CHAPTER 16
ORION
“You’re up early.” Logan enters the room and stops beside me.
I don’t look up, staying to watch as our security disperse to their assigned positions around the perimeter. “So are you.”
“That’s twenty-four men on rotation now,” he observes. “Plus the usual household security.”
“It’s not enough,” I reply, finally turning to face him.
Logan nods.
“We got Maisy out from under Viktor’s nose,” I add. “He won’t forgive that humiliation.”
“True. But don’t forget, he’s petitioned the Council,” Logan reminds me. “He has to play by the rules.”
“For now,” I counter. “Although, something tells me that he doesn’t lose gracefully.”
Logan’s jaw tightens. We all know what Viktor intended for Maisy—the thought alone makes my hands curl into fists.
The sound of heavy boots in the hallway announces Kai’s arrival before he appears in the doorway, his blond hair pulled back in a messy knot.
Unlike Logan and me, he makes no pretense of refinement.
The leather jacket, the boots, the ring that doubles as a weapon—Kai wears his violence openly, a warning to anyone who might cross him.
“That army outside is the best kind of good morning. When are we attacking?” he demands.
“We need to talk,” I say, gesturing for him to close the door.
Kai’s eyes narrow, but he complies, shutting the door with a soft click that somehow feels more ominous than if he’d slammed it. “Is this about Viktor?” he asks, moving to stand beside Logan.
“It’s about Maisy,” I say. Nothing unites us more quickly than concern for her. “But yes, it involves Viktor.”
I move to my desk. “In six days, the Council will meet, but we know Viktor won’t wait for its decision if he sees an opportunity for revenge.
” I look at them both. “Which is why we need to take precautions.” I straighten, my decision already made.
“I think you’ll all agree with me when I say that Maisy shouldn’t leave this house until after the Council meeting. ”
We all understand what this entails. Maisy, with her fierce independence and hatred of confinement, will not take this well.
“She won’t like it,” Logan says, voicing what we’re all thinking.
“I don’t give a damn if she likes it or not,” I reply. “I care that she’s alive. Don’t you?”
“You’re right. Viktor would kill her on sight if he got the chance,” Kai agrees.
“Not just kill her,” Logan adds quietly. “He’d make an example of her. To send a message to anyone who might consider defying him in the future.”
We’ve all seen Viktor’s handiwork before—what he’s capable of. The thought of Maisy in his hands again makes my blood run cold.
“So we’re agreed?” I ask, looking from one to the other. “Maisy stays inside, under protection, until the Council meeting is resolved.”
Logan nods, his expression grim. “The children should stay in as well.”
“I’ve already arranged for additional household help,” I say. “Angelina and Celina will come here—they’re vetted and loyal—but no one else enters without explicit clearance from one of us.”
The door opens suddenly, without a knock, and there she is—as if conjured up by our conversation.
Maisy stands in the doorway, her dark hair framing a face that would look innocent if not for the knowing gleam in her eyes. She’s in her night slip, but she commands the room’s attention instantly.
“Explicit clearance?” she asks, her gaze moving between the three of us.
None of us speaks. Even with our combined power, our combined ruthlessness, telling Maisy what to do is not something any of us approach lightly.
“Well?” she prompts, stepping fully into the room and closing the door behind her. “What secret are my three overprotective mafia heads keeping now?”
I exchange glances with Logan and Kai, a silent communication passing between us. This is my call to make, my edict to deliver.
“Viktor’s a sore loser,” I say, watching her reaction carefully. “We have reason to believe that he’ll come after you.”
Maisy’s expression doesn’t change. “I’m aware of that.”
“Then you’re also aware of the danger,” I continue. “Viktor won’t wait for the Council’s ruling if he sees an opportunity for revenge.”
“He’s predictable that way,” she agrees, coming to stand on the other side of the desk from me. “So what’s the plan you three have devised without consulting me?”
There it is: the edge in her voice that warns us that Maisy hates being controlled, hates decisions being made about her life without her input. And here I am, about to confirm I’m doing just that.
“You’re not leaving the house until after the Council meeting,” I tell her, keeping my voice firm. “The children will stay in as well. Angelina and Celina can come to help, but no one else enters without our approval.”
Maisy’s dark eyes meet mine, unflinching. “So I’m a prisoner again. How convenient.”
“Not a prisoner,” Kai interjects, stepping forward. “Protected, baby girl. There’s a difference.”
