“That's not reassuring.” But there was warmth in his voice. “You settling in okay? Finding things to do besides brood?”
“I don't brood.”
“You absolutely brood.” Ash grinned. “It's like your default state.”
“Fuck off.”
Ash laughed. Then his expression shifted. Got more serious. “Luka, you tell him yet?”
The easy atmosphere in the room disappeared.
I looked at Luka. He was watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
“Tell me what?” I asked.
Luka was quiet for a long moment. “I know about the attack.”
I went still.
“How the fuck do you know about that?”
“I was notified the moment it happened.” He set his glass down, leaned forward slightly. “I have people watching you. Tracking your movements.”
“You had me followed.”
“I had you protected.”
“Bullshit. You were spying on me.” I stood up, needing to move, needing space between us because the alternative was getting in his face and that wouldn't end well for either of us. “You had people on me before I even fucking landed?”
“Yes.”
On the screen, Ash was watching us both. His expression had gone carefully neutral, the practiced version that meant he'd known about this and hadn't said a word.
“You knew,” I said, looking at Ash.
“Yeah. I knew.” No apology there either. “Luka briefed me before we got on the plane to Chicago.”
“And neither of you thought to mention it?”
“Would you have listened if we had?” Luka asked.
“That's not the fucking point.”
“Actually, it is.” Luka stood too, moved closer. “You came to figure out your shit. I wasn't about to derail that by telling you someone was asking questions about you and I had surveillance in place.”
“Someone was asking questions?” The words felt distant. Like someone else was saying them. “What the hell does that mean?”
“It means I got word three weeks ago that someone was digging into your background.” Luka's voice stayed level. “Your movements. Your connections. Your operations. Professional inquiries from someone with resources and motivation.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the intel was vague. Could have been nothing. Could have been someone doing due diligence before hiring youfor a job.” Luka's jaw tightened. “I put surveillance on you as a precaution. Then you got jumped and the precaution became a necessity.”
“Fucking hell,” I muttered. Ran a hand through my hair. “So the whole time I've been in Chicago, you've had eyes on me?”
“Not the whole time. Just when you leave Declan's building. When you go to the gym. When you're out in public where you're vulnerable.” Luka gestured to the phone where Ash was still watching. “We're not monitoring your private life, Troy. We're making sure you don't get killed.”
“That's a real comforting distinction.”
