Wolfe stood, his obsidian eyes cold and unyielding. Most people steered clear when he looked like this.
Not Aleki, though. Wolfe was his brother. His friend. Plus, Aleki was the only one who did laundry around here. So he was useful.
“Just remember, you kill me and you’ll have to wash your own tightie-whities,” Aleki warned.
Wolfe growled.
“Will you two quit it? We only just replaced the furniture you broke last time,” Caleb commented without glancing up from his phone.
Wolfe gave Aleki a dark look but returned to sitting on the sofa. “What do you plan to do with Genevieve?”
Aleki stiffened, slightly confused by the question. “Do with her? I wasn’t going to do anything with her.”
The three of them had nearly completed degrees from the University of California, but Vivi still had another year to go. Aleki probably wouldn’t have gotten through his degree without the other two helping him. Sitting still wasn’t his forte.
Becoming a Navy SEAL had always been his dream.
“She’s your girlfriend,” Wolfe stated as though that explained everything.
“I know that, man.” Aleki looked over at Caleb, but the other man appeared as confused as he did.
“She can’t come with us. We’ll be living in the barracks. What will you do with her?”
“Dude, she’s not a dog he needs to find a home for,” Caleb told him.
Wolfe scowled. “I’m well aware of that.”
“Vivi knows that we applied for BUD/s training,” Aleki told him. “She’s totally supportive of this move. She’s not going anywhere. I get that you don’t believe in love. But what we have is real. Okay? So don’t worry about us. We’re solid.”
1
Eight years later
“In breaking news, we’ve just learned that Lieutenant Governor William Davidson was found dead in a hotel room in Sacramento. The police have said . . .”
Panic flooded her, making it hard to think. The noise coming from the TV faded away.
Fuck. Fuck. The cops had just left after delivering the news, how did the press find out already? They were probably gathering out front of the property already.
We’re sorry to inform you . . .
What was she going to do? William was dead.
Suspected heart attack.
She buried her face in her hands. It could be a heart attack. Or had something else happened to him?
“Genevieve, hide this flash drive. If something happens to me, text this number. My reporter friend will know what to do with it.”
Was it really a coincidence that he’d said that to her only a few hours ago and now he was dead?
Grabbing her phone, she raced upstairs and opened her jewelry box. It had a secret compartment, which is where she’d stashed the flash drive.
Hidden with it was a piece of paper with a number on it. With hands that shook, she wrote out a text.
This is William’s wife. I have that information. Can we meet?
Her finger hovered over send. If she did this, if she met with this person then that was it. She couldn’t stay here. She’d need to leave. To run.
Like you haven’t thought about running often enough.
But at least this time, she’d have a chance. This time, her father would be too busy with his own demise to worry about her. Right?
She scrunched her eyes tight and took a deep breath. What was the alternative? Stay? What if it wasn’t a heart attack? What if he’d been killed? What if her father knew she’d helped him?
Her gut was telling her to run.
She pressed send.
William was the only one who’d ever dealt with his contact. Would he answer her? What if William had already passed on the information? She rubbed at her head. If he had then there was no need for her to do anything.
Shoot. She’d just have to wait for a reply from his contact. Her heart raced as she grabbed a backpack and hastily filled it with a change of clothes, a nightgown, toiletries, and a few sentimental items. Then she ran downstairs and put the flash drive into a small pocket in her handbag.
She thought about just taking the one bag, but she didn’t want to take everything out of her handbag and some of the stuff in there could come in handy.
Passport. She needed her passport.
She checked the cameras at the front gate. Shit. Just as she’d thought, the press was already here. She chewed her lip. Last thing she wanted was for any of them to follow her.
Think, Vivi.
She had to leave her car here. She’d go out through the back and have a taxi pick her up a block or two away. After ordering a taxi, she pulled on a hoodie. Shifting back and forth on her feet, she stared at her phone wondering why William’s contact didn’t reply.
Maybe he won’t reply. Then what are you going to do?
Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a text. She nearly dropped it.
Thirty minutes. Basement level. Triton building.
She let out a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn’t have to wait long.
She could do this. She could survive.
She had to.
“In breaking news, Lieutenant Governor William Davidson was found dead this morning. At the moment we have no information about whether it was from natural causes. . .”
Wolfe paused the TV, not needing to hear anymore.
So he was dead. She was free.
Jaw tightening, he turned to his laptop. He was in the security center of the palace, a space he shared with Caleb and Aleki. You could easily tell who occupied each space. Aleki’s was a mess of computer parts, food wrappers, and bits of paper strewn everywhere. There were at least fifty photos stuck with blu-tack to the wall behind his desk.
Caleb’s space was neat and tidy. Everything was put away in its place. There was a photo of his parents on his desk and framed certificates hung on the wall. His chair was pushed in, while Aleki’s had spun out into the middle of the room.
Wolfe shook his head and turned to his desk.
It was barren. Empty. Soulless.
Just the way he liked it.
Should he even tell them?
Everything would be easier if people just acted on logic and facts. Not feelings.
It worked for him.
He sent off a text to Caleb and Aleki as he conducted a search for Genevieve. Several images of her popped up immediately. He hated the surge of lust he felt as he studied her, the way his body started to burn.
She didn’t deserve his interest. She wasn’t even worth a fuck.
Yeah, who you kidding?
The door to the office opened and Aleki walked in, bouncing a basketball. Caleb closed the door behind them.
“Wolfie, what’s up? I was off to go beat some princely butt,” Aleki said.
Wolfe raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t Tavi beat you last time?”
Aleki pointed a finger at him. “Fucker cheated. Don’t think I don’t know that he did.” Aleki jumped up on the corner of Wolfe’s desk.
“No, he outplayed you,” Wolfe countered. “And get off my damn desk. Jesus.”
Aleki grinned and jumped off. Wolfe reached into a drawer for a disinfectant wipe.
“What’s going on?” Caleb asked, glancing around the monitors on the wall. Aleki and Wolfe had set this entire system up themselves to help guard the huge palace and grounds.