Page 55

He ignored James and grabbed Ramon by the front of his dress shirt. With a massive heave, Darius flung Ramon through the opening, easily avoiding the railing. The younger man’s screams echoed against the hard surfaces of the surrounding buildings and ended abruptly.

“Your turn,” he told James, who had unwisely hesitated to watch his conspirator’s fate. “The terror only lasts a few feet. At this height, you’re guaranteed to die on impact. Perhaps I should take you down a few floors, so you’ll suffer when every bone in your body snaps and your heart keeps beating for a few hours.”

“Now, look here,” James said and turned to run when Darius kept advancing.

“No. You look.” Darius seized the back of his dress pants and tossed him out the window as well.

James didn’t clear the railing completely but caught his pants on the scrollwork and dangled in the air, flailing his arms for several seconds begging for his life. Darius lounged against the table, waiting patiently. Eventually, the fine wool ripped, and the bank president screamed in terror. His voice sounded even more frantic thanks to the anticipation of the fall.

They’re done, he reported to the clan.

Got either one’s phone? Bram asked.

Ramon’s.

Sending a text message from James with incriminating documents. Leave the device for the police.

Darius wiped off the surfaces he had touched before stopping to look at the scrap of fabric stuck in the railing. No one would ever target his mate and survive. Sirens grew closer as he slipped into the shadow realm and headed for Nightfall.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Two weeks later, Mara breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out to her car. She’d finally convinced Darius she was safe driving herself to work after no threats emerged following the scandal. Inspectors had descended on the bank like locusts. Thank goodness, she’d kept notes of what she’d found and of her attempts to warn the leadership about the strange accounts.

Today, one of the lead inspectors encouraged her to apply for a position with their group. He’d recognized that even when untrained, Mara had an amazing instinct to spot something that didn’t look right and had the integrity to report the problem rather than joining the criminals behind the attack. The suggestion had flattered her, but she didn’t want a job that would require her to travel away from Darius for weeks at a time. The mate bond wouldn’t react well to that.

Sirens sounded in the distance, and Mara hurried to her car. Even after time had passed without an incident, she operated as if the risk still existed. After sliding behind the wheel, she locked the door and started the engine. As she merged into traffic, she spotted the patrol car speeding in the opposite direction and breathed a sigh of relief.

At the first stoplight, the car behind her pulled up way too close. Annoyed, Mara glared at the driver in her rearview mirror. That jerk almost hit her. She took off as soon as the light turned green, watching to see what the jerk would do next. To her horror, the vehicle followed her through two turns and several lane changes. Was he trailing her?

Mara? You’re worried. What’s happening?

I think a car is following me.

Make three right-hand turns.

The man behind her stuck to her bumper for the first and second turns. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she signaled for the third. His blinker flashed as well.

Daddy! He’s making the third turn.

The car in front of her braked suddenly, making Mara slow down. When she checked again for the vehicle trailing her, the sedan had vanished. Where did the car go? She turned to look at the parking lot of the strip center next to her and spotted the same green sedan driving into the drive-thru lane of a fast-food place. She slumped in her seat, shaking her head.

What’s happening, Mara?

He turned into a burger place before the intersection.

Are you okay to drive home? Do you need me to come get you?

I’m fine—just feeling paranoid.

You’ve had a lot to deal with lately. Come home. I need to hug you.

By the time she reached Darius’s estate, embarrassment and determination had set in. Mara resolved to speak to her Daddy about her future. Their future.

Darius met her at the front steps and wrapped her in his arms. Her whole body felt better pressed against him. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, Zoí mou. I would much rather you alert me so I can keep you safe.”