My previous thoughts on Brock’s mental stability were confirmed. He was crazy. Controlling didn’t even come close to his little confession about the pizza.

The chip in my arm was wacko but when I thought about it, not exactly out of the universe of weird things when I thought about Brock. I should be more indignant about it but it honestly didn’t surprise me now that I knew him better. Liv, Julia and Kate had warned me after all.

Did I listen? No.

As for my parents and his involvement in that crime, not entirely unexpected given his statements about keeping me safe. He did say he would kill for me.

Admittedly my first reaction was one of surprise and if I was honest a little bit fearful in terms of how far he was willing to go. Was it out of the realm of weird with him? Not exactly, and I felt absolutely nothing for them regardless of whether they brought me into the world or not. I wondered if that made me a bad person. I should feel something but I didn’t. Maybe Logan was right and I honestly did need some therapy.

In the back of my mind I had thought that Brock must have somehow been hacked for stock information. Perhaps even financial sales reports. Something that was tangible. Business espionage would have made sense given that his company was the main tech firm for Aiden’s corporations. I could even stretch that thought to perhaps include personal information about Aiden, maybe proprietary software and maybe even investments.

Pizza though?

He had to be fucking with me.

I gave him a small smile. “Say again?”

“The data leak. The recipe for this particular dish was stolen from one of our servers.”

I nodded slowly. “You keep this kind of stuff on your servers?”

He leaned in and looked at me seriously. “We keep everything on those servers.”

I gave him a tight smile that I hoped didn’t come off as a little skeptical or indicate that I thought he needed some pills and a straight-jacket.

“Recipes too?”

He motioned for my plate and I handed it over to him. I looked around, wondering if the girls would pop out at any moment laughing and playfully tell me this was a bad joke. There was still no one in the large room except for a few waiters on the very edge of the large space talking with each other.

After he put a slice on my plate and handed it back to me he got his own slice and stared down at it for a moment before looking back up at me.

“Have a bite,” he said without indication of what I should expect.

I gingerly picked up my slice and took a small bite. I rolled it around my tongue and chewed. The flavor was amazing with a rich cheesy bite and something that tasted tangy. I took another bite and picked up the flavor of both lobster and possibly a gritty nut flavor. It wasn’t what I expected when thinking of pizza but it was very good.

I chewed and swallowed before asking, “Okay, very different but it’s good.”

He chewed on his own bite before answering.

“This pizza costs one thousand dollars.”

I choked on another small bite that I had taken and grabbed my water.

“It costs what?” I hissed.

“You heard me,” he said with a bite of his own in his mouth.

I looked at the remaining slice on my plate like it was going to bite.

“Caviar soaked in cognac, imported cheese, lobster from Norway and white truffles. Made a specific way with crust that takes nearly six hours to make and settle before putting all of that on. Very expensive and the chef’s own recipe. So, not only did they steal the recipe from one of my servers but they also stole the chef’s personal ideas. Although he’s not particularly upset about it, it’s still theft.”

I nodded. “And you’re pissed because it was on your server.”

“Exactly. It was one of my servers. Not someone else’s home computer. Hell, even if it was off my home computer I would still be pissed.”

My eyes darted to the door and I saw several people enter that were all dressed nicely. The waiters were showing them to their seats.

Brock looked around and inclined his head. “Looks like our private time together is up but do you see why this was important?”

I eyed him and noticed that he was looking out through the glass wall and into the restaurant below.

I took another bite of the pizza to avoid telling him what I really thought. All this fuss about a pizza recipe seemed a little over the top.

He said he loved me. I wondered what it would be like to actually date him. If I decided to go to the grocery store at three in the afternoon and not at ten in the morning would he flip out? If I was on his computer at his house and happened to stumble upon some secret folder full of some secret thing would he be angry or alarmed?

His murky green eyes slid back to me and he gave me a look that asked for understanding.

Ugh. I still loved him. Even though I would probably have him committed at some point, I wanted to be with him. Maybe not right this minute and maybe not tomorrow but I did want to be with this insane man.

“I think you need a vacation, Brock,” I said between chewing.

One of his eyebrows lifted and he smirked. “You sound like Aiden.”

“Well, don’t get me wrong, I understand why you’re upset about it but I think that you’ve gone a little over the top with all of this. You said that one of Mr. Blackwell’s businesses profited?”

“Yes.”

I nodded. “Then I would assume that he got the recipe from someone as well. It just seems like this has stressed you out to the point where you aren’t maybe looking at what it’s cost you. Having Owen go undercover, lying about the purpose of the party to me. I mean was it worth nearly losing me in the process? Over a recipe?”

He sighed and looked down at his glass of champagne. “I’ll find the mole. If they can steal one recipe then they could potentially steal other things and give it to Colton Blackwell and that’s not something I even want to think about.”

A thought from our conversation earlier with Aiden popped into my head.

“If you didn’t have anything to do with that hotel thing that happened then what was that about?”

