"Of course, monsieur."
"I need someone I can trust. Someone who won't be swayed or grow comfortable over time. This team is great, but some of my men are too focused on other aspects of the job and stop noticing the little things." He pauses. "And some of them…develop inappropriate attachments."
There it is.
"I prefer fresh energy around my wife. Someone observant. Someone not burdened by familiarity." His smile sharpens. "Someone who won't be distracted by her."
Every nerve in my body ignites.
If only you knew, you stupid fuck.
Calder thinks Henri's sexuality makes him docile. The perfect guard dog for a wife he's terrified might slip through his fingers—close enough to watch her, neutered enough to never want her.
He just made all this so much easier for me.
"Starting tomorrow," he continues, "you'll rotate to interior security. Your primary assignment will be my wife. You'll shadow her. Watch her. Report anything unusual directly to me. Actually, I want to hear everything—unusual or not. I want daily reports on Keira."
"Understood, monsieur."
"Keira has a tendency to withdraw. I don't like that. I want to know where she goes. What she does. Who she speaks to." His eyes lock onto mine. "Everything."
"Of course."
He moves closer, perching on the edge of his desk.
"Let me be very clear, Henri. My wife is not well. She's fragile. Prone to disturbing episodes. Sometimes she forgets where she is. Who she belongs to."
I think I might pull out every one of his teeth first. Then his nails. Yeah, that would be fun. Maybe brand him while I'm at it.
"Your job is to remind her that we care about her and that the world outside these walls is dangerous for someone with her condition. I'm only trying to keep her safe."
Gaslighting her. Isolating her. Breaking her down piece by piece until she believes she's too weak to survive without him.
"I understand, monsieur."
"Good." He straightens, already dismissing me. "Marchand will brief you on the details."
"Thank you."
"Oh, and one last thing." He pauses, like he's savoring this part. "Her access to my son will be limited until her health improves."
He's not your fucking son.
"Will he require my supervision as well?"
"No. Hale has his own team. But I need you to ensure Keira doesn't visit him unless I specifically authorize it. She becomes too emotional and it's not good for the boy."
Hearing the name lands like a bullet straight to my heart.
Mymiddle name.
The same one she jokingly claimed as her own forever ago.
She remembered. She meant it.
And when our son took his first breath, she gave him the only piece of me she could.
A name Calder will never understand.
