“What was normal like for us before?” Britt asked.
It was a question he didn’t want to answer. He’d much rather her remember their past and understand why they chose the life they did than hear about it secondhand.
“We never had normal, Britt,” Lachlan said. It was the best answer he could give her. “But we had a good life filled with love and a daughter that was the center of our world. We were happy.” As he spoke the reassuring words, something caught his attention. A subtle disturbance in the water's rhythm—a pattern disruption almost imperceptible to the untrained eye. Where the moonlight reflected off the gentle swells, something was moving against the natural flow. His body tensed instinctively, muscles coiling like springs ready to release.
“Because of Quattro …” Her words trailed off. “Lachlan.”
Another ripple. Subtle. The wrong shape. The wrong movement. Not natural.
He reached for his phone and texted the King Security Team.
Lachlan
status of NE perimeter checks?
King Security
Dealing with breach on SW side. Guards redirected. Vandals threatening fire to coffee fields. Is there an issue?
He studied the water, cataloging the familiar currents, the way the tide pulled in lazy swells, looking for the signs he’d seen before. But there was nothing. The breeze picked up, blowing the sheer curtains surrounding the daybed. Britt stared at him, watching and waiting. He relaxed and typed.
Lachlan
No issue.
Tossing his phone on the daybed, he turned to Britt and pulled her into his arms.
“What did you see?” She asked, glancing back down at the water.
“The most beautiful woman in the world,” Lachlan said, sliding a finger along the curves of her face.
That got her attention. She pressed against him, wrapping him with her warmth. He refused to pinch himself because if this wasn’t real, he didn’t want to know. Britt nibbled on his neck, then kissed down to his collarbone. He got back to how he’d wanted to end the evening. His hands slipped beneath her shirt,caressing her back. He tilted his head to give her better access to his chest?—
And that’s when the movements caught his eye.
Again.
Silhouettes emerged from the dark expanse of water—small, deliberate shapes moving in formation, barely disturbing the surface. Most people wouldn't notice them. But Lachlan's eyes, trained by thousands of hours in the cockpit, caught the subtle disturbance—just as they'd spotted enemy movements from the air countless times before.
He froze, ice slithering through his veins.
Gripping Britt’s waist, he lifted her away.
“What’s wrong?” Britt asked, searching his face.
"Get inside. Now."
“Why?” Britt asked, then turned in the direction of his gaze. Her breath hitched. She saw them, too.
The figures were too away. They would be at their home in ten minutes. Another ten to get to the Stingray Compound. If they were after the King Family, they’d grossly underestimated their location as the family’s main house was an hour away by foot. And from the looks of their coordinated movements, these men hadn’t made any miscalculations.
Britt scrambled away, swiftly entering the house with him close behind her. Their footsteps were silent on the polished hardwood floor. Lachlan locked the sliding glass door behind them and immediately crossed to the landscape painting that concealed the security panel. He activated the system with a quick scan of his palm, the screen glowing to life. His fingers flew across the keypad, bringing up camera feeds from around the property on the hidden screen.
What he saw made his stomach tighten.
Infrared feeds flared in shades of red and orange, tracking heat signatures dotting the water. Seven figures. He cycled tothe next screen. Zoomed in. Heavily armed. Next-generation assault rivals. Night vision equipment. Closing the distance to the beach.
Britt reached a hand toward the screen, then turned to him. “It’s Quattro. Don’t ask me how I know. I just … know. We have to get out of here.”