Brock frowned an sat back. “Really good question and one I’ve been trying to figure out for the last week. I have a contact in the FBI. He doesn’t particularly like me—”

“I wonder why,” I smirked.

He chuckled, “Mick and I get along on a personal level. We just disagree on a professional one. Probably because he knows he can’t arrest me and I’m a genius.”

“And modest about it, no doubt.”

“Hmm, I’m better looking too. It’s a jealousy thing.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

He smirked. “Anyway, Mick occasionally needs something outside of all the fucking red tape he deals with and sometimes I can get it. I asked him to look into it but he’s busy tracking a serial killer in Dallas. He suggested talking with a friend of his locally. He has all the footage from the hotel that night, which just happens to be pointed the wrong way or at the wrong angles to see anyone. Rather frustrating but it’s interesting that only one person was shot technically and that’s Owen.”

“So, what does that mean?”

“I have no idea, to be honest. It may be coincidental but I’m not a fan of that answer given that it was my brother that was grazed and it could have easily have been you.”

He stood up suddenly, throwing a look around the room and straightening his jacket. He came around the table to stand beside me. I looked up at him questioning what he was doing. His fingers reached out and ran along my temple as he bent down and placed a tender kiss on my forehead.

“I’m glad I didn’t lose you.”

He opened his mouth to say something else when his phone rang.

Straightening he pulled it out of his pocket and frowned.

“Noah?” he asked, then paused for seemed like several minutes. The look on his face changed several times from surprise to frustration.

“I’m not sure what to say. I—” he paused with his mouth slightly open and staring out into the restaurant. “I’m with Andi right now. We need to talk about this but—”

I stood up and ran a hand down his forearm until I found his palm and laced my fingers around his. He turned to me looking worried and a little confused.

“It’s okay,” I murmured. “If we need to go then we’ll talk another night.”

He turned the phone away and placed it on his chest to muffle it.

“I’m so sorry, I need to meet Noah immediately, we’ll leave now but I’m not sure how long this is going to take.”

I gave him a small smile. “I think I would like to go home actually. I have some things to think about and my grandmother may come tomorrow. Just don’t disappear for another seven days James Bond.”

He looked frustrated as he let go of my hand and snaked it around my waist, pulling me against him. He buried his face in my hair and inhaled deeply.

“I love you. Very much. Come back to my house tonight,” he whispered and nipped at my ear.

A jolt shot through me. We were standing in the middle of a now crowded room of people and it seemed like we were the only two people in the place.

“Maybe,” I whispered.

He squeezed my waist and growled, “I’ll come to you then. One way or another I want you sleeping beside me.”

I leaned back and smirked at him. “Maybe.”

He rolled his eyes and put the phone to his ear again. “Okay give me your location and I’ll meet you as soon as I can get there.”

He listened for a moment longer then got off the phone.

“Is something wrong?” I asked as I looked up at his confused face.

He took a deep breath and started moving us toward the door. “Very. I need to see Noah as soon as I can. It has to do with our little hacking issue.”

His hand moved to the middle of my back as we walked out of the room and he guided me down the stairs.

“Did he find out who did it?”

Brock didn’t answer and moved me closer to him as we reached the landing. There were tons of people mingling and waiting for a seat.

“He says he found something at the firm he works for but wants me to look at it because he’s not sure if it’s legitimate or not. He thinks he may have found my problem but it’s complicated. We’re never going to get out of here.”

He started moving me through the crowd of people and we squeezed by them slowly inch by inch.

“Brock!” I heard a female voice say.

I turned and saw Angela smiling at both of us. She looked as harassed as we were, trying to move through the crowd.

“Hey, Andi, good to see you. You look fantastic,” she said as she leaned in and gave me an air kiss on the side of my face.

I looked up at Brock, confused.

He gave me a look that said, “I told you so”.

I turned to Angela, “Thank you. Nice to meet you.”

She turned to Brock. “We need get Aiden to restrict this place to reservation only. Saw you two upstairs. Do I need to make a public statement about anything important tomorrow?”

Her question seemed off in the way that she said it and the smile she gave Brock didn’t quite reach her eyes. She wanted him. Regardless of whether Brock thought she was just flirting with him, I could tell she was more than just mildly interested.

Oblivious, Brock looked down at me and laughed. “Not yet, she’s determined not to marry me.”

I hit him in the arm and smiled at Angela. “He hasn’t asked but the answer is no for at least another thirty or so years. I plan on making him wait for it.”

Brock squeezed my waist and kissed me on the temple. “Eventually I’ll win.”

I smiled at him sweetly and narrowed my eyes. “I love you but until that chip comes out you’re shit out of luck.”

The corner of his mouth tipped up. “Of all the places to tell me, you just had to say it in the middle of this fucking crowd.”

I shrugged. “Safe territory.”

“For now.”

Angela gave us a smile. “You two are ridiculously cute.”

