10. Niko
Niko
Cam sleeping while draped across me was conflicting. His blonde hair waved, making him look like an angel, but his looks could be deceiving. Were his words and actions sincere? Only time would tell.
Still, it felt like homecoming. Rarely had we been apart. Our history was interwoven and complicated. He hadn’t made amends for everything that had occurred. He could be soft and gentle or harsh and cruel. Somehow, the heat of his body was comforting as I drifted in and out of consciousness.
A sound in the house woke me up from my groggy, troubled sleep. At first, I assumed it was my imagination. Rest hadn’t come easy to me other than when Ivy was by my side since the Order party. It was a problem that would continue to plague me, maybe for the rest of my life.
But then I heard the sound again—a thud and the rustling of covers. Then, the distinct sound of glass shattering drew my attention and Belle let out a small whimper from somewhere in the house. I pushed against Cam’s chest, whispering, “Someone’s here.” Hunter hadn’t brought any lube in his last delivery but had given me a gun. I grabbed it from the nightstand drawer.
My heart pounded in my ears as we stood, creeping into the house’s shadows. A whimper echoed in the darkness. Ivy.
The only illumination in the hallway was moonlight streaming into the windows, but even in the dim lighting, I could see the set of Cam’s jaw. His body was tense as he sprinted toward Ivy’s closed bedroom door. I cursed when the door was flung open. The last person I expected to find was straddling Ivy’s chest, her hands pinned over her head. Caleb’s cousin, Luthor, wrapped duct tape around her wrists as she struggled beneath them.
“Did you think we wouldn’t find her? That we don’t know who is responsible for Arabella’s disappearance?” His hand slowly lifted and in the moonlight, time slowed down. He had a gun and was pointing it directly at Cam. Without thinking twice, I pointed and fired. It wasn’t a fatal shot, only striking him in the shoulder, but it bought enough time for Cam to close the gap between them.
Cam flung Luthor off of Ivy with enough force that he landed against the wall with a thud. When his hands wrapped around Luthor’s neck, I didn’t stop him. I could only think that he got what he deserved as Cam squeezed, and I stood frozen in place, watching the scene. He couldn’t stay away.
The life slowly drained from his body, and I felt no remorse. Luthor’s features were frozen in cruel arrogance. “You just couldn’t leave her alone,” Cam growled. His face was contorted in rage as the color slowly slipped from Luthor’s face. “She’ll never be yours or anyone in the Order. She’s mine.”
I raised an eyebrow at his declaration, but my feet remained frozen. Trey and Caleb stumbled into the room at some point. “He’s dead,” Caleb said quietly, his hand circling Cam’s wrist to pull him away.
Cam jerked out of his hold, but loosened his grip on Luthor’s neck. When his body fell to the floor in a limp heap, he stepped over him and sat on the edge of the bed. I flipped on the small lamp so we could be sure that Ivy didn’t need medical care. Small shards of glass littered the carpet from their struggle, but she appeared to be okay.
Trey cut through the tape, freeing Ivy, and pulled the phone from his pocket. He dialed and held it to his ear, his lips pursed. “We’ve got a problem and need help to dispose of a body.”
The clock said it was 3:43 when Rayne’s bodyguard left with a black duffel bag he placed into the back of an SUV. Hunter paced the floor and ran a hand through his hair. “How the fuck did they find her?”
Dominic sat with Belle curled up beside him. Traitor . She hadn’t even growled at him or informed us that Luthor was in the house. He tapped on his knee before motioning for Ivy to come to him. Even though I didn’t necessarily trust him, he had done nothing but ensure all of our safety. Cam’s hand circled Ivy’s wrist, halting her. I shook my head at him. “Let her go.”
Everyone treated her like she was made of porcelain, but the truth was she was stronger than any of us gave her credit for. During the entire ordeal, she hadn’t shed a single tear—not even when we found Luthor straddling her body, her clothing disheveled. Dominic arched an eyebrow at me as Ivy settled next to him. “I know how they found you—or how I would have. Once upon a time, our girl was kidnapped. I put a tracker in a wallet I gave her.”
Ivy’s eyes went wide. “There isn’t a tracker. I told them I wouldn’t let—”
Dominic abruptly cut her off. “Not your guys.”
Trey snorted. “If it were up to me, she would have one. Especially with everything going on.”
Dominic smirked at him. “Same. I’m not sure why everyone is opposed to it. I consider it an insurance policy.” He turned his attention back towards Ivy. “Were you ever in a position where one of the Order could have placed one?”
She swallowed hard, her eyes going glassy. There was no doubt she was remembering when they had imprisoned her.
“If I may,” Dominic asked and lifted her hair. Slowly, his fingers traced along her neck and behind her ear. He chuckled to himself. “Bastards.” He glanced at Trey. “Hand me your knife, the one you always keep in your pocket. That is, unless you want to remove it. “
Trey faltered for a moment, but placed the knife in the older man’s palm. “Don’t fuck this up.”
The hint of a smile graced Dominic’s lips. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Between the four of you and Hunter, it would be a dumb decision.”
Ivy winced as the blade dug into the sensitive skin. Crimson trickled down the column of her throat. Dominic handed the small object to Hunter. “Dispose of this. We need to move them as soon as possible. They can’t stay here.” He handed Ivy a handkerchief from his pocket. “Put pressure on it. You shouldn’t need stitches.”
And just like that, our second home in a week was ripped from us. Dominic’s expression remained aloof and even, but the rest of the room... we wore our expressions on our sleeves. Hunter and Cam were furious. Maya and Katya looked frightened, and Ivy just seemed sad.
I could understand why. How would we ever have a normal life again? What defined normal at this point?
Hunter sighed loudly as he leaned against the wall. “Throw some clothes in trash bags. We’ll swap safe houses for now. We need to buy some time until after the holidays.”
Not for the first time, I wondered exactly who the people we had aligned ourselves with were. They seemed to have an endless supply of money, and one of them performed home surgery unflinchingly. They hadn’t even seemed surprised when they found the blood and Luthor’s dead body. Both men had just had an almost clinical look of resignation.
A house wasn’t exactly what I would call the next property we moved into. At some point, the plan had changed. It was an entire floor of Jupiter Financial. “It will be easier to protect you. We live on the floor above, and our security can monitor everything.”
Dominic’s reasoning made sense, but the luxury of our accommodations did not. The penthouse was extravagant beyond my wildest dreams, with hardwood floors and sleek, modern appliances. The entire space was open, with gray walls and floor-to-ceiling windows. From where I stood, I could see the entire city of Strathmore illuminated by the sunrise, cast in rose and orange hues.
There was only one disadvantage. There were only four bedrooms and three bathrooms, which meant some of us would have to share. It was fine. Katya, Maya, and perhaps Sergei were the only people who truly needed privacy.
“What do we do now?“ I asked out loud.
Dominic shrugged his shoulders. “Unpack. Eat breakfast. I’ll have everything else delivered to you sometime tonight. “
“I think we need to discuss strategy,” Caleb said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
Dominic turned his back to us and hit the elevator button. “Update me this evening. I have a meeting in an hour and need a shower.”
My eyes fell on Caleb, wondering what he had to say. He’d been relatively silent for days, lost in his thoughts. Even the sight of his cousin’s body hadn’t changed that. What had?