Thorn hadn’t asked for much since moving in, in fact, he’d protested nearly everything Tommy tried to give him. He’d even argued about the California king bed, insisting he was used to sleeping on frames that were too small. He’d explained, straight-faced, that he usually slept diagonally from corner to corner to make it work. The image had made Tommy laugh, but it also made him like the man even more.
Thorn lived simply, used to stretching every dollar. He’d told Tommy he only took one or two jobs a year and lived offthe earnings until they ran out. The more Tommy got to know him, the more he respected him, not just for his skill, but for his humility.
“It’s actually smaller than you’re thinking.” Tommy explained cheerfully as refilled his coffee mug. “When my dad had this tower built back in the seventies, he worked with an architect who designed it using the 1930’s art deco style and the top floor actually has the least square footage, so don’t fight me on it, it’s already yours.”
His father had chosen the southwest edge of Prospect Park for the site, going five levels into bedrock and ninety stories up. Two of the basements were storage; the other three had been converted into a parking garage in the eighties. Seventy-five floors were dedicated to Sloane Technologies, with the seventy-fifth reserved for the board and senior officers.
The top three floors belonged to Tommy and the one beneath them housed his gym, sauna, and personal computer lab. The eighty-sixth floor, though, was for Evie. When she graduated, he planned to gift it to her outright, to keep her close and to give her a space that was entirely her own after everything she’d been through with her parents.
“Have you heard from your mother at all?” He turned his attention to Evie sadly, knowing her estrangement from her parents was hurting her deeply despite her determination not to let it show or affect their Christmas together. Secretly, he was thrilled that she spent all Christmas with him and Thorn, He loved Della like the surrogate aunt she was, but she had become very pessimistic after his mother died and he found it hard to be around her for long periods of time. He watched as the corners of Evie’s mouth turned down in a small frown as he asked about her mother, but she nodded.
“We spoke a couple of times over Christmas.” She told him, suddenly sounding exhausted and he could only imagine how draining those conversations must have been for her. “She acknowledged that Dad was wrong and acting insane, told me it's not my fault and that she loves me, but she needs space from everything that happened. I think she’s hurt, embarrassed and angry, but I also got the feeling she thinks it's her fault for openly taking my side about switching majors and refusing to try to see his point of view.”
Tommy nodded, a quiet ache forming in his chest. She was probably right. Oscar had trained his wife and daughter to manage his moods for years, and somewhere along the line, he’d forgotten how to regulate himself at all. Pushing the thought aside, Tommy focused on Evie again. The dark circles under her eyes were deeper, her skin paler. He mentally kicked himself for getting lost in work when she clearly needed more of his attention.
“How are you feeling about everything?”
“Confused mostly.” She admitted, running her hand through her hair as she sat back in the chair. “I don't understand anything about my father’s thought process. I’m also extremely pissed that he would attempt to take my favorite person from me.”
That last part made him smile. She shot him an affectionate look, and he felt the familiar flicker of warmth in his chest. “It will be a fun session with my therapist on the third.”
Tommy walked over, coffee mug in hand, and kissed the top of her head, resting a hand on her shoulder. He’d insisted on therapy after her father kicked her out and was proud she’d stuck with it. “You’re stronger than you think,” he murmured.
Evie looked up at him and placed her hand over his, her smile small but genuine.
“This is just a bump in the road,” he said softly. “You’ll be fine.”
Sensing Thorn’s eyes on them, Tommy let Evie go and turned back. “So, big guy, are you okay with those living arrangements?” He said it casually, but he meant it. If Thorn really wanted to find someplace smaller, Tommy would help. He wanted him comfortable, not cornered.
Evie smirked as she laid down four cards. “You should take him up on it,” she said, sliding back to let Thorn play.
Thorn sighed heavily, shaking his head with the air of someone outnumbered. “Yes. Thank you. That would be great.”
Tommy grinned, pleased, and caught the amused glance Evie threw him as Thorn gave in. He had a feeling the man would agree to just about anything she suggested. The way Thorn looked at her, like she’d hung the moon, said as much.
Evie let out a small cheer and stood up, leaving her cards on the table as she walked around and hugged Thorn excitedly. “Excellent! Come on, Thorn, we need to go up, take measurements and start cleaning out the space.”
“Yeah, I should probably mention that floor’s being used for storage,” Tommy said with a chuckle. He watched Evie tug Thorn toward the elevator, the big man moving with effortless grace despite his size. “I’ll leave you two to it. I’ve got some work to finish.”
He gathered the scattered cards, still smiling to himself as the elevator doors slid shut. Thorn’s acceptance wasn’t just about living space; it cemented what Tommy already knew. The man was loyal, practical and steady. Exactly the kind of person he needed for what he was planning.
Tommy was a tech guy but also a very, very good businessman. Hearing that mercenaries, hitmen, and assassins were very real and something that wasn't well organized, but still very lucrative had sparked an idea. He planned to keep his team small, elite and very quiet. Sloane Contracting and Security Services would provide bodyguards and security, but the real business would be the contracting side of it. He would have to be careful, walking in a grey legal area, but he was confident that he could pull it off, hopefully with Thorn’s help.
Chapter Eight: Dream Design
Thorn studied Evie out of the corner of his eye as the elevator climbed. He’d noticed it before but watching her and Tommy together only made it clearer. They looked so much alike it was uncanny.
Both had straight, almost black hair, and the same strong, slightly rounded noses. Evie’s was straighter, but Tommy had told him he’d played rugby through school and college, so Thorn figured it had been broken once and never fixed. Their mouths were similar too, Evie’s lips fuller, but the same shape. Even their builds matched: solid, a little soft around the edges. Tommy was maybe three or four inches taller, if Thorn was being generous.
The only real difference was their eyes. Evie’s were wide and deep blue, upturned slightly at the corners, while Tommy’s were, hooded, narrower and a muddy brown. Still, side by side, the resemblance was impossible to ignore.
Thorn had drawn his own conclusions. He suspected Evie’s mother and Tommy’s father had shared more than friendship once upon a time. Tommy had mentioned that their families used to vacation together until right after Evie was born then suddenly stopped. The explanation he gave, about one couple preferring the south and the other Maine, had never quite sounded convincing.
As the elevator chimed and the doors slid open, Thorn glanced at Evie again and wondered how neither of them saw it.The resemblance was almost glaring. Still, it wasn’t his place to say anything, and he intended to keep it that way.
Stepping off the elevator, Thorn took in the space as Evie found the switch and flooded it with light.
The floor was large and octagonal, interrupted only by a few load-bearing pillars. Smaller than he’d imagined, especially compared to Tommy’s sprawling, two story penthouse, yet still more room than he’d ever need. Boxes and sheet-covered furniture stood in loose clusters, scattered throughout. Tall, arched windows lined the walls, their glass catching the pale winter sun.
