He sighed. “Doesn’t seem like I have much choice. You’ve got a deal.”

We shook on it.

“For what it’s worth,” he added, “I don’t think Petrov would have intentionally hurt Willow. He has a soft spot for her.”

I shook my head. “What you think isn’t worth shit. You’re a crappy brother and she knows it. Now do her a favor and get out of her life.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Willow

Zeke held up a hand to stop me as we arrived at Ronan’s apartment. “Wait. Let Sean clear the place before we go in.”

I nodded. When night fell and Ronan and Kade hadn’t returned, Zeke and I decided to head back to the penthouse. They’d messaged to say they were working out the details, which I hoped meant they’d been more persuasive than I’d been.

Sean disappeared inside and returned a few minutes later. “It’s clear. You can go in.”

I tried to smile. “Thanks, Sean.”

I liked Sean. We’d only spoken a few times, but he seemed like a good man.

Zeke and I left Sean in the foyer to stand watch and went to the kitchen. Zeke shadowed me, moving like a big cat, all soft footsteps and stealth. I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what he’d done before joining King’s Security. Imani had mentioned something about secret government departments, and that gelled with my perception of him. He was more than your average computer nerd.

While I made coffee, Zeke leaned against the counter, his legs crossed at the ankles.

“I’m curious,” I said as I handed him a mug. “How did your partnership with Ronan and Kade begin?”

He tilted his head, studying me like a bug under a microscope. For a long moment, I thought he might not answer. “After your brother fired King, he got in contact with Kade, who’d recently left the military. They were in college together. I’m not sure whether you know this, but King got a full ride on an academic scholarship.”

“I did.” I nodded.

“Yes, well, Kade ended up leaving during their second year to enlist, but he and King kept in touch. King knew he’d be perfect for the personal security division.”

“And you?” I asked. “How did you know them?”

“I didn’t know Kade,” he said, surprising me. I’d assumed all three of them went way back. He sipped his coffee and smirked as if my expression gave me away. “I met King in his former role, working for your father. We collaborated professionally. I’d been looking for a chance to leave my employer, and when he struck out on his own, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.”

“So, you approached him rather than the other way around?”

He nodded. “I think Kade would have been happy to see the back of me, but fortunately, King talked him around.”

A dozen questions leaped to my mind. What had he been working on to bring him into contact with Ronan when he’d been at Lennox Securities? Why had Zeke wanted to leave the organization he’d been in?