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“Someone very skilled, I’m afraid,” she answered. “It’s not common, but it takes a good hacker to break into our systems. Only someone on the inside would be able to manage it. There’s a good chance we won’t find this person, not unless we catch them in the system.”
“ItisTuesday today,” Peyton spoke up. “Is there any way to have your guys on standby?” It was almost nine o’clock. There were three hours left for the texter to keep up the pattern. “If I get a text,” Peyton continued, “we can call you right after. Would that give your guys a chance?”
“It’s possible,” Brooklyn replied. “It doesn’t hurt to try.”
“We’ll keep you posted,” I said into the phone. “I’m sure the text will arrive within the next couple of hours.”
“I’ll have my phone with me.”
We hung up, and Peyton jumped to her feet. “What the hell?” she snapped. “If the FBI can’t trace the damn texts, what will we do?”
There was only one thing we could do. We were alone out here, and I had to ensure her safety.
“We need to go home. I know it’s probably not what you want, but you’re vulnerable here. There’s no house alarm or anything to help us out. As soon as we get back to California, we can install every safety feature into our new home.”
I knew she wanted to enjoy the last week of her freedom away from the press, but her safety was more important. Peyton stared down at me but then nodded. “Okay. Let’s go home.”
Standing, I drew her into my arms, breathing in her honeysuckle scent. “It’s for the best. Go pack while I call and reserve us a private jet.”
“Sounds good,” she whispered, moving out of my arms.
Before she could start down the hall, my phone rang again.Seth Michelson.
“Fuck me,” I grumbled. I wasn’t in the mood to talk to him.
Peyton hurried back over. “Who is it?”
I stared at the phone. “Seth. I have no clue what he wants.”
Instead of putting it on speaker, I accepted the call and put it up to my ear. “I don’t have time to talk, Michelson,” I snapped.
Seth’s question made the blood run cold. “Are you in Wilmington, North Carolina?”
“Why are you asking that?” I nudged for Peyton to move, and she hurried down the hall. We needed to get out of Wilmington as fast as we could.
“What’s going on?” she asked, whispering the words as I joined her in the bedroom.
Grabbing her suitcase out of the closet, I tossed it on the bed and opened it up. “I need you to pack,” I ordered. I didn’t want to scare her, but if Seth knew we were in Wilmington, others had to know too.
Seth sighed. “You’re with Peyton, aren’t you?”
“That’s none of your business,” I growled, tossing my duffel bag onto the bed. “Now answer my question . . . why are you asking if I’m in Wilmington?”
The blood drained from Peyton’s face, and she moved faster. I was worried for her, for our babies. The stress wasn’t good.
“I knew you were in North Carolina already. An article popped up online with Peyton at the Biltmore House, and you were in the background. One of my men heard Nikolai sent one of his guys to Wilmington. My first thought went to you. He also heard my brother say something about getting two birds with one stone. You’re not in California, and neither is Peyton. I had a bad feeling, so I wanted to call and check up.”
“Fuck!” I shouted, storming over to the dresser. I ripped it open and grabbed a heap of my clothes, throwing them all in my bag. “Your brother knows we’re fucking here? Goddammit! Was it him sending Peyton all those fucked up texts too?”
“I don’t know about all of that,” Seth claimed. “Nikolai doesn’t take the coward’s way out and send texts. He goes straight to the source.” I knew it wasn’t his style to send texts. But if it wasn’t him, then we were dealing with someone else. “But if I were you,” Seth continued, “I’d get out of North Carolina, quick and fast. We knew my brother would come for you one day, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be when you’re on the other side of the country. I can’t help you out there.”
“No shit,” I hissed. “We’re leaving tonight.”
I hung up and tossed my phone on the bed. Peyton slapped a hand over her mouth, tears filling her eyes. “Ethan, what the hell? Nikolai knows we’re here?”
“Hey,” I said, clutching her face. “Calm down, Peyton. Seth said that Nikolai sentoneof his guys. I’ll do what I have to do to protect you, even if that means breaking that fucker’s neck.” It took her a few seconds, but she took in a deep breath and nodded. I kissed her quickly. “I’m going to make a phone call to get our flight. As soon as I’m done, we’ll leave.”
She nodded and got back to packing. Turning on my heel, I marched down the hall. Why couldn’t it have been Nikolai himself hunting me down? I’d have given anything to get a shot at him.
