“For starters, I want a visual on the guys following her. I want to know their pattern, how big a crew we’re dealing with and where they’re based out of.”
“You trust your security team enough to farm that job out, or is that something we keep inside the brotherhood?” Jace said.
Beckett shook his head. “Better to keep what we’re researching close to the vest. At least until we’ve got a solid way to spin it. Anyone on our staff guarding the loft will just assume me or Knox have pissed off someone new. If I start putting them on a tail without much in the way of explanations, curiosity might get the better of them. The last thing we need is someone talking.”
“What about Ivan?” Trevor said. “He deep enough in we can leverage him if we need another body?”
Everyone turned their sights on Knox.
Well, that answer at least was a no-brainer. “The way he stepped up looking out for Natalie and banded with us against Wyatt? Yeah, he’s solid. No way he’d lose his shit and tuck tail if Darya needed him.”
Zeke scanned each man at the table. “We take this step, everyone going to be good taking a serious look at him long-term? ’Cause something tells me what we’re dealing with this time around could end with some hellacious dirty secrets to contain.”
“You already know my thoughts,” Trevor said. “I’m the one recommending him, and nothing’s changed on my end.”
“I like him.” Danny edged his laptop back enough to cross his arms on the table. “Never grumbles. Only time he ever balked when I asked for something was when he had a conflict with his kid, and he still tried to juggle.”
“Hope you stopped him before that happened,” Axel said.
“Hell, yeah, I did. Family first.”
“Always,” Axel volleyed back.
Zeke looked to Axel, Jace, Knox and Beckett. “You guys good with this?”
A round of nods and yeses echoed back before Zeke zeroed in on Jace. “Then I say we use him, ’cause I’m in, too.”
Jace grinned at Danny. “Looks like you might not be low man on the totem pole much longer. How’s that feel?”
“Truth?” Danny cocked his head, a little solemnity filtering through his easygoing expression. “Never once felt like a low man with you guys so I doubt things will change.” He shot Jace his own ornery grin. “That said, I’ll take another brother at my back any day.”
A chorus of agreement billowed up, each man lifting their drink in salute and drawing a host of expressions from the crowd gathered round the kitchen island. Most of the women cast their usual eye rolls and smirks. Levi’s frown said he was a little put out he wasn’t with the rest of the guys, but Darya’s face was harder to read. Like she was okay where she was, but couldn’t grasp the need for distance between them.
Understandable. Outside of introducing her to his clan and encouraging the weekly outings with the women, he’d done shit to clue her in to the deeper aspects of the brotherhood. Like how they kept their meetings separate from the women so they could honestly claim innocence if anything ever blew back on the brothers, or the depth of what actions they were capable of. Though, after the wide-eyed surprise he’d caught on Darya’s face when he’d pulled a pistol from his glove box, she’d likely clued in on that last part. He’d give her the rest of the details, though. Tonight. Just as soon as they got their initial plans in place.
Beckett’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Knox?”
Knox dragged his attention back to the men gathered round the table. “Yeah. Sorry. What?”
To their credit, no one gave him shit for the fact that his mind had wandered off, but neither did they waste time diving right back on topic.
Jace tugged his toothpick from between his lips and tossed it on the table. “Beck was askin’ about you not seeing anyone on your tail coming here. You think that means they’re just marking when Darya comes and goes?”
Knox looked to Beckett. “What difference does that make?”
“’Cause if I’m gonna track these guys, I gotta find ’em first. Helps to know where to start.”
Right. Now was the time for logistics. Knox speared his fingers through his hair and fisted it at the top of his head, forcing his mind to rehash the confrontation he’d had at Darya’s house. “With the footage she found, we know they’re at least marking her usual stops. The guy she showed me looked like he was getting the lay of the land more than on surveillance.”
“Yep,” Danny said. “I found it after Beckett mentioned it. Yesterday afternoon. Nothing else that matches the same MO before or after. At least not in camera range.”
