Then why are you afraid?
My phone chimed, and I glanced down at it. It was Kannon.
Kannon: All good?
Oh, Kannon. Ever loquacious. It was no wonder we’d gotten so tight. I’d learned right away that the best way to get him to talk about anything was to hammer him with questions constantly. Rapid fire. Eventually, he’d answer something. And sometimes I could repeat a question, and he’d finally answer it. Mostly to shut me up.
Somehow, he, of all people, had become my family. He looked out for all of us like we were family, which is why I wasn’t going to let some little failed attempt at a mugging stop me from doing the best job that I could.
I had the personnel set up now. I had our equipment ordered. Everything was set up in the new office. Niko would be starting today. Olly, unfortunately, had to temporarily go back to LA and abandoned me—I was still bitter about that—to deal with our pressing case there. He’d be back in a month, but I was already feeling shorthanded. Not that he wanted to go, but when an A-lister requests you specifically after receiving threats, you’ve got to go. That left me feeling like I was on my own. I mean, Niko was great. He was sarcastic and funny. And we had a great time annoying Kannon. But Olly and I had built a tighter friendship than I had with Niko, which was probably why I felt his absence.
Niko also had this overprotective thing that he liked to do, which was annoying to say the least. So, he’d been shadowing my every move since the stupid attempted mugging. But he’d done me a solid and not ratted me out to Kannon, mostly because I’d let him mother-hen me to death. And he was holding it over me.
Why didn’t he realize I was the damn boss? Not that that’s how I wanted to play it. Niko was great at his job. And, if I was honest, I liked the fact that someone was looking out for me. Like I wasn’t so alone. I hadn’t wanted to tell Olly, but it had been a gut punch to find out he was going back. We’d both agreed to come to Alden together, and we worked well as a team. But it was what it was. I texted back.
Sparrow: Fine. How’s the vacation?
Kannon: You’re chatty. It’s fine. London is keeping me busy. Is everything okay with you?
Sparrow: Yup, everything is fine. The equipment showed up. Tech is setup. Niko is getting settled. Olly left for LA. But it’s fine. It’s not like we have any client files to get going yet.
There was a beat before he replied. I got the impression that wasn’t exactly the answer he expected.
Kannon: I’m sure the office is fine. I’m asking how you are.
I frowned at that. Not that Kannon wouldn’t ask how I was, because he would. But I wondered if someone had ratted me out. I scowled as I was thinking about what Wilder might have said to him.
Or Breck. Thinking of him pulled my lip into an automatic sneer. I’d heard him when he’d come to see me. I’d been so foggy I couldn’t respond, but I’d been listening. He’d been so irritated. What I didn’t get was why? It’s not like I knew him well. So why was he so annoyed with me? And honestly, he’d been more than a bit of a jackass, calling me an idiot for walking in the dark. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but still.
I replied again, more aware of my words this time.
Sparrow: All good. Seriously, enjoy your vacation. I have it handled here.
Kannon: I know you have it handled. I’m just checking in, making sure you’re all good.
Sparrow: Yup, all good. Give London a hug for me. Tell me she owes me wine when she gets back.
I stopped texting with him then. No way was I going to be late. I dressed quickly and was in the office in less than twenty minutes. Niko grinned at me from the kitchen and raised a cup of coffee. “You want one?”
I shook my head. “I already had one. How’s it going?”
His grin was sheepish. “I know you told me to drop it, but just so you know, I combed through the security footage. I can’t get a clear look at the guy who jumped you last week.”
I groaned. “Jesus Christ, Niko, I told you not to.”
“I know. It’s just... You’re my teammate, so I want to watch out for you.”
“You know, I have someone else who does that too. His name is Kannon.”
He grinned. “Boss-man likes to look out for you.”
“Well, he’s gone. For now, I’m the boss, and I don’t want to waste resources. It was just a simple mugging.”
Even as I said it, the words didn’t ring true. But what else could it have been? I didn’t have any enemies. I hadn’t been in Alden long enough to acquire any.
“Look, I hear you. I’d be up your ass too if you tried to babysit me. The thing is, I could only get so far. We’re going to need someone who’s better at tech to pull all the cameras from outside the palace. We have some access, but not enough.”
I groaned. “What are the chances you’re going to just let this go?”
Niko shrugged, making it clear that he intended to continue. His dark brows lowered. “I know you want to assume that it was a random attack. But you and the guy had a fight. And he knew how to fight. That doesn’t worry you?”
Why did he have to speak sense? “It does, I guess. I just want to stop dwelling, get to work, and show Kannon that I can do this.”
“Newsflash, Kannon already knows you can do this, and that’s why you’re in charge. That doesn’t preclude you also taking care of yourself. Let’s figure out who did this. Then we can open the new office, and we can all work on missions.”
I rolled my eyes, but I knew he was right. I knew what I was going to do even before I walked into the office that morning. But the act of actually doing it, of asking for help, was the last thing I wanted.
I pulled my cellphone out of my purse, scrolled to Wilder’s number, and then called. He answered on the first ring. “Hey, Sparrow, how are you feeling?”
I sighed. “I’d be so much better if that wasn’t the first question everyone asks me.”
“Sorry, that would make me nuts too.”
“Thank you. But I’m fine. Listen, I think I need your help going through the footage of my attack. We need access to all of Alden’s security feeds, public and private, if possible. Anything with a lead.”
“Sure thing. Why don’t you head to the palace now? I can give you a hand and get you access before I have my eleven o-clock. Does that sound good?”
I sighed. “Yup, sounds great.”
I hung up with him and grabbed my purse again. “Niko, I’m going up to the palace.”
Niko just grunted from his office. “You’re spending an awful lot of time up there. You and Prince Wilder about to do the horizontal mambo?”
I rolled my eyes. “No. Believe it or not, we’re friends. And I like him. But major brother vibes there.”
He chuckled. “Only you would look at a prince like a brother.”
“It’s accurate.” I shrugged.
He sighed like he was my long-suffering mother attempting to marry me off. “But you never see anyone as someone to shag, do you?”
“Not entirely true.” But the one person that made my blood boil was on the Do Not Bone list. I wrinkled my nose at him as he leaned his head out so that I could see him in the doorway.
“So, what you’re saying is that all my careful attempts to seduce you are failing?”