4. Power Moves
Power Moves
Micah
E zekiel King’s house, nestled in an exclusive Columbus neighborhood, screams success and power.
It’s worlds away from his gritty beginnings on New York’s meanest streets and my middle-class upbringing in central Ohio.
Expensive artwork lines the walls, each piece probably worth more than my cabin and apartment combined.
The calculated display of wealth is a reminder of just how far we’ve come from who we used to be. I may live a meager lifestyle, but I know this level of wealth. Zeke likes the life of luxury. I prefer simplicity. Give me the simple comfort of my one-room cabin and workshop any day.
I shift my weight, flexing my shoulders to ease the tension building since I left Naomi alone. Waiting only makes it worse. Zeke and the others met up for breakfast and they’re not back yet. They invited me, but since I was at the cabin, I couldn’t make it back in time.
My thoughts drift back to Naomi for the hundredth time this morning. I’ve done everything I can to ensure her safety—stocked the kitchen with groceries, left her with burner phones and emergency contacts, mapped out escape routes. But the separation feeds my worry.
Focus . She’s safe. The cabin’s secure. No one knows to look for her there.
Still, leaving her alone feels wrong. She’s still processing the trauma of killing Lucas, still jumping at sudden noises and flinching from shadows. The bruises around her throat have darkened to purple, a constant reminder of how close I came to losing her before I could—
I cut that thought off. Before I could what? Save her? Protect her? Want her in ways that make me a monster worse than my son?
She’s your daughter-in-law , I remind myself. Was your daughter-in-law. You have no right to think about her that way.
A burst of childish laughter breaks through my brooding.
Leo bounds into the foyer, all gangly limbs and boundless energy.
His sandy blond hair is tousled like he’s been rolling around on the floor, blue eyes bright with excitement.
The sight of him loosens something in my chest. Here’s an innocence worth protecting, a reminder of why we do what we do.
“Hey, Micah.” Eve’s voice carries a gentle authority as she comes downs the stairs. Her detective’s badge glints at her hip, a silent reminder of the delicate line we walk.
I try not to notice how Eve’s sharp gaze catalogs every detail of my appearance. She’s damn good at her job. It’s one of the reasons Zeke fell for her. Also one of the reasons I need to be extremely careful around her right now.
“You look tired,” she says, voice casual but eyes keen. “Everything okay at the club?”
I shrug, keeping my expression neutral. “You know how it is. Always something needing attention.”
“Mm.” She studies me with the focused intensity that’s probably broken a hundred suspects in interrogation. “Funny thing about attention. Sometimes what needs it most isn’t what’s right in front of us.”
My pulse kicks up a notch, but I maintain my calm facade. Does she suspect something? Has Lucas’s death already hit her radar? No, too soon. We were careful. I was careful.
“Deep thoughts for this early in the morning,” I say, forcing a chuckle. “Coffee hasn’t kicked in yet?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Just observing. It’s what I do. Anything you want to tell me?”
“Like what?” I ask, turning to fully face her.
She moves closer, lowering her voice. “You tell me. Something’s off. I can feel it.”
“Just business stress.” I meet her gaze, decades of practice keeping my expression neutral. “You know how things get when territory shifts.”
“Territory isn’t all that’s shifting.” She steps closer, voice dropping further. “Word is the Barone family’s making moves. Marcus might be in jail, but Francesca’s not sitting idle. You guys need to watch your backs.”
The warning surprises me, not the information itself, but that she’s sharing it. Eve usually maintains strict boundaries between her work and Zeke’s alternative business ventures.
“We’re always careful.” I match her quiet tone. “You know that.”
“Do I?” Her eyes narrow. “Because lately it feels like everyone’s keeping secrets. Even from me.”
If you only knew what I’m hiding in that cabin.
“Eve,” I say in a gentle voice. She’s been good for Zeke, good for all of us really. “Some secrets protect people. You know that better than most.”
“And some secrets get people killed.” She holds my gaze. “Just be careful, okay? Whatever’s going on, whatever you’re not telling me, make sure it’s worth the risk.”
Worth the risk.
Naomi’s face flashes through my mind. Her green eyes wide with terror, freckles stark against her pale skin as she huddled in my apartment corner.
The gentle way she touches Powder, the quiet strength in her voice when she thanks me for simple kindness.
The flutter of her eyelashes against her cheek as she slept in my bed last night.
