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CHAPTER2
Ryan
I’m just getting out of the shower when Zeke messages and tells me he needs me. My job is not one I switch off from, ever. It should bother me more than it does, but I don’t have a wife or a family. My flat is small and claustrophobic. I prefer to be out there, protecting my charge.
I’ve been Zeke Fraser’s bodyguard for a long time now.
He trusts me implicitly to keep him breathing, and I’ve come to care about him like he’s blood. I would take a bullet for him, and not because it’s expected.
He’s earned my loyalty.
I’ve been a member of the Fraser family syndicate since I got out of the forces. I was adrift after leaving the army. The Frasers provided everything I needed: excitement, brotherhood—particularly between the siblings—and more often than not, violence.
Getting dressed, I don’t bother to run a towel over my hair before I make my way out to the car and make the short drive over to Zeke’s home.
It’s not usual for him to need me in the evening, and for some reason, I feel on edge as I pull into his street.
He and his wife, Bailey, have a large terrace home with bay windows on the front. It’s built from light-coloured brick and spans three floors. I park at the kerb in front of the house and cut the engine.
Before I have a chance to get out of the car, Zeke is coming out of the house, pulling an overcoat on.
That makes me go on edge. Whatever is going on is serious.
When he gets into the car, I twist to look at him. “What’s going on?”
“Aurelia’s in trouble. We need to get to Luke’s. Now.”
My stomach lurches.
Zeke’s little sister seems to be a magnet for trouble. We’ve pulled her out of a few situations now. As the youngest child of Charlotte and Anthony Fraser, she is positioned to be a weak link in their organisation.
There are plenty of fuckers who would use her to push the Fraser syndicate into compromising positions. I want to ask what has happened. A number of scenarios race through my mind—first and foremost an abduction attempt.
I close my panic down and start the engine. Peeling out of the street like the devil is on our heels, I drive as quickly as I can in the London traffic to Luke’s penthouse. Even though it’s after ten pm, the roads are still busy. It feels like it takes too long for us to get there.
I use the code to get into the parking garage, and I drive through the gates. I park next to Sariah’s car and cut the engine.
As I climb out of the car, I touch my gun under my jacket, needing to feel the steel against my fingers. I don’t know what to expect, and I hate it. The army taught me to be prepared, but this feels half-cocked.
“What happened?” I ask finally, unable to stand not knowing.
I keep close to Zeke as we cross the parking garage. I’m not taking any chances. He’s nearly died on me in the past, and I’ll not allow that to happen again.
Not on my watch.
“Not sure. Luke wasn’t exactly chatty on the fucking phone.”
He doesn’t offer more, presumably because he doesn’t know more, and I don’t push, even though I want to.
I usher him into the lift. The ride up feels like it takes an eternity. This shit is taking too long. I need to see Aurelia with my own eyes. I need to know she’s okay.
I’m restless as I watch the lift numbers climbing. If Zeke senses my tension, he doesn’t say anything. My chest feels tight as the doors open and we step out into the penthouse. My eyes search for Aurelia as we move into the vast, open plan apartment.
She’s sitting on the sofa, a mug clutched in her hand, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She’s wearing a dress, and her bare feet and legs are dirty.
Luke’s wife is sitting near, close enough to be a comfort if needed, but keeping some distance in case she wants it. Sariah glances up as we approach.
I hang back, even though I don’t want to, while Zeke goes to his sister. Her makeup is a little smudged, her hair tousled, but she looks beautiful and more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen her before.
