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“You’re scaring me.”
“Yeah, you should be scared. I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t do anything, Savage. I know you well enough that you could get yourself into trouble.”
Chuckling, I let her go, immediately climbing from around the table. “Don’t worry, Sassy. I know what I’m doing.” I waited until she’d got onto her feet, throwing a look toward the man then heading toward Lily. It bothered me I hadn’t seen the mysterious guest drive into the parking lot and didn’t know whether or not he was alone. While I didn’t think the asshole would be brazen enough to try anything in public, I’d been known to be wrong.
I took long strides toward the man, every muscle tense. While the son of a bitch didn’t seem to notice me at first, when I was within thirty yards, he lifted his head and there was no doubt he was staring right at me. That’s when I noticed an outline of a weapon. Snarling, I picked up my pace, but he reacted instantly, returning to his idling vehicle and slamming it into reverse, the tires screeching as he attempted to avoid me, rolling onto the street. Then he gunned it, shooting through a red light.
I stood where I was until his car disappeared. The fucker had been sent as a warning. It was time to lay down the gauntlet. I’d learned long ago that just letting a situation play out could get the preferred results, but in this case the idea was bullshit. It was time to hit it head on before the situation exploded.
I took several deep breaths before turning around and heading for the only thing that mattered to me.
The war had just begun.
* * *
“When the princess noticed the great prince, she smiled. And they both lived happily ever after.” Harlow slowly closed the book she’d been reading to Lily, pressing her finger over her lips when she noticed me watching. She had a special way with Lily, kind yet firm, silly yet practical. She allowed me to feel normal, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d experienced that kind of calm.
The calm before the ugly storm. That’s all this was.
She moved to the side, gently lowering Lily’s sleeping form to the bed. Princess immediately changed her position, shifting closer to her mistress. Harlow placed the book on the nightstand then pulled the covers around the little girl’s shoulders before backing away. She flicked on the nightlight Lily preferred then started to turn away, hesitating. When she turned around, she held what appeared to be a small monitor. I’d seen it before but hadn’t registered what it was.
Until now.
Galen had ensured that he could both see and hear Lily in several areas of the house as well as on his phone. The duplication was just like something my brother would do, but it also gave me a clear indication that he’d been worried about her safety.
I walked closer, pulling the white plastic orb from her hand. Wireless, there was a camera and microphone installed. If I had to guess, I’d say there was a phone application that Galen had used; however, I’d also seen other devices in the house that were similar. “There are two receivers, one in the master bedroom and in the living room.”
“Baby monitors. She’s a little old for that,” she whispered.
“I have a feeling it was more about security. I need to get the model number.”
“I’ll turn it on. Your brother was worried?”
Nodding, I handed it back to her, my muscles tense. When she walked toward me, she had a puzzled look on her face. “That’s my guess.”
“Jesus. I hope she rests,” she whispered.
“We’ll be here if she can’t.”
“We, huh?” She brushed her hand against my chest before walking into the hallway.
I stood where I was for a full minute before closing the door halfway, shoving my hands into my pockets as I headed for the living room. “Why don’t we go outside?”
She looked at me curiously, asking if that was okay to do.
“The windows and doors are locked. I’ll set the security system on the front of the house only. Since they’re wireless, I’ll bring one of the monitors outside if that makes you feel any better.”
“After the man you noticed earlier watching us, yes, that would make me feel much better.”
“Nothing’s going to happen, Harlow. You have my word on that.”
“You can’t know that. You might be some big, bad biker, but we’re talking about an entire mafia organization. They kill people for a living.”
Her words forced a smile. She obviously didn’t accept that I’d been a member of a similar organization. She was convinced I was a good man. “Stop worrying.”
“Plus, I’m not just worried that some boogeyman is going to break in. I’m concerned that I should leave in case she wakes up.”