“That ties with when the Koschei logins started. Early in the morning but same day.” Knox frowned at Beckett. “If we’re lucky, they’re just starting to dig in.”
“And if we’re not?” Trevor asked.
Knox met his gaze then shifted his attention to Beck. “If they got past the deadbolts and security we put in her apartment, they could’ve had bugs.”
“So we gotta run a sweep to rule that out. What else?”
“Nothing. We walked out of her place with a suitcase. Told her I’d come back for the rest of the bags she’d packed if we needed to.”
“You afraid them seeing her with a bag in tow is gonna send a wrong message?” Axel said.
“I don’t know,” Knox fired back. “Maybe.”
Zeke shook his head. “I don’t think so. You left her car behind.” He focused on Beckett. “If we can rule out bugs, they’d likely just take it as her going somewhere for a few days with a guy.”
“And likely upped the target size on Knox’s back if what Darya says about this guy is true,” Axel said.
Beckett zeroed in on Knox. “If I saw a mark coming out of an apartment with a suitcase, I’d follow her. You sure you didn’t see a tail?”
“Nope. Pulled every trick in the book to make sure of it.”
For a solid three heartbeats, Beckett just studied him, his mind obviously running at top speed. Finally, he nodded. “Okay. Tonight Danny and I will do a little snooping around. See if we can’t use the dark to our advantage and find who’s watching her.”
“I’ll start digging deeper into Ruslan’s background and the Koschei hack attempts,” Knox said. “See if I can set up a trap for whoever’s running Ruslan’s technical end. If they’re ballsy enough to slap their name front and center when trying to slip onto someone’s servers, you gotta hope they’re stupid enough to make a few mistakes along the way.”
Jace nodded. “Right. We’ll get the women we can pry away from Darya out to Haven and meet back here in the morning for an update and plan next steps.”
Axel chuckled low and swirled his tumbler of scotch. “Poor Russian fucker. Doesn’t have a clue what trouble he just bit into.” Axel lifted his glass to Jace. “The Haven men branching out into international intrigue. I fucking love it.”
Chapter Thirty
Almost eight hours since Darya had spied the word Koschei on Knox’s screen. Five since Knox had stormed into her apartment, seen the suitcases and demanded the truth. Now they were only an hour away from midnight with the bulk of his family on their way to Haven—a ranch she’d learned Jace and Axel owned on the outskirts of Dallas where only those considered family were allowed.
She’d also learned that family now included her, the resounding message delivered through a string of bear hugs and brotherly kisses that left her more than a little dumbfounded. What exactly family meant to them and when the change had happened, she wasn’t exactly sure, but none of them messed around with conveying their happiness about it. Through it all, Knox stayed steadfast at her side, only relinquishing his arm around her when well-wishes required it. Now he stood behind her, a rock-solid comfort as she said goodbye to the last of those headed to the ranch.
Standing by Knox’s front
door, Darya hugged Gabe and muttered the same sentiment she’d shared with Natalie and Vivienne before they’d headed out with their men. “I’m sorry. For everything.”
Gabe tightened her arms around Darya’s shoulders and chuckled. “You clearly haven’t been to Haven yet. If you had, you’d know spending extended time relaxing there is anything but a hardship. You’ll know that for yourself soon enough, though.” She relaxed her arms and pulled away just enough to grasp both of Darya’s shoulders and hold her steady. Her expression sobered, a sincerity behind her pale blue eyes that penetrated deep. “I know it’s hard—coming into this group after so much time spent alone and acclimating to the idea you’ve got so many good people behind you. But believe me when I tell you, you will never be more loved, or more accepted and protected than you are with us.”
Knox stepped in close, his hands a calming weight on Darya’s hips and his heat a comfortable blanket against her back. “She’ll get it. We’ll talk tonight and she’ll understand we can handle whatever we need to.”
