Chapter 10
Sebastian
As the stranger walks down Lizzy’s driveway, my blood boils. My fingers itch to grab my rifle, prop open my window and fire a headshot at the smug bastard.
She’s out of her damn mind.
Why on earth would she invite a man we don’t know into her home? Men have bad intentions. Men can harm her.
So why put yourself in danger, my angel?
If she had just waited overnight, I would have fixed the damn oven for her. And when it was discovered that she had already fixed it, he should have realized he was in the midst of someone far superior and accepted his own insufficiency.
But the unworthy jackass decided to ask her out instead. Fury rolled through me when his insipid voice projected through my speakers as if he were worthy of her. I was halfway across my office when I realized I couldn’t just bust into her house and beat the man.
So, I begrudgingly sat back in my chair and endured the train wreck. I may not be interfering at this moment, but make no mistake, angel, you will not be going on that date.
When the phone on my desk pings with a text, my control flares at the edges. I don’t need to check it to know it’s him texting her. Grinding my teeth, I snatch the device and open it. As suspected, the mirrored phone shows one new text from Chris Davis. Even his name is ridiculous.
I’m tempted to block the number, but I refrain just barely. It’d be too suspicious if he ghosted her immediately after leaving.
Once I’m certain the vermin has left the neighborhood, I turn my attention to my monitors. Minimizing all Syndicate Enterprise windows, I open a secure one but keep another up on Lizzy’s location as she drives to the store. There are more critical matters at hand than trivial work.
With a phone number and full name, I have more than enough to dig up every skeleton in Chris Davis’s closet. And once I find them, I’ll exploit them. If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll never contact my Lizzy ever again.
Scrolling past his social security number, I check his credit score.
I’m disappointed to see it’s relatively high.
My fingers itch to change it, to lower it a few hundred.
But he hasn’t technically done anything wrong…
yet. I may use my intellectual genius to destroy adversaries, but only those who deserve it.
And, unfortunately, Chris Davis hasn’t earned my wrath. This is just reconnaissance.
At first glance, there’s nothing amiss with Chris Davis, but I don’t stop at the surface. I’ll keep digging until I find everything.
At twenty-eight, which is far too young for my angel, he’s already been married and divorced, but has no children.
His divorce files are succinct. They came to agreement rather rapidly, and seeing as neither had assets to their name, there wasn’t much to fight over.
But that doesn’t tell me the reason behind the divorce, so I keep digging. I hack into his ex-wife’s lawyer’s computer and find his notes on the case. Scanning the surprisingly large file, my eyes finally catch on something alarming.
Client (petitioner) filed post-altercation in which Opposition (respondent) became physical, resulting in a concussion and broken arm for Client. Hospital notes below.
Client reported domestic violence in which Opposition spent one night in jail before being released on bail. Court case detailed below.
Not the only violent outburst resulting in hospital visit. Note two months prior to filing, five months prior, and eight months prior detailed below.
Opposition has been issued a restraining order, which he has infringed upon. Appearing at Client’s house under pretense of retrieving clothing. Client called the police. Report detailed below.
The phone pinging again draws my attention away from the horrors I’ve discovered.
Chris Davis: Looking forward to Friday, hot stuff
Bile rises in my throat at the thought of my angel with this monster. It can’t happen. She cannot be near this demon.
Me: Me too!
Her response cracks my heart. She has no idea. She’s excited to go on a date with a man, but she doesn’t realize it can’t be this one.
Chris Davis: I’ll be thinking of you until then
The fuck he will. This conversation is over. I block his number from her phone so he can’t contact her. But even that doesn’t settle me. Because he knows where she lives.
The thought of this man showing up at her house has me upping all security measures. I raise the volume of notifications when someone enters her house. Not knowing if he or anyone else approaches her house is not an option.
However, not having the same measures on my own home, I’m caught off guard when there’s a knock at my door. Not expecting anyone and not used to having visitors, I rush downstairs.
What if it’s Lizzy?
I push the absurd wish from my mind, yet there’s still disappointment in my chest when I check the peephole, and it’s not her.
But the sight of my brother and sister-in-law on my front step lifts my spirits. They’ve never come by before, but they don’t look distressed, so this must be a friendly visit.
I open the door with a smile on my face. Katerina stands closest with Dom and a man I vaguely recognize as Katerina’s guard behind her.
