’m not armed, and I had Red. I know how that sounds, Seth. I just meant I couldn’t leave her in the elevator alone.”

“Mhm.”

I give him the stink-eye as he pulls a gun from the holster at his side. Handing it to me, he leans down and takes a smaller one from beneath his pant leg. The elevator chimes, and Seth exits first, hugging the left side of the wall. I follow behind on the right.

He reaches my front door first and motions for me to go ahead. Rushing past him in near silence, I stand on the other side of the door as he slowly pushes it open. I can see from here that someone trashed the place, but it’s quiet now. I enter first. With Seth at my back, we watch the blindsides. The kitchen and family room are clear, as is the front hall closet. That only leaves the half bath and master suite. Creeping toward that end of the apartment, we find the half bath empty, but the bedroom door closed.

Silently, Seth motions me ahead. I slowly turn the knob with a racing heart as Seth rushes through the door to the left, and I cover his right. I push forward, checking the attached bathroom, and find it empty, too.

Lowering my gun, I see Seth standing at the foot of the bed staring at the wall. Turning, my stomach roils.She’s mine, and I’m coming for her.It’s sprawled out across the room in red paint like graffiti.

“Why the fuck didn’t the alarm go off?” Seth asks, already in motion. He knows the drill and what needs to be done.

I’m frozen to my spot. They’re coming for Red, and I’m ill-equipped to handle that information.I’m too close to her already, is that it? Is that why I feel as if I might be sick?This is exactly why I have been single all these years and why Seth keeps his daughter a secret. Wives and children are considered a weakness in this world.

“Loki,” Seth barks, “snap out of it.” He moves around me, engaging transponders to short circuit any listening devices that may have been placed in here while we were upstairs. When they’re all turned on, he speaks again. “This is not on you. I don’t know what the fuck is going on or who is coming for you and Sloane, but we will figure it out. First things first, we need to get the two of you to the safe house.”

“No, let’s get Sloane to the safe house. I’m staying and hunting this fucker.”

“Listen to me, Loki. As your friend and as your colleague. We don’t know who is after you or how Sloane fits into any of this. What we do know is that Vic is gunning for you, and now we are without SIA’s help. Think of this rationally, please. Your best bet is to head to the house with Sloane and let Ashton and I figure this out. Plus, I’ve gotten to know Sloane. She won’t last in a safe house alone. She needs you there.” His demeanor changes as he talks about her.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. “She needs you there.”

“You want me to go into hiding while that asshole tries to discredit me and all the work I’ve done?” I’m talking about Vic, and Seth knows it.

“We don’t know for sure that’s what he’s doing—”

“For fuck’s sake, Seth. Someone placed a body at the explosion site, my explosion site after the fact. Only someone with insider knowledge would have been able to pull that off. I know we haven’t gone over every detail yet, but that is the only logical explanation.” My body seethes with anger.

“I know, but why is he bringing Sloane into it? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“I don’t know,” I admit. “But the note I was carrying said ‘get Sawyer out’ and ‘they know she’s with me,’ right? I must have meant Sloane, not Sawyer, or maybe I transcribed the name wrong. Sloane has to be what they want. I just don’t know why.” My voice breaks a little on the last part.

“Hey,” Seth says with vehemence, “we will figure this out. You need to remember that you’re still healing, Loki. For so many reasons, let Ashton and I handle this.”

“If Vic so much as catches wind that you’ve seen me, let alone are helping me, he’ll fire you. Or worse, arrest you for aiding and abetting.”

“Loki, that dingle dick may have fucked with my family and me once, but I won’t let him do it again. I’m fishing in the SIA pond this week,” he says with a grin. “Then, if he wants to fire me, let him. Ash will have access to everything we need.”