I nodded. “I respect that.”

Zeke stood and slipped his hands into the pockets of his faded black jeans. Although he was a genius by any scale, he looked more like a rock star who’d lost his way to a concert. The moment he’d been officially cleared from duty, he’d gotten full-body tattoos and several piercings, so there was no way he could ever blend into a crowd again. It meant we couldn’t use him in the field because he was so recognizable, but it also meant his former employer couldn’t snatch him back because his appearance would be a liability. They preferred their operatives to be nondescript.

“I’ll get my guys digging into Tom,” Zeke said. “Meanwhile, you think about how we want to play this. Willow may have useful information.”

“She might.” I’d already had that thought.

Kade rolled his shoulders back, his forehead creased with worry. “You two are asking for trouble.”

Chapter Four

Willow

“Just. Like. That.” I shifted a piece of text on our latest advertising campaign and smiled. “Perfect.”

Lennox Securities needed more customers. Many of the ones who’d been loyal for years were slowly defecting to King’s Security, and we weren’t plugging the gaps fast enough. Managing the company’s communications didn’t always keep me busy, so I’d taken to working on marketing campaigns during quiet periods. My phone vibrated, and the strains of Vivaldi broke the silence. I frowned when I didn’t recognize the number but answered the call.

“Hello, Willow.” It was a woman’s voice. “This is Fiona from King’s Security. I’m Ronan King’s assistant.”

“Oh?” My heart gave a little leap. “How did you get this number?”

“I assumed you’d given it to us.”

“No, I definitely did not.”

Fiona sighed. “In that case, I have my suspicions but I really can’t say anything. Confidentiality, you understand.”

No, I didn’t. Had they obtained my details illegally? Or perhaps they’d just asked someone I knew? It wasn’t as though my number was a state secret, but I guarded it more closely than the average person might.

“Why are you calling?” Ronan and I hadn’t exactly ended our encounter on good terms.

“Mr. King would like to arrange a meeting with you as soon as possible. Can you come over now?”

“Huh.” Perhaps my words had gotten through to him. Or maybe he’d changed his mind and decided to hand me over to the police after all. If he’d been the one breaking into my office, I’d probably have called 911 within the first twenty seconds, regardless of anything he might have said. “Do you know what it’s about?”

“I don’t, sorry.” She sounded genuinely apologetic, so I couldn’t be annoyed at her. “I was asked to contact you. That’s as much as I know.”

With what Ronan had on me, I couldn’t afford to turn him down in case he retaliated. My frustration grew. I felt so powerless. “Fine, I’ll be there, but I’m at work so I’ll have to let my boss know first.”