“I–no. My father brought it but… Callum ordered it.”
Sani used my face to unlock it and started scrolling through all of the apps. “Motherfucker.”
“What is it?”
“This is a hidden tracking app. He’s been tracking your location, and the phone’s probably bugged. He’d have access to everything you do on it.”
Panic surged inside me as I thought of the overly detailed, descriptive messages I’d been sending to Allegra. “He knows we’re having sex then. I messaged Allegra. Oh shit, Sani. The recording! I deleted it, but what if—” I slammed my hand over my mouth.
Sani rang someone named Nero, telling him to come to the apartment within the next fifteen minutes and bring his equipment, whatever that meant.
I dropped back onto the sofa as my stomach twisted with a sickening feeling. Callum had that recording. I just knew it. He was waiting for me to provide more, but that recording alone was enough for Sani to be questioned about it, and worse.
“Don’t worry.” Sani crouched down, grabbing my hands and pulling them away from my face. “Nero is a tech genius. He’ll be able to handle this. It’s going to be fine.”
He kissed me, easing my anxiety only a little. It had better be fine. Otherwise, I’d be the reason for my husband’s downfall.
The Hidden Thread
“Right. I’m in,” Nero grumbled, his eyes fixed on his laptop screen as he sifted through codes and data that made my head hurt. He’d hacked into Callum’s phone to find the recording and anything else that might need dealing with.
Aria leaned into my chest, pressing her fingers to her lips in worry. Raya kept watching TV. A few minutes passed, and then Nero sat up straighter, indicating he’d found something. I moved to his side, not sure what I was looking at, but needing to see.
“I’ve got the recording. I can delete it, but if he’s made a copy or forwarded it to anyone, there’s nothing I can do.”
“Delete it.”
“He’ll know,” Nero added for clarification.
I sighed, knowing it would give Callum the knowledge that we were on to him. But I didn’t have any other choice. “Delete it. And I want his contact list, every text message he’s ever sent from that phone, and his call logs.”
If Callum was as corrupt as I believed him to be, the phone he used to contact Aria was probably not his main one, but it was still worth looking into.
“On it.” Nero nodded, retreating behind his laptop screen again. I moved back to Aria, leaned against the kitchen counter, and pulled her into me, wrapping my arms around her.
“What if he made a copy?” she whispered.
“Even if he did, one recording wouldn’t be enough to put me behind bars.”
“If the police come, I’ll pretend I never sent it to him. I’ll lie and say I know nothing about it.”
I smiled at her. “You’d commit a crime for me?”
“If it meant I could keep you,” she said, lifting her arms to my neck and pressing her lips to mine. I loved that she would break the law for me, but I never wanted her to become an accomplice to my crimes. As her husband, it was my duty to protect her, even from myself.
Soraya climbed off the sofa and walked into the kitchen, passing the kitchen island where Nero was working. His eyes flicked up from the screen at the sound of her bare feet on the floor, and he stilled. I narrowed my eyes.
I knew men found my sister beautiful. She was. Her enormous hazel eyes, dainty features, and long, curly hair gave her an effortless femininity and innocence that most men found so appealing. It didn’t help that she played up the shy, good-girl image, wearing girly dresses that showed off her figure and always styling her hair with pretty accessories. It was her weapon.
Nero was clearly falling for her charms, unable to stop staring, his lips parting slightly as she leaned up on her tiptoes to retrieve a glass from the cupboard. His eyes flicked down to her tanned lower back and legs, exposed in her pink relaxed lounge shorts and cropped hoodie.
I blew a short, sharp whistle, holding Aria’s hips tighter so I didn’t swing my fists into Nero’s face. His attention snapped to me, his eyes wide at being caught ogling my sister, an offence punishable by death if he wasn’t one of my most valuable men. His shoulders hunched, and he focused on what I was paying him a lot of fucking money to do.
“Soraya, put on some more clothes,” I growled as she poured herself a glass of apple juice, frowning at me. I knew she wouldn’t speak in front of Nero. She glanced his way, realising why my overprotective big brother act had kicked in, then relaxed against the counter, smirking at me over her glass.
“Now,” I commanded when she didn’t move.
“She’s wearing clothes,” Aria jumped to her defence. “Why are you being weird? Leave her alone.”