Yes , something fierce inside me answers. She’s worth any risk.
“I hear you.” I squeeze Eve’s shoulder gently. “And I appreciate the warning. But you don’t need to worry about me.”
“Someone has to.” She smiles, but concern still shadows her eyes. “You’re family, Micah. Whatever’s keeping you up at night and got you always looking over your shoulder, you don’t have to handle it alone.”
In another life, I might have told her everything. Might have trusted her detective’s instinct to help navigate this mess. But I can’t put that burden on her, can’t force her to choose between her badge and her family.
“I know.” I manage a small smile. “But some burdens we have to carry alone.”
“Stubborn old man.” She shakes her head fondly. “At least try to get some sleep, okay? You look like you’ve been fighting demons.”
If she only knew how accurate that assessment is.
“Yes, ma’am.” I sketch a mock salute, earning an eye roll.
“Don’t ‘ma’am’ me. I’m not that old.” Eve glances over her shoulder toward the kitchen where Leo is eating before she turns back to me and smiles. “Just remember what I said. Be careful.”
I nod, leaning against the wall as I wait. Her warning echoes in my mind as I cross my arms over my chest. Be careful. Some secrets get people killed.
She’s not wrong. The secrets I’m keeping could get us in all sorts of trouble if they come to light. But I don’t have a choice. Protecting Naomi has become as natural as breathing, as essential as my own heartbeat.
Make sure it’s worth the risk.
Naomi’s face fills my mind again—not the terrified woman I found covered in blood, but the quiet strength I glimpsed this morning. The way she looked in my kitchen, making breakfast like she belonged there. The trust in her eyes when she let me hold her while she cried.
Yes , my heart answers again. She’s worth any risk. She’s worth everything.
The mahogany-paneled walls of Zeke’s home office suffocate me as I follow him inside with Eli and Sebastian close behind.
Security monitors mounted near his desk display various angles of the manicured grounds.
It’s a subtle reminder that despite its luxury, this remains a fortress.
Even more so since Nicolo’s recent appearances.
Years of experience in this life have taught me to catalog exits and vulnerabilities automatically. Two windows overlooking the garden. A hidden door behind the bookcase that leads to an underground tunnel. Three different weapons concealed within easy reach of Zeke’s desk.
My attention keeps drifting to my phone, checking for messages from Naomi. I can’t decide if I’m relieved or worried that she hasn’t messaged me.
“Sit.” Zeke’s command breaks through my distraction. He activates the sound dampening system with a few taps on his tablet. The subtle hum of white noise fills the room, ensuring our conversation remains private. “Drink?”
I nod, accepting the glass of whiskey he slides across his desk. He hands a glass to both Sebastian and Eli as well. Normally I decline drinks this early in the day, but I need it. The familiar burn helps ground me in the present moment, in the business at hand.
“How is she?” Zeke doesn’t specify who “she” is. He doesn’t have to. Everyone in this room knows what happened. We don’t keep those kinds of secrets in this inner circle.
“Physically? Minor injuries—bruises, some cuts. Emotionally…” I take another sip, choosing my words carefully. “She’s processing. The cabin gives her space to do that safely.”
Zeke studies me over the rim of his glass, his dark eyes missing nothing. “And long-term?”
“Working on it. She can’t stay hidden forever, but coming back too soon risks complications.”
“Sandra?” Sebastian interjects from his position by the window.
“Among others.” The thought of Lucas’s mother sets my teeth on edge. We need to find a way to neutralize her as a threat before she starts trouble. And she will definitely cause trouble.
“Keep us posted if you need anything, until then, we have more immediate concerns.” Zeke spreads the territory map of Columbus across his desk. “Nicolo’s been making inquiries. Sending representatives to test the waters.”
Shit . I lean forward, studying the marked territories. “How many?”
“Three that we know of. Meeting with the families, gauging loyalties.” Zeke’s finger traces a pattern across the map. “If we don’t establish control quickly, he’ll gain it first. Everything we’ve built here will be forfeit. He’ll have the strength to force us under his control.”
The whiskey turns bitter on my tongue. Nicolo Moretti, head of the New York family and Zeke’s former employer, is not a man who accepts half-measures.
If he decides to expand into Columbus, he’ll do it thoroughly and brutally.
The power vacuum we created by dismantling key operations suddenly feels like a tactical error.