Zeke chuckled and steered Gabe out of his way enough to give his own goodbye. “Something tells me talking won’t be the highest point on the agenda. You’ve barely let her go since rally ended.” He kissed Darya’s cheek, stepped back and shifted his gaze to Knox behind her. “See you back here mid-morning.”
“Yep. We’ll be ready.” Knox squeezed Darya’s shoulders and had just reached around her to open the door for the couple when Ninette’s voice shot from the doorway of Beckett’s suite.
“You two be sure to let us know when you get to Haven.” Padding toward the kitchen on bare feet, Ninette had traded in the jeans and casual blouse she’d arrived in for yoga pants and an oversize T-shirt. Like Sylvie, who’d already set up camp on the huge sectional in front of the TV, her face was completely void of makeup, but glowing with a vitality most twenty-year-olds would envy. “And make sure Ruger and Max get free run of the house tonight. Max might only be able to bark the house down, but Ruger will tear the nuts off any stranger stupid enough to step foot in my house.”
Gabe snickered at that. “Yes, ma’am.”
Of all the surprises that had been thrown at Darya throughout the day, learning that both of Knox’s mothers had refused to return to their home in favor of keeping Darya company had been one of the most unexpected.
If you think we’re leaving her here with a trio of men overdosed on testosterone, you’re out of your damned mind.
As if she’d overheard Darya replaying the proclamation in her own head, Gabe winked and waggled her fingers in farewell over one shoulder. “Like I said, lots of love. Y’all have fun.”
Knox closed the door behind them and flipped the lock.
She’d barely turned, mouth open to ask Ninette who Ruger and Max were, when she found herself backed against the front door and a solid slab of delicious man pressed against her front.
His nose skimmed the side of hers and his breath whispered warm against her face, the air around them blazing fire pit hot in a second. “Zeke’s right. I know you’ve probably got a lot of questions, but I’m leaning toward loving you first and fielding anything verbal later.”
“Knox,” she whispered, her conscience all too aware of the microwave door latching into place and buttons beeping through the open loft behind them.
“Okay, scratch that.” He slipped his strong hands beneath the hem of her T-shirt, the low and grated rasp of his voice amplifying the sensual brush of his fingertips against her skin. “Verbal’s fine as long as it’s you saying my name just like that. Or begging.” He licked her lower lip and the carnal stroke echoed straight between her legs. “Fucking love the word please on your lips.”
Her sex fluttered and every nerve ending along her skin fired bright, all the worry and adrenaline she’d fought throughout the day tossed carelessly aside in favor of the need he’d created with just his presence and a string of sensual words.
“Knox, your mothers... I should—”
He sealed his mouth over hers, swallowing the rest of her words.
Her conscience demanded she push away. Even got so far as to brace the heels of her palms against his hard chest, but her body vetoed the idea and sunk into the kiss.
Sylvie’s semi-harassed voice cut from the living room. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, son. Standin’ up against a wall might be a fine display of yer strength and all, but it’s been a bear of a day fer the lass. Lay her down and let her take a load off, why don’t ye?”
Forehead pressed against hers, Knox huffed out a chuckle, but kept his body flush against hers. “You sure you don’t want to go to Haven, Ma? I doubt Zeke’s made it out of the parking lot yet.”
“And miss the antics around here?” The tone of her voice shifted, suggesting she’d turned her focus back to the television. “Not a chance. Besides, someone needs to teach the lass how ta keep the lot of ye in line. Might as well learn from the masters.”
Knox lifted his head. If he was the least bit put off by being coached and sassed by the mother figures in his life, his face didn’t show it. In fact, behind the still sparking intensity in his eyes was a wealth of barely contained laughter. He cupped the side of her face and skimmed his thumb along her lower lip. His eyes were locked on hers, but his words were for the other two women going about their business behind them. “You two need anything from us?”
Ninette scoffed, the indelicate sound punctuated by the microwave door slamming shut. About a second later, the buttery scent of popcorn filled the air. “Been fightin’ off assholes since before you were born, Knox. Get your girl where she needs to be. We’ll be fine.”
