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That, of course, was just because I slipped up the night before and shot my load on his thighs when he told me to wait, and he knows I hate cake…but still. It all feels too deliciouslynormal. It’s throwing me off. We’re not some regular family planning a regular engagement party. This isn’t just a wedding.
And I’m afraid of what will happen to us if we lose sight of that.
I wake up to a text from Kane, who says he’s meeting with one of his advisors the Thursday before the party, and he wants me to head out and meet with Rhys, who is currently in charge of security. The yacht’s security is something that’s had me anxious for a while, and it makes me feel better that he’s trusting me to handle it.
He’s had Ari setting up our own perimeter and security detail outside of the family, which is something he always does, but we all quietly acknowledge there needs to be more. The Walsh family is loyal—to a point. But they’re also hardened, opportunistic killers. If they weren’t, Kane wouldn’t be the man he is today.
It doesn’t take me long to shower and dress, and I don’t bother trying to look smart for Rhys. He’s someone I trust to give me the right information, but he’s never been a man I wanted to impress. He’s also had a hard-on for Phoenix, and the few times he’s been allowed to visit the manor, that much was obvious.
His only saving grace is that Phoenix avoids him like the plague.
And that makes it a massive surprise when I make my way down to the kitchen to grab coffee and I find Phoenix there, dressed and sipping from a travel mug. My brows shoot up as I reach into the cupboard for my own.
“Stop staring,” he grunts.
I let out a sigh as I put the mug under the coffee spout and hit the button for the single serving. “Does Kane know you’re coming along?”
He clenches his teeth enough that I can see the tendons in his jaw flex. “We have a fucking problem right now, James, and I’m done playing by his rules.”
That takes me completely aback, and I stare at him with wide eyes. “What the hell are you on about?”
Phoenix hesitates, then takes a step closer. His hand reaches out, searching for me, so I brush his fingers with my own. “I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure, and I’m still not goddamn certain, but we definitely have a rat on this ship.”
I lick my lips. “In the house?”
“No,” Phoenix says from behind a breath, “but close. Someone who knew where Kane would be going the day he brought Romano Alice’s file.”
My brow dips. “He wasn’t exactly subtle about that trip.”
“No, but after you brought him home, I tapped into the car, and I was able to go through the signal history. It cut off about half a mile before he was taken out.”
My heart thuds. “You’re not joking, are you?”
“No, I’m not joking,” he says, his voice grim. We both know it would take someone smarter than he was to hack into our system, and Romano doesn’t have those kinds of men. Hell, I didn’t thinkwehad those kinds of men apart from him.
“I’ve been running searches for weeks now, trying to find any trace of where we’ve been hacked. So far, I’ve found a few blips in my audio feed,” he says, sounding like the words are killing him to admit. “Seconds, here and there. Short enough that I wouldn’t catch them in the moment but long enough to leave a footprint.”
Fuck. “You can’t trace it to anywhere?”
“Not yet. But I will be goddamned if you’re going to check the security detail alone.”
There’s more to it. I can tell. “What aren’t you saying?”
He huffs, and his hand finds the back of my neck, tugging me close. “Too fucking clever for your own good,Hook.” His other hand rubs over my stump like he’s thinking about what I can do with my hook prosthesis.
I scoff and shove at him, though not hard enough that he steps away. “What’s the rest of your plan,Beast?”
“To use me as bait.”
I stiffen. “What the hell—”
“Not the way you’re thinking,” Phoenix rumbles. “You know what I’m capable of, and so does everyone under this roof. But Kane’s kept me in a fucking gilded cage for so many years, everyone thinks I’m weak—especially Rhys and Aldis, and right now, they’re my number one suspects.”
My heart leaps into my throat because Aldis is Kane’s number two, and Rhys isn’t far behind that. “What are you hoping to accomplish?”
He scoffs. “To look weak and lower their guard. I want them to think that Kane’s humoring me and that I’m his vulnerable spot. It won’t take much convincing. One look at my damn cane and they’ll think I have the capabilities of a toddler.”
It’s…fair. It’s shit, but it’s fair.
