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We can’t hide from it now, though, but I wonder if she’s sending me a message. I wonder if she’s changed her mind, and that’s why she’s with our silent little lunatic on the sofa.
My thoughts are interrupted when Kane enters the room, and he looks haggard. He’s leaning on his cane harder than he’s done in a while, and he looks like he hasn’t slept in days. I know he’s going to be even more pissed when he finds out that Phoenix and I have kept this information from him, but I know Phoenix is willing to risk his wrath because he wanted to be certain before he said anything.
And now he is.
“So. Is this an intervention?” Kane asks as he slumps in one of the sitting chairs. He lets the cane fall against his thigh, and I take a moment to pour him a brandy. He offers me a soft look without a smile as he takes the snifter and gently swirls the liquid in the bottom.
“We have information,” Phoenix finally says. He doesn’t move from the piano, but I can see his fingers roaming over his phone screen, and a second later, the TV mounted to the wall lights up. I brace myself because I know what’s coming. “There are at least four compromised members of your personal security team,” Phoenix goes on. “I don’t know what got them to turncoat. I haven’t been able to track down whether it’s bribery or if they’ve been threatened. Considering that it’s Rhys, I think it can go either way.”
Kane freezes for a moment at the sound of Rhys’ name, but his face gives away nothing. He sips his drink after a beat, and his eyes move over the names. Five in total. Three of them are blood related.
“Rhys dropped his guard when James went off to inspect the boat, and I was able to get shots of his phone screen. After that, it took me about twenty-four hours to hack into his line so I could pull up his messages. Leo Ricci wants access to Alice during the engagement party.”
I glance over as Alice stiffens, and in spite of his mood, Ari curls a protective arm around her.
“Has he tried to contact you again?” I ask her.
She shakes her head. “Nothing.”
It’s a pointless question because she’s monitored just as much as we all are, and Phoenix would have immediately known. But I think she appreciates being asked.
Drumming his fingers on his thigh, Kane’s gaze darts over to Phoenix. “Who else is on the suspect list.”
“Aldis, for obvious reasons,” Phoenix says without missing a beat, and I see a twitch at the corner of Kane’s eye. “I haven’t been able to trace anything directly to him, but I don’t know where he’d draw the line between you and his son.”
Kane gives a sharp nod. “And?”
“Michael,” Phoenix adds. “I also have no proof he’s involved in anything, but I’ve never trusted him.”
This one is less surprising. None of us trust that old bastard. Kane rarely has us deal with his uncle since Michael has always been held at arm’s length and given very little responsibility. But the few times I’ve been in his presence, he’s looked at me like he’s trying to assess how much it would devastate Kane’s life by taking me out. I could easily see him trying to form an alliance with Rhys in some attempt at a coup.
Kane clears his throat, and I look over to see that Phoenix has uploaded the messages to the screen, and he’s reading through them. They’re incriminating, but they don’t tell the full picture because Rhys was careful. All we know is that he’s got enough people who have access to all of us willing to turncoat. And that Leo wants access to Alice.
“I want those four men rounded up and taken into custody before we board the yacht. Without Rhys’ knowledge,” Kane adds. He drums his fingers on the glass, then turns to Phoenix. “Do you have four replacements you can name that we can trust?”
“I have twodozenI could name,” Phoenix says.
Kane nods sharply, and I can tell he’s torn between being angry and problem-solving. The latter, of course, always takes precedence. “Rhys will be taken into custody after we embark.” His gaze turns to Ari. “You and James will handle taking these four into custody.” He gestures at the screen, and I can’t imagine how he’s feeling right now knowing he’s related to two of them. “Phoenix will stand guard over Alice, and I’ll handle Rhys. He’ll try to leave once he realizes we’re onto him, but he won’t make a scene. He knows better than that.”
He sounds more confident than I feel, but putting Ari and me on the case is the smartest move. Ari perks up, knowing that he’ll finally be able to indulge in his craving, and I see his arm tighten on Alice a little more.
For her part, she looks a little uneasy, and I see her press her hand to her stomach. So maybe it’s not entirely regret, now that the reality has hit her. “What do I do?” she asks.
Kane’s jaw clenches for a second, and then he breathes out and takes a drink before meeting her gaze. “Just be your gorgeous self, princess. It’s our job to protect you.”
She scoffs. “So you want me to stand there like a fucking trophy?”
Kane takes immediate offense, but I step in. “Yes, we do,” I say simply. “Knowing full well you’re more than that. We make sacrifices for the greater plan, little darling. Kane knew what he was getting into when he went to Guido’s office. We understood exactly what was on the line when we let him go.”
She licks her lips, then glances over at Phoenix, who has his head tipped down, but his full attention is on us. “They know where I am, don’t they? I mean, they have to by now.”
“Your family?” Phoenix asks.
Alice makes a frustrated noise. “They’re not… I don’t want to call them—”
“They are who they are,” Kane interrupts. “But that won’t be forever. You’ll carry the Walsh name soon enough.”
His words make me shiver, sounding more like a threat than a promise. He truly sounds like the god of death. “We knew this was coming,” I tell Alice after a beat. “We knew they’d attempt to retaliate because they didn’t get the chance to hurt Kane enough.”