“What are you guys doing here?” I try to mask my confusion, but my voice comes out cautious. It’s not that I don’t want them here, it’s just that my house is very close to Lizzy, and anything Syndicate-related this close to her makes me uneasy.
“We wanted to stop by and discuss some things,” Katerina says with a smile.
“About the Syndicate?” My heart speeds up at the prospect of Syndicate affairs here. I keep that part of my life separate. I don’t bring that kind of work home.
“Mmmm,” Katerina noises noncommittedly.
I look around the street, making sure none of my neighbors are out. I fit in over here, but these three in their all-black getups don’t. They scream of nefarious deeds.
“Well, come on up to my office.” I rush them inside and quickly lead them up the stairs, grateful they’re located near the entrance. There’s no risk of them seeing the framed pictures of Lizzy in my den, nor the notes from her hung in the dining room.
They take in my office, and I try to see it from their perspective. The Legos and puzzles that mean so much to me must look incredibly dorky. But they don’t mention it. In fact, they don’t even seem surprised, which I’m undecided on whether that insults me.
“What can I help you with?” I maintain a cheerful voice despite the discomfort crawling up my throat. I don’t like having them here.
“Bash, we wanted to introduce you to my guard and best friend, Nikolai.” Katerina steps aside as she introduces him.
I’m used to being the smartest person in the room. It’s rare for me to not understand a situation. But at the moment, I am truly stumped. What is going on?
“Hi, Nikolai.” I offer my hand, which he accepts, and we shake briefly. The man doesn’t say anything though and won’t maintain eye contact.
“I’m sorry to be rude, but what can I do for you?” I rub the back of my neck as I ask.
“Nik is gay,” Katerina boasts. Nikolai reddens at the announcement but sends me a smile.
“That’s… nice?” How do I respond to such a statement? Why is Katerina calling out her best friend like this? He seems so uncomfortable.
“And he’s single. We love and accept him just as he is.” Katerina looks at me with urging eyes.
“Bash, we wanted to tell you it’s okay to be who you are. The Syndicate doesn’t care about sexuality. They thought introducing you to me would help you realize this. You should go out and meet someone.” Nik’s confession leaves me speechless.
My eyes widen and I let out a choked sound. What on Earth? I look at my oldest brother, but he just sends me a supportive smile.
Oh my God.
My brother thinks I’m gay! I look around the room. No, my whole family thinks I’m gay. How did this happen?
“You guys think I’m gay?” I choke out.
“We love you just how you are. We accept you no matter what,” Katerina continues.
“But I’m not gay.” I try again, but they still don’t believe me. There’s nothing wrong with being gay. But I’m not. My Lizzy’s face appears in my mind. Certainly not gay.
“Sebastian, it’s okay,” Katerina insists.
“No, seriously, I’m not–”
“The lizard is in her nest,” a robotic voice booms through the room.
Oh no.
Oh, God, no.
It happens in slow motion. The system I upgraded not even an hour ago now performs its duty perfectly. Alerting not only me, but them too of Lizzy’s return home.
The lights in the room dim as the curtains draw almost all the way down. The telescopes along my windows adjust to face her backyard. The monitors on my walls turn on and security cameras show my beautiful angel walking into her home.
I feel the blood rush from my head. The room spins for a moment. I remove my glasses to rub the bridge of my nose.
Lizzy continues entering her home and unloading her groceries, completely oblivious to the horror scene unfolding here by her entrance.
“Bash, who is that?” my brother asks in a low voice.
I gulp, my eyes wide and lost. “Umm, that’s my neighbor.”
“Okay. Why are you watching her?” His accusatory tone causes the reality of my situation to come crashing down.
They just caught me watching Lizzy. Stalking her. They now know about her. She’s not my secret anymore.
“Because…” I look around the room, begging our puzzles to give me an answer.
Dom’s eyes narrow. “Bash, why are you watching your neighbor?”
“Because I love her!” I can’t stop the outburst. And it feels surreal saying it out loud. A weight lifted from my chest. “She’s my life,” I add with a sigh.
“Oh, Bash, that’s amazing! Why haven’t we met her?” Katerina claps her hands in excitement and jumps up, completely forgetting the gay accusation.
“I… I haven’t met her,” I confess with a wince.
“What?” Her confusion is evident.
“I’ve never met her… at least not as Bash. She doesn’t know I exist.” I stare longingly at her image displayed on my TVs. If only…