If Brenna's going to allow me into the family with open arms, I'm going to dive headfirst.
26
Brax
The city exhales under the noon sun, but my curtains black it all out. I sit alone in my office, the glow from my monitors the only thing keeping the room lit. My apartment is too quiet, and the silence stretches across the space, heavy with a tension I haven't been able to shake for weeks.
I miss my wife.
I've barely seen her. Liam has Sean and I doing the same shitty work newbies get assigned. I usually see Valentina for an hour or so, then get on my computers, trying to find out who was behind the attempted coup.
She came over a few times while I was working, but it always ended up with us in bed, so I got no work done. As much as I prefer to spend time with her, I know my job is important. If they come after Kirill and Fiona, they won't stop coming after Valentina. And I'm not going to allow that.
It's felt like forever since the Underworld has summoned me. There have been no surprise rituals, no messages, no emergencies to fix. Valentina hasn't had any either. And the lack of activity feels off.
Zara's adjusting to life with twins, with little help from Sean. Unfortunately, he's in the same boat I am.
Kirill's trying to act like ruling the most dangerous organization on the planet is something he can do with a straight posture and a steady jaw. But he's also over-the-moon excited about Fiona's pregnancy.
It's all normal life with a bomb waiting to explode. And time's running out to change whatever course the Omni have us on.
My focus drops to the screen again. A red square blinks in the corner. I peer closer to figure out if it's another security message or a leftover warning from one of the firewalls I pushed too hard. So I stare, watching the slow, steady pulse. It speeds up, then slows again. But it's not timed the same, so after counting out several rounds, I decide the heartbeat has to be a human, and heat tightens in the center of my chest. It's sharp, pulled taut by instinct and anger.
I move the cursor near the edge of the pulsing square, not touching it, just tracing the air above the glow. The second I get close, the beat speeds up and the lights get brighter.
My jaw tightens. It's not a firewall. It's a trace. Someone on the other side of this is watching me the same way a predator watches a twitch in the grass.
I tap the arrow key. Nothing happens. Then I lightly drag the mouse halfway across the edge of the square, barely grazing it.
The heartbeat erupts into a rapid pounding rhythm, and a line flashes across the screen.
INTERFERENCE WILL RESULT IN REMOVAL.
My shoulders push back slowly as the truth slides through me. They see me. They always do.
I let the cursor hover for a moment. Then I test it carefully, moving it a hair. The screen responds instantly. A new warning bursts across the top.
YOUR SEAT WILL BE EMPTY FOR OBSTRUCTION.
A chill prickles across my skin. I pick up my phone and send a text.
Me: You seeing this?
Sean: Loud and clear.
I exhale through my nose, gritting my teeth. My fingers hover above the keyboard. I don't know what's on the other side of this pulse, but I need to find out. If I access it, I'll discover the truth. Otherwise, they wouldn't be trying to scare me. So I tap another key, and the heartbeat jumps again, slamming into a frenzied pace.
Another line flashes.
STAY BACK. LAST WARNING.
Sure it is, motherfucker.
My phone vibrates.
Sean: At the top of the minute, type this in. I'll do the same.
He sends a long line of code.