“Is there?” she asks, her gaze shifting to him. “Because from where I’m standing, being told I can’t leave my home feels remarkably like captivity.”
Logan moves closer, like he’s hoping to soothe her. “It’s only for a few days, Maisy. Just until we can ensure Viktor doesn’t have the Council’s backing.”
“And if the Council rules in his favor?” she challenges. “What then? Do I stay locked away indefinitely?”
“The Council won’t rule in his favor,” I say, with more confidence than I feel. “Not once we tell them of his operations.”
Maisy turns back to me, her expression cool. “You seem very certain of that, Orion. Almost as if you’ve forgotten how many of the Council members could be in Viktor’s pocket already.”
“Not enough to override a formal denouncement,” I counter. “Not if we prove he’s broken the most sacred rule.”
“What about the evidence?” she asks.
“Your shipping manifest analysis was the key. Logan’s contacts at the port confirmed unusual medical supply requests corresponding with the shipment arrivals. We’re building a case.”
“A case that would be stronger if I could follow up with my sources in person,” she points out, crossing her arms over her chest.
“A case that means nothing if you’re dead ,” Kai snaps, his patience evidently wearing thin.
Maisy’s eyes flash. “I survived in this world long before I had three mafia lords hovering over me, Kai. I’ve come a long way from that delicate flower that needed constant protection.”
“No one thinks you’re delicate,” Logan says carefully, “but Viktor’s different. He’s obsessed. And obsession makes men dangerous.”
“Don’t I know it,” she murmurs, her gaze sliding meaningfully to me.
I feel the subtle jab, but don’t rise to it. “If we don’t count today, that’s five days, Maisy. All we’re asking is five days of caution.”
She studies me for a long moment. “Fine,” she finally says. “Five days. But I have conditions.”
“Name them.”
“I want full access to all intelligence coming in about Viktor’s operations. No filtering, no editing to ‘protect’ me.” She holds up a hand as Kai begins to protest. “I can’t help build the case against him if I don’t have all the information.”
“Done,” I agree.
“Second, I want to have calls with my contacts. If I can’t meet them in person, I need to maintain those relationships remotely.”
Logan frowns. “Calls can be intercepted—”
She cuts him off. “Then make them secure. Figure it out.”
I nod slowly. “We can arrange secure communications. What else?”
Maisy’s expression softens slightly. “The children need routine. Structure. Being confined will be hard enough without them feeling like prisoners too. I want to maintain as much normalcy as possible.”
“Of course,” I agree. “Their tutors will continue lessons remotely.”
Maisy’s shoulders relax fractionally. “Last condition. When this is over—when the Council has given its ruling—no matter the outcome, this protection detail ends. I won’t live in a gilded cage, not even one built by the men I love.”
Love is a dangerous concept in our world, a vulnerability none of us can afford. And yet here we are, four people who have built an empire on that very foundation.
“Agreed,” I say after a moment. “But if Viktor remains a threat—”
“Then we deal with it together,” she interrupts. “As equals. Not with you three making decisions about my life without me.”
Kai steps to her side, slipping an arm around her shoulders. “You’re always our equal, baby girl—even if you might need a little more protecting sometimes. But hey, that’s what we’re here for.”
A small smile tugs at her lips despite her obvious irritation. “Nice try, but flattery’s not getting you out of the doghouse, Kai.”
“Worth a try,” he grins, pressing a kiss to her temple.
Logan interjects, his expression serious. “I’ll start making arrangements for your calls. Secure channels, untraceable.”
“I’ll brief the security team,” I add. “And speak with Angelina and Celina about their hours here.”
Maisy looks between the three of us again, her dark eyes softening. “You know I understand the necessity, right? I just hate feeling trapped.”
“It’s not forever,” I promise, moving around the desk to stand before her. “Just long enough to ensure Viktor can’t hurt you or the children.”
She nods, reaching up to straighten my tie, a casual yet intimate gesture. “Five days,” she agrees. “And then we end this.”
The determination in her voice reminds me why all three of us—hardened criminals, ruthless killers, men who command empires built on violence and fear—would move heaven and earth for this woman. It isn’t just love. It’s respect. Admiration.
“Deal,” I say, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Five days of caution, and then we strike.”
Her smile is slow, dangerous, beautiful. “I already have some ideas about that part.”