All the levity on his face disappeared, replaced with the pleasure of a hungry predator who’d just leaped the last barrier to its prey. He backed away and coiled his fingers around Darya’s wrist. “Yes, ma’am.”
Before she knew it, she was trailing behind him toward his loft, his strides unhurried but loaded with purpose.
“Ivan’s scans are in the system,” he said with eyes on Ninette and Sylvie. “He’ll be here in under thirty to watch the feeds while Beckett and Danny are out. Until then you see anything that tweaks you, you let me know.”
Bowlful of popcorn in hand, Ninette ambled to the couch and waved them both off. “Yeah, yeah. Go. I’d say have fun, but we already got the preview, so that’s kind of a moot point.”
Darya dug in her heels, determined to at least get in a proper goodnight. “Knox—”
He spun, dipped until his shoulder met her belly and hefted her up like a sack of potatoes.
Her surprised squeal rang out through the loft and mingled with Ninette’s and Sylvie’s laughter. Knox was just closing the door to his suite when Sylvie muttered, “Well, I guess that’s one way to get her off her feet.”
Still reeling from the sudden shift, Darya braced her hands on Knox’s back and tried to lever herself up. “Knox, put me down.”
He palmed her ass and strode through the darkness. “No way. Been waitin’ all night to feel you next to me. This way’s faster.”
She tried to get vertical again, but Knox counterbalanced the move by ducking forward and flipping her onto her back. He caught her head just before it hit the bed, the rest of his king-size mattress taking her weight with a soft whoosh.
As natural as water moving over a pebble-lined stream, he slipped between her thighs, his hips resting comfortably in the cradle of her hips.
She blinked her eyes into focus.
Moonlight and the soft glow of lights from the other warehouses streamed through the huge windows and highlighted his handsome face just inches from hers. “Waited my whole life for you.”
Whatever she’d expected him to say, it hadn’t been that, but the beauty of it pierced straight through the fatigue and worry that had needled her through the long night. Aside from their accelerated breaths, the only sound was
the muted drone from the cars on the freeway and the steady thump of her racing heart.
He kept going, raining his uncensored words over her like morning sunshine after a month-long stretch of darkness. “After Tami and a string of bad decisions after her, I convinced myself it wouldn’t happen. Shut myself down so I couldn’t get hurt again, but deep down, I always wanted someone of my own. Someone smart. Passionate with a soft heart. Watching my brothers fall nearly killed me. Made the want deeper. Sharper.” Elbows braced on either side of her, he framed her face, the ferocity of his gaze echoed in the reverent touch. “Hearing the words you gave me, every day I waited—every second—was worth it.”
Her lungs seized. So many times she’d been blessed. Been given countless opportunities and seen amazing things at a high price to those who’d sacrificed and risked on her behalf. But in that second, every other moment of her life paled in comparison. She splayed her hand against his chest. “I’m not sure I deserve that. Not after what I’m putting your family through.”
The softness in his gaze shifted, replaced with enough heat her skin grew flush in seconds. He covered her hand on his chest with his own. “You feel that?”
Beneath her palm, his heart beat a steady rhythm, as strong and powerful as the man he’d proven himself to be.
“It might as well have been empty before you,” he said. “Yeah, Beckett and the rest of my brothers gave me the family I never had, but there’s one void they couldn’t fill.” He tightened his grip on her hand and lowered his voice. “Swear to God, sometimes I think the reason I couldn’t sleep all those years is because a part of me was afraid I’d miss my chance if it ever came.”
But with her, he slept. Had done so every night from the day he’d brought her home and done it deeply, curled up tight behind her.
He smiled as though he’d actually seen the realization materialize inside her head. “I didn’t miss my chance. I came close by bein’ a stubborn idiot, but now that my head’s out of my ass, I can tell you unequivocally you deserve it all. My skills, my contacts, my money...anything up to and including my life if that’s what it takes to keep you safe.”
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