He was excited to see what Mike and Alexei had done. They’d been to Reese’s house on Cape Breton and had asked a few questions before declaring they knew what he’d like. Rupert—who often, with good reason, accused Reese of being a control freak—had been gobsmacked when Reese had told Mike and Alexei to go for it.
The aesthetics of the apartment weren’t what mattered to Reese, though he was sure it would be beautiful. All that mattered was that he would have a home inside the same four walls where the majority of his family lived. He’d ask Mike and Alexei to build apartments for Hodges and Mati next so he could have his entire family under one roof, even if only once in a while.
He’d never have what Rupert had—and he didn’t just mean a husband. At thirty-eight, Reese was pretty set in his ways. He couldn’t imagine having a spouse ofanyvariety, let alone children. But he could have this, he thought as he pressed his lips to Eleanor’s silky hair and smiled at Mike, and it was more than he’d ever thought he’d get.
Mike held out a hand to help Reese stand. As soon as he was on his feet, his phone went off again.
“Damn it,” he muttered, shifting the baby while digging the damn thing out of his pocket.
He pressed the button to send the call to voicemail before he saw it was from Mati. Reese thumbed through his phone and paused when he saw the last two calls had also been from her.
A thread of worry curled through him. He drew a deep breath and told himself it was nothing. There was no reason to be anxious.
He almost dropped his phone when it rang again. This time he answered it.
“Mati? Is everything all right?”
“Reese,” Mati gasped, her voice distant and muffled, as if she held the phone away from her mouth. Something about the house.In the house…
“Mati?” Reese said again, louder. He spun toward Rupert, his heart pounding.
“What’s wrong?” Rupert asked.
Reese shook his head. “Mati?Matilda,are you there?”
Rupert took Eleanor from Reese and passed her off to Mike, his eyes never leaving Reese’s face.
Reese could hear someone running and a door closing. He was about to call Mati’s name again when she spoke in a furious whisper.
“There’s someone in the house. There’s someone in the house with me. I don’t know what to do.”
Reese’s heart stopped. Panic crawled over his skin like ants, like fire. He couldn’t breathe.
Strong fingers dug into his arm. “Reese,” Rupert barked sharply.
Fuck,he had to help Mati. He had to keep her safe.
This is all my fault.
He swallowed back the bile rising in his throat and turned to Rupert. “Call the police. Get them to the house as quickly as possible. Tell them it’s a home invasion. Then I need your tablet.” Rupert took off toward his office. Reese turned to Callum and Alexei next. “Go get Hodges. Now. Tell him to bringhistablet.”
Alexei and Callum tore from the apartment.
“Mati, where are you?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm.
“At the house,” she said sharply and maybe like he was a moron.
“No, I mean where in the house.”
“Upstairs. I ran up the back stairs when I realized someone had gotten in. I was in the kitchen. I hit the panic button on the alarm box by the back door.”
“Good. That’s good. The silent alarm will have alerted the police. Rupert will tell them what’s happening.” Reese thought furiously, trying to imagine what the hellwashappening. “Do you think you were followed?”
“What?” she cried.
“Hush,” he said as gently as possible. “Don’t shout, sweetheart. Okay? What room are you in?”
“The back guestroom. The one by the servants’ stairs.”
