But I wouldn’t let that happen.
Not with their precious redhead camped out in my house.
Whatever they were planning, I needed as much notice as I could manage.
Groaning, I flipped through an older report to compare what bullshit line item they’d added. Something small enough to slip past me if I was too busy to check.
What my father and his protégé often forgot was that I’d been playing this game with them just as long. I’d made protecting this company my life, even if The Oracle wanted otherwise.
As horrible as Isaac was, not all of the people in these offices were monsters. Most of them were hard workers just trying to get by. People who believed in the vision of what this company once was. If only they knew what was happening beneath the surface…
Shaking my head, I used my index finger to go line by line.
“Business Travel.” I clicked my tongue as I checked the last quarter’s expenses.
The expected budget had tripled.
“What the fuck?” I checked the calendars, making sure no company retreats were scheduled, then pulled open the bank statements and invoices.
Can’t hide that.
There, in the piles of invoices from independent contractors were thousands of dollars spent on “Private Security.”
The invoice dates started the day after Gabriel got the shit kicked out of him.
There was no way Isaac had hired a private armyjustto protect him. Gabriel was valuable, but not worth this much trouble.
Flipping to the receipts on the invoice, I scanned each item. A new apartment for Gabe. Multiple vehicles. Locksmiths. Cameras. Surveillance.
They’re looking for someone.
My chest constricted as I realized who. Suddenly, the office felt darker, monsters lurking around every corner. Only my desk lamp kept me from slipping into the abyss.
If I was right, I couldn’t afford to lose focus. Taking a deep breath, I steadied my breathing.
Why do they want Kiera so badly?
That was the hitch in the revelation. I was certain she was just insurance. Had to be.
But even someone as wealthy as Isaac wouldn’t spend this much money on his plan B.
My mind raced for answers. Could she have some sort of blackmail? Something that could bring Gabriel or Zeus down?
Whatever it was, it couldn’t just be insurance. Isaac would have used his dark money to find her if it was some personal vendetta. But burying this in Zeus’ expense reports was dangerous. It was bold. The only reason to do it was to protect the company from liability.
It was foolish to think my father would have kept Kiera as insurance. If he thought she was useless, he would’ve gotten rid of her. But instead, he set his little pet project on her. Let him torture her while keeping her on the hook.
They wanted Kiera. My Kiera. But if her mother really had the shares, what use was her daughter to the most powerful men in the world?
30
KIERA
It was pitch black,hours before dawn when my door slammed open. Without thinking, I groped the nightstand for something heavy, hoping to bludgeon my intruder. Things had been peaceful in the house, but peace never lasted long, and I’d rather be safe than sorry.
I threw the drawer open, fumbling for it blindly, when the light from the hallway illuminated a familiar figure. “Rise and shine, Bunny.”
Spencer was leaned up against the door frame, arms crossed over her broad chest, arms bared in a t-shirt that, as usual, had its sleeves hacked off.
