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Chapter 20
Brody
Iwasupearlythe next morning, despite my late night and jet lag. I’d waited another hour after Matteo snuck into Alessia’s, but they hadn’t so much as turned a light on in the house, and there weren’t any more signs of unwelcome guests. When the owner of the property I’d been camping in returned home, I left, afraid they might have a dog that would find my hiding place.
Countless possibilities of what Lessia and Matteo had going on crossed my mind last night, but each one seemed as far-fetched as the last. Not my business, I kept trying to tell myself, but damn, did I hate puzzles.
The smell of coffee and bacon lifted my spirits slightly as I came in through the kitchen door. Keene was at the stove, stirring eggs and munching on a strip of the greasy goodness. “How was your run last night?” he asked as I poured a mug and sat down on a bar stool at the counter.
“What run?” I reached over and grabbed a piece of bacon, sticking the whole thing in my mouth.
“The one you avoided my light sensors last night to get in.” He gave me a look that told me I was an idiot. “You forgot that I have an entire security system, and seeing as I’m in the security business, at least on a wider scale, I have a tendency to use it.” His dry tone continued as he plated the eggs. “You tripped at least four security sensors and the perimeter alarm.” Sliding a plate my way, he took his time walking around the counter to sit next to me, coffee cup at the ready by his elbow. “Want to tell me what you were doing at my sister’s house?”
I raised my eyebrow. “How did you know I was at Alessia’s?”
He smiled smugly. “I didn’t, just took a guess. Only thing that can get a man wrapped up in knots is a woman, and Alessia’s the kind to do it more than most.” Taking a sip of coffee, he looked at me expectantly.
I hesitated, unsure what to admit to and what to reveal about my observations. “I didn’t go over to Alessia’s last night. At least not to her house. I stayed up for a bit, surveilling her house from a vantage point down the street. I couldn’t shake the feeling I needed to watch for a while.” All that was true but didn’t give any detail.
His lazy amusement vanished, replaced with a laser-like intensity that I remembered distinctly from our shared past. “Gut, hunch, or observation?” He practically barked out the question. Observation meant I’d seen something off, hunch was a suspicion something wasn’t right, whereas gut instinct was something any warrior could tell you was a major red flag that something huge was about to go down, with no real warning or intel. Not about to tell him it was a mix of all three, I just shrugged and shoveled food into my mouth.
His eyes narrowed, and I prepared for an interrogation, but my phone ringing stopped him before he could get started. Seeing the number on display, I hurriedly swallowed and swiped the screen to answer. The call didn’t take long, but it completely derailed my plans for the next day or two and, more important to me, at least in the short run, would piss Alessia off. Since I was going to be the bearer of bad news and the closest person to her to take that frustration out on, I figured strategic planning would be necessary.
I looked over at Keene, who’d removed the breakfast dishes while I was on the phone and was now waiting for me to fill him in. “That was an executive from Valencia. One of your sister’s crazed fans apparently flew across the Atlantic last night without parental permission and is currently MIA. They’ve tasked me with sticking to your sister like glue until daddy dearest comes to take him home.” I wondered if his parents were off on the timeline and it was him I saw last night. I didn’t see enough movement to identify him, but the height could have been right.
He stared at me, clearly confused about why a fan would be on their radar.
“The crazy is the son of the executive,” I clarified. “And is the one everyone but Lessia would classify as an obsessive crazy stalker.”
His expression cleared. “I’ll call the brothers,” he said, reaching for his phone, but I shook my head, stopping him.
“If we all arrive on her doorstep, she’s going to kick us all out.”
“She’s going to kick you out, regardless. She doesn’t particularly like us in her home for long, let alone anyone else. Matteo is the only regular visitor she has, and even then, they spend most of their time in the gym out back,” he pointed out.
I bit back my retort about the two of them looking plenty comfortable inside her house last night, but it was a close thing. Pulling out my phone, I clicked Alessia’s name and waited for it to connect. I was just about to settle for the fact that I would have to leave a voicemail when she picked up.
“’Lo?” The smokey, sexy drawl was deep and slow.
“We kinda have a minor emergency. I’ll be over at your place in ten. Are you up?”
“Can itkindawait another hour? I’m asleep.”
I felt the corner of my mouth lift in a smile despite myself. She certainly sounded more asleep than awake, and I wasn’t even sure she was tracking the conversation entirely.
“Nope, but I’ll bring coffee. Just make sure you’re upright and dressed.” I hung up before she could protest, looking over the counter at the huge industrial machine Keene had off to one side. “Does that thing make espresso?” I asked, getting to my feet.
He gave me a bemused expression but nodded.
“Can you make six shots for me? I’ll grab my go-bag and be right back.”
It didn’t take me long to grab my gear, seeing as I hadn’t unpacked since I was supposed to be going back to my apartment that morning. By the time I came into the kitchen, all six shots were lined on the counter as if they were alcohol, prepared for a college student to down them in a row.
Keene watched as I poured three shots apiece into two travel mugs, topping them off with the rest of the pot of coffee. “I’m all for artificial energy to get one going in the morning,” he said, “but if you drink just one of those, the top of your head will blow off from the rest of your body. Or your heart will explode.”
I shook my head. “They aren’t for me.”
He drove us over to Alessia’s house in silence, clearly interested in how I would handle the situation. “You can go.” I tried to dismiss him as I juggled the two mugs and my bag.
