Page 42 of Scarred Heart

“The good news is, nothing was permanently damaged,” he shared.“The few machines they broke are easily replaceable, and everything on them was backed up to the shared server.It doesn’t look like they were able to access anything, either,” he added.

My chest tightened, and a telltale pounding in my head left me closing my eyes and forcing a few slow breaths.“But theydidtry to access files?”I asked.

“It looks that way.Whoever was behind this was a real fucking amateur,” he concluded with a wry chuckle.“The whole thing looks a lot like a way to throw us off.”

“To make it look like hacking the machines was the goal,” I mused, and he grunted his agreement.

“As for security,” he continued.“Everything is set.I have a pair of cars working in shifts on the McNultys’ block, and I have another pair of cars with eyes on that apartment building your girl lives in.”

She’s not my girl.My silent, knee-jerk response brought with it a sense of disappointment.Did I want her to be?My gut said yes, but she was still so damn skittish over Hannah, making sure not to let her down if things didn’t work out between us.I had to find a way to convince her there was nothing to worry about.

Bruce didn’t need to know that, and there wasn’t time.“I want somebody watching Hannah’s school until this is over too.”Her high-pitched giggles made my chest tighten again, though in a different way.If anything ever happened to her…

“I can arrange that,” he assured me.“I was in touch with your cousin, Mr.Diamond.I have to say, the private investigator he hired is thorough.”

Was there a little resentment in his voice?Or was it the sound of one professional begrudgingly complimenting another?“Does that mean you have good news?”I asked.

“It means we’re making headway.Those bastards can run, but they can’t hide.I hope to have more specifics for you in the morning, though I’ll call if anything major comes up between now and then.”

“Good enough.Talk then.”I ended the call, releasing a long, slow breath.We were making headway.The pair of backstabbing assholes who broke ranks and went to work for Damian couldn’t hide forever.Connor’s investigator would find them, and we would put an end to this for good.

Then what?

Rowan finished the song she had slowly played her way through, laughing loud enough for the sound to reach me and stir my heart.“I told you I’m awful at this!”she squealed while Hannah laughed harder than she had all day.

Was this what it meant to be a parent?I kept swinging between wanting to know everything about her and coming up with reasons to worry about her.Would she be safe at school?The idea of somebody watching her, following her home, sent adrenaline racing through my veins.

Rowan and I had a lot of talking to do.For now, I shook it off, opening the bedroom door.“So, now we know why your mom chose law over becoming a pianist,” I told Hannah, who blurted out a laugh while Rowan flipped me off from behind her, smirking.

* * *

The soft knockon my bedroom door was expected.No.I had waited for it, lying in bed, flipping through channels on the television and knowing Rowan would join me once she knew Hannah was asleep.The meaningful looks we’d exchanged while the two of them were on their way to the second bedroom told an entire story.

“Come in,” I murmured, sitting up with my back to the headboard.It had taken longer than I’d expected for her to sneak out of their room, to the point where I’d given up on sharing a drink and gotten dressed for bed instead.It made sense when I thought about it.The kid was amped up after an exciting day and going to bed in new surroundings.Naturally, it took a little time for her to wind down.

Rowan crept in, wearing one of the two matching nightshirts I’d ordered up to the suite earlier.Hannah had loved the idea of wearing pajamas that matched her mom’s.“She would not settle in,” she whispered, closing the door softly.“I shouldn’t stay for long in case she wakes up.”

My breath caught as I watched her cross the room.There was no end to my desire for her.My gaze was immediately drawn to her tits, gently swaying under the striped satin.She climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged, facing me to ask, “How long do we need to do this?”

“If I had my way, we’d stay here until everything is settled.”

“What does that mean, though?”She tucked her hair behind both ears, suddenly looking very young and worried.“What is settled?”

There was no resisting those smooth, sleek legs, only inches from me.I reached over and ran a hand over her calf, savoring her silky skin.“Once I know Damian is taken care of, and no, I don’t know exactly how long that will be.In the meantime, I’ll have security working in shifts at your apartment building, Hannah’s school, your parents’ house.Your office building, too, if you want,” I added as an afterthought while she gaped at me.

“What?”Her mouth dropped open.“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not taking any chances.They’ll be discreet,” I insisted.“I can’t let her go to school unprotected every day when that bastard knows who she is.You can’t ask me to do that.”

“I don’t understand why this has to happen.”Her head hung, swinging back and forth while she took a hitching breath.“It’s all too much.”

“I’m going to take care of it.This is all going to end, and it’s going to end well for you and Hannah.”Covering her hand with mine, I added, “You have my word.Nobody is going to hurt you.”

“I don’t know what to tell Mom and Dad.They deserve to know.”Her lips pulled together in a thin line.“I’ve never told them anything about you.Us.They still think you were some random guy I dated for a little while before you ghosted me.”

“After I almost killed you.”My gaze drifted to the scars I had already started to overlook.They were part of her, but only a small part.I slid closer, reaching out and stroking her hair, taking the chance of letting my fingers trace those thin lines.It could have meant taking my life in my hands, but she didn’t stop me, going still and holding her breath while I studied the wreckage I had caused.“I am so sorry,” I whispered.“I didn’t get the chance to tell you then… while you were conscious, anyway,” I added.

“Not that I’m trying to let you off the hook,” she murmured, meeting my gaze with those frank, blue eyes.“But I meant it when I told you I’m doing fine.Life turned out the way it was supposed to.”

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