Page 33 of Midnight Revelations

“Caleb, it’s a quick visit, but I needed access to the main computers. I didn’t want to do this remotely.”

He nodded and fell into step beside me. The building was old and regal, the architecture belonging to a bygone age when only the best quality craftsmanship was employed and marble was in fashion. The white marble gleamed and the sound of our footsteps echoed around us. The building reminded me of an ancient tomb created to safeguard the remains of the past. It was probably true since we safeguarded global finances here.

“Talk to me, Ash. Should I be concerned?” Caleb was around six foot one with mid brown hair and brown eyes. He always wore round glasses that he was constantly pushing up his nose.

A bitter laugh broke free from my chest. “Just ruining my sanity to protect someone,” I replied.

“A woman then. Since when did Ash Blackwood fall in love?”

There was little point denying it since Caleb and I trusted each other. I’d saved his ass more times that I wanted to remember.

“Since she walked into my life and trod all over me in her stilettoes,” I muttered darkly.

“That explains your sudden appearance with the blonde.”

Did everyone see it and was I too obvious? “Am I that see-through?” I asked.

“No, but then we’ve known each other forever. My guess is that you want eyes off what is truly valuable. It’s what we do here.”

That was true.

We wandered into the main control hub and I went to work with Caleb. Together, we put so many triggers in place that if anyone looked twice at Lucrezia or the businesses that she was dealing with we’d know. Luckily most of the financial side of the business was in my name and no one could connect her with it.

“April is expecting our first child,” Caleb said in a low tone. “I was thinking of staying here permanently. She likes the country and has learnt to speak the language. The price on my head is too high back home.”

Caleb moved here a few years ago until the heat died down. The Council wanted his ass dead and no one knew where he was but me and the guys.

“I can’t say much, Caleb, but events are unfolding to take the Council down.”

He nodded. “Let me know if you need any help and I’ll watch over this special woman for you.”

I sat back and surveyed the hub of the digital kingdom we’d created. “Do you think we should have just taken safe jobs in the city and lived a normal life?” I asked.

“Where the hell would the fun be in that?” He shoved my arm. “You need to get your head out of your arse, Ash. If she’s the one you want, hiding her won’t protect her. You need to make sure that everyone knows if they even look at her wrong, then they have to go through you to get to her. You are a scary bastard when you want to be.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Her father is Lucas Black.”

Caleb shook his head, laughing at my solemn expression. “You always did like a challenge. You have balls of steel to go after one of his daughters with the way he feels about your dad.”

“I’m not my father.”

“Yeah, but how many people know that with the shields you put up around your life?”

There were few people who ever saw the real me, even the guys and Caleb saw what I wanted them to see. The only person who ever got the whole man was Lucrezia.

“Think about it,” Caleb said. “I spent two years pretending that I didn’t care about April. It took someone to threaten her life for me to drag her ass over here with me.”

“I will,” I promised. “Everything seems to be up in the air at the moment with all this shit with the Council and now Dad and his fuck up. Maybe when I get all this sorted, I’ll consider dragging her ass somewhere.”

“If she’s one of the Black daughters, sooner rather than later would be best. That man has a sixth sense when it comes to his daughters. He would slit your throat at the best of times, but he would fucking annihilate you if he ever thought you were going to touch one of his precious daughters.”

I’d done more than think about it…

Caleb groaned. “Please do not tell me that you touched before you put a ring on her finger!” I glared at him and he groaned again. “He’ll hang your testicles on his front gates as a warning to any other unworthy suitors.”

“Fuck off,” I grumbled. “Technically, she seduced me the first time. I’m only flesh and blood.”

“Yeah, I can just imagine a virgin who is locked away seducing the infamous Ash Blackwood.”

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