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“Pretty sure that’s not the case. Only the two of you know everything that is going on. Ana doesn’t want to know any details, and I’m keeping everyone else on a need to know basis. Other than Gray and Geno, they don’t need to know anything but to be looking out for Dom and his crew.”
While Travis and I are talking, Blake has been moving around the room looking at everything. He’s even checking the USB cables and my cell phone docking station. After physically finding nothing, he takes out a small handheld device and begins sweeping it over the furniture and walls.
“Radio-frequency detector.” He says with a little shrug, “Just in case I missed something.” It doesn’t take him long before he tucks it back into his pocket. “Nothing in here.”
“That’s good,” I say, putting away the bottle and moving toward the door. “Let’s check the penthouse then.”
On our way up, talk turns to the girls. They have been making plans to find Faye a wedding dress. Now that Travis and Faye are back in Vegas, Ana has been telling me that we need to do it soon. Travis has been hearing the same thing from his woman, and since neither of us is comfortable with the thought of letting them go alone right now, we need to make a plan. Wedding dress shopping is not high on my list of things I’m excited to do, but if it keeps my girl safe, then that is all I care about.
“I told her we could get married by Elvis.” Travis laughs, “She shot that idea down. Said it wouldn’t feel real if it wasn’t done in the church.”
“I gave you the number for St. Anne’s. Father Benjamin will take care of things for you.” He just grins.
“I know. I’ve already called. I made us an appointment to go in and meet with him later this week. I’m just having fun teasing her.” He says. Blake rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything.
“Just wait Blake. You’re next.” I tell him, chuckling. We have all noticed how Blake can’t take his eyes off Ana’s friend Ellie, but he isn’t talking.
“Whatever.” He grumbles as he pushes past us out of the elevator and toward the penthouse door.
I’m reaching to key in the code to the door when it swings open, and we are met by Margot on her way out.
“Hello, Mr. Cerelli.” She greets me stiffly, ignoring Travis and Blake completely. She used to be much nicer.
“Hi, Margot. How are you today?” I ask politely.
She nods curtly, “I’m fine, Sir. The housework is complete.” She is pushing a small cart of cleaning supplies in front of her.
“Well, thank you for your help today. I know Ana appreciates it, and so do I.” She nods again, watching as Blake moves into the living room and begins sweeping the room with his little device. Her mouth opens, preparing to say something, then snaps shut as she turns her attention back to me.
“Good day, Sir.” She says crisply and goes to the service elevator without another word. She is never very
cheerful, but today she seemed even stiffer than usual. I close the door behind her and call out, “Ana, you home yet?” there is no response, so I pull out my phone and text her. “Where are you?” Her answer is almost immediate. “Still at the café with Faye and Ellie.”
“Let me guess,” Travis smirks, waving a hand at my phone, “With Faye and Ellie, downstairs?” he asks.
I nod. It’s where they usually are if they aren’t in the penthouse. “I don’t know what they are going to do when you move out of the building.”
“We are just going to have to wrap this shit up quick so that they can hang out wherever they want. I miss my dog, and with Becca moving down here to help set up the new office, I want to have a place with a yard as soon as I can find one.”
“Two,” Blake says from across the room.
“Two what?” I ask.
“Two places with yards, Becca has dogs too. She probably won’t need a house though, since she seems pretty happy with her bus.”
“Shit. I didn’t even think about that. I need to call the realtor,” Travis groans.
The hotel has a strict no animal policy. I would make an exception for K&S’s office manager, but I’m happy that I probably won’t have to. With all these animal people around, it’s just a matter of time before Ana wants one for the babies. Then I’m sure we will join the rest of them in the suburbs or something. I never thought that would be my life, but I actually relish the idea of living outside of the city and being near people who are becoming more family than friends.
“I’m sure Ana and I will be joining the rest of you in a house with a yard once the babies are born,” I say wryly with a grin. I can hear Blake laughing as he works his way through the dining room.
The bug search reveals nothing in the main living areas of the apartment. I’m half wondering if maybe Dominic is getting his information some other way until Blake sweeps my office. He finds a tiny listening device in the wall jack for the landline that transmits my phone calls somewhere, and a recording device on the bottom of my desk chair.
If I’d ever thought to look for it, that one would have been obvious. I guess that’s a lesson learned. A quick sweep of the rest of the apartment turns up only one more recording device. In the bedroom. Under the bedside table. Anger flares inside me. Someone hiding a bug in my office doesn’t necessarily surprise me. It’s a logical place for someone to infiltrate if they are looking for information. The bedroom though… my mind immediately goes to the number of intimate encounters I have had in that room since Ana came home. It’s an invasion of our privacy that is so much worse. Whoever has been listening has heard every sigh, every whimper of pleasure that has crossed her lips. Those sounds are mine. Her words of love are mine. I hardly even notice when I put my fist through the sheetrock. I could fucking kill Dominic for this invasion alone.
Blake was able to mostly convince me that finding the bugs gave us an advantage. I'm patching the sheetrock while he sets up our own surveillance. A teddy bear nanny cam in the bedroom and a small camera hidden in the light fixtures in my home office. We know that whoever installed them is either someone that has access to my home but not my business office or chose to only place them in the apartment. It doesn’t make any sense. Anyone with access to the penthouse should automatically have access to the business office, so why would they not take advantage of that?
“Stop stressing it, brother. “ Blake grumbles, clipping my shoulder with his as he pushes past me.
