But one did.
The one with the mask over his face looks up. His eyes locking right on me—a dark sinister stare sending a shiver of panic down my spine. My heart starts to race as those blue eyes narrow in further, warning me that I shouldn’t be eavesdropping on their conversation. Telling me that I should make a run for it before I become his next victim.
My feet stumble backwards, and I rush back into my room, locking my door as soon as I’m inside. I’m struggling to breathe.Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. That man was the epitome of terrifying. I’ve never been in the presence of danger, but I was staring him straight in the eyes. And those aquamarine eyes turned angrier the longer I stared.
I press my ear to the door, listening for footsteps, making sure he didn’t follow me upstairs.
The voices are gone. They must’ve gone to my dad’s office. But it still feels like his eyes are on me. He almost looked inhuman with those aquamarine eyes. More wildebeest than man. His size and stature were as dark and dominating as the rest of him. His skin painted with skulls and crossbones and black fire. Like the flames of death live inside his veins.
Another shiver rocks through me, and I rush to my window, pulling it open for some fresh air. Struggling to breathe. I don’t understand why my father would invite them into our home. So close to his one and only daughter. From that one look, Ibelieve my dad should be taking his own advice and keeping his distance.
3
Bones
“So, what am I dealing with?” Pritchard asks as he takes a seat behind his polished mahogany desk. King steps forward, taking the lead and filling him in on everything I found so far. I can’t even focus on the details as that girl infiltrates my mind. I’ve never seen anyone like her. It was like an angel was staring down at me from the top step. An angel with flowing jet-black hair and those incredible sage-green eyes. They almost turned as dark as moss as the fear crept into her nerves. Her porcelain skin reddened with her terror, and her petite frame turned rigid. Those knees were knocking in place until she turned and fled. Back to the safety of her room. Back to where she lays her pretty little head at night.
My heart thumps inside my chest. My veins pumping overtime as the blood runs hot in my body. I’ve never had this kind of guttural reaction before. It feels like my nerves are armed for war. Every part of me is drawn tight. Anxiously awaitingto storm the battlefield. To storm upstairs and make that girl surrender to me.
“Bones!” My eyes clear at the snap of King’s voice. The Prez is looking at me. They all are. “Where do you need to start?”
“If you can show me where the security panel is, I’ll get you squared with a new system first.” I don’t like the idea of that beautiful angel being exposed to the dangers that lurk on the outside of that gate. I’m going to make sure Pritchard has the best security system in place. No one will even be able to step foot on this property without the alarms sounding. I’ll be here with guns blazing if Vicious and his crew even try to get near that girl.
Pritchard nods and rises from his chair, leading me out of his office and down one of the back halls. As we pass by all the rooms, I make note of the number of windows. Each of them will need to be rewired for the new system. The place is grand, so this job will take me a few days.
I also need to install a few more security cameras to ensure every angle of the property is covered. Including the room of where that pretty angel is locked away. We may need to install some surveillance on the inside of the house too. For when the governor decides to have guests. I don’t trust a soul. Just one look at that girl and a man’s morals can be incinerated. Indecent thoughts slithered through the cracks of my conscience the moment I laid eyes on her. Those sage-green eyes took possession of my decency, and I stripped her down in my mind’s eye and shattered her innocence with force. I can’t imagine what one of those slimy politicians would actually do to that girl.
Not under my watch.
My nerves start to crawl as Pritchard leads me into his master bedroom and straight through his en suite. We enter the master closet and there on the back wall is the white panel. Iplace my equipment down, ready to get to work. The sooner I can get this system in place, the sooner I’ll know that girl is safe.
“Do you need anything while you work?”
I shake my head. “I’m going to get the box installed, and then I have to check the wiring around all the windows. I’ll need to install some more cameras, but I’ll have to do that tomorrow.” I didn’t bring the right equipment with me today. Outdoor security cameras I have. A wiretap to put in that girl’s room is back at the compound.
“Do what you need to do, Bones. I appreciate you all helping me out.”
“Happy to, sir.” After all the times the governor has bailed us Savage Knights out of trouble, it’s the least we can do. Pritchard is one of the good ones. An honest, loyal man, and we will protect him like our own. And hell will freeze over before anyone ever lays one finger on that girl upstairs. She is now under my personal protection. I don’t know what Vicious and his crew were planning to do, but I wouldn’t put it past them to abduct the girl and try to use her to extract what they need from her dad. Those venomous bastards would extract something else from her too.
Over my dead fucking body.
“I’m going to install more cameras. Inside and out,” I grit through a haggard breath as my anger tightens my vocal cords. I want to kill Vicious and his venomous crew with my bare hands. “Should anyone try to break in, the Savage Knights will be notified along with the police. And as soon as I’m done, I’ll install the app on your phone so you can access all the footage. Every camera will be triggered to alert the moment it senses motion.”
He’ll have access to all the cameras except for one. The one in the angel’s room will be on a private network. One only I’ll have access to.
“King said you were a genius.” He nods in kind. “I’m beginning to believe you might be one of the Savage Knights’ most valuable assets.”
An evil genius is more like it. Especially with the thoughts running through my head. But yes, I am a valuable member to the brotherhood. Though, everyone comes with their own unique set of skills. Ripper with his keen eye and his lethal strength. Raid with his tactical skills. Hawk with his ability to stitch any wound he comes across, keeping a brother from bleeding out. Even the younger guys bring something to the table. Dagger can pick a lock with his eyes closed, and Skeeter can hotwire a getaway vehicle in a matter of seconds.
We have an artillery of knowledge and strength in our arsenal, which is why we’re so powerful. Even the cops will come to us when things get way over their heads. And anytime there’s an issue regarding security: cyber or otherwise, they’ll bring the matter to me. I can hack into any mainframe on the planet. There’s no firewall that can keep me out. And unfortunately for that girl upstairs, there’s nothing that can keep me away.
“I’ll leave you to it,” he says to my back as I get to work. “Let me know if you need anything.”
I tip my head, ready to be left alone to my thoughts. It’s time for me to ensure her safety and make sure no one can get their hands on her.
I work in determined silence for hours, getting the system in place and everything wired correctly. My body grows tense as I check the feed on my phone, noticing all the empty surveillance gaps around the property. There are too many areas of entrance that aren’t secure. I’ll need to go outside and map out the new camera locations, but first…. I need to install all the sensors on the windows. Starting upstairs. In her room. In the place where she lays down at night and gets captured by her dreams—oblivious as to who may be lurking in the dark shadowswatching her sleep. Counting her breaths as that small chest rises and falls. The breeze blowing through her open window and tightening the two little peaks on her chest, revealing them right through the material of the clothes she sleeps in.
I grab my dick and give it a hard squeeze to calm my strained nerves. My balls feel like a volcano. The pressure is rising. The molten heat is threatening to erupt. I let my cock go and heave out a gasped breath. My lungs are in as much distress as my racing heart. I rise from the ground and grab my bag, making my way back down the hall and to the stairs. I take each one slow. My nerves contracting the closer I get. My gut clenching when I see her closed door. It’s painted light pink just like a princess. A bullseye pointing directly toward my target.