I plastered a smile on my face when I looked at her and said, “We are, aren’t we? Just so we’re clear, he’s taken. Today, tomorrow. He’s off the menu. You can announce that if you’d like or just pen a note.”

She waved a hand dismissing my comment. I still wanted her to get trampled regardless of how nice she seemed at the moment.

Let her stew on that one. He was mine even if he was an idiot.

She looked around the crowd. “I was just leaving but it looks like it may be a wait before we even get out of here. Oh, Maggie was here earlier, I think she may have beaten the crowd to leave. She wanted to go upstairs to say hello but you two looked deep in conversation so we had a few drinks and she left. Brent was around too but I don’t see him anymore.”

Brock nodded. “We were just leaving as well. There’s an emergency with my brother that I need to take care of.”

Angela pointed to the bar area. “Use the kitchen. There’s an exit in the back. If they give you any problems just tell them I said it was okay.

“Thanks, Angela,” he said, as he moved me toward the bar through the crowd.

As soon as we cleared the crowd we moved through the tables quickly, past groups of people chattering and eating.

Brock pushed through a double set of doors and the smell of spices and food hit me like a wave. All of it smelled delicious and everyone in the kitchen seemed to be rushing around from different stations to others as they called out orders.

Brock took my hand and walked quickly through the kitchen like we belonged there. There were a few surprised protests but he waived them off like it was something that he did every day.

I tried to keep up with his long stride without tripping into one of the many dishes laid out on the counters. They all looked like plates filled with art rather than food. I was happy about the pizza oddly, but I wanted to try any number of the other options we passed through the kitchen.

Brock found the back exit and pushed through it, dragging me out of the noisy kitchen.

We were in an alley. Like any other alley on any other street in the city. Trash littered the ground and the rank smell of garbage replaced the wonderful scents of the kitchen, turning my stomach.

I covered my nose. “Bleh.”

Brock looked down at me and smiled. “Quite the contrast. Come here.”

He dragged me up against him and bent down to pick me up. I threw my hands around his neck and smiled.

“Put me down.”

He started walking down the alley. “Can’t ruin those shoes. They’re too pretty to get dirty.”

“I think they would be fine.”

He shifted me closer to his body. “Maybe I just like carrying you. As soon as I get you in the car, you’re going to tell me you love me about a thousand times on the way to meet Noah.”

“I told you, I wanted to go home.”

He smiled mischievously at me, his green eyes sparkling. “Not a chance in hell now. You’re coming home with me tonight so I can make you scream it to me while I’m buried in you. You won’t have a voice tomorrow after I get done with you.”

“I was just saying it for Angela’s benefit.”

“Bullshit, Andromeda. You love me.”

I did. Stupidly.

He set me down on my feet when we reached the end of the alley. We were still back far enough from the street that the lights didn’t quite reach us.

Brock leaned into me and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck.

“Tell me you love me,” he whispered as his lips brushed against mine.

My eyes closed and I tipped my head up to kiss him but he inched back just out of reach.

“Say it, Andi.”

I tried kissing him again and he inched back once more.

My eyes flew open and I growled at him. “I love you but you’re the biggest a—”

Brock’s lips crashed down on mine and his tongue swept into my mouth as one of his hands snaked around my back. He took and I gave until we were both breathless.

“Noah. Fuck, if I didn’t have to go see what this was about tonight—” he started to say as a pair of headlights fell across us from the alley we had just exited.

The car was moving fast enough that it was nearly on us before Brock pulled me back out of the way.

The darkness of the alley didn’t aid us in seeing who was behind the wheel of the sedan. It came to a screeching halt in front of us with the hood barely into the light of the street. The windows were tinted black, making the interior impossible to see.

Brock pulled me around behind him and nudged me toward the street.

“Run, Andi. Go around to the front of the bar and call the police.”

I hesitated as the car revved its engines. The driver seemed to be taunting us.

“No, come with me!” I begged.

“GO!” Brock yelled as he nudged me again.

I turned toward the street, looking back at him once and jogged as quickly as I could in my heels toward the front of the building. I heard Brock yelling behind me as the car revved its engines again.

Worry for Brock flooded me as I continued to hear him yelling.

A red car turned the corner at the end of the block and I started waving my hands to get the driver to stop. It pulled over to the curb and the window rolled down.

I bent down to look and saw Angela’s concerned face.

“Call the police! Brock’s in the alley and there’s a car and he’s yelling. I think he needs help!”

She unlocked the doors. “Get in. Hurry! I’ll call and we’ll drive down there.”

I swung the door open and slid into the seat as Angela pulled out her phone. The doors locked as she pulled away from the curb.

“I’ve got her,” she said.

I swung my gaze toward her then back at the street where I saw the sedan screeching out of the alley. No sign of Brock.

“Angela, what—”

A rag was pressed against my nose and mouth from behind and the noxious fumes of something filled my airways. I struggled to pulled the large hand away but it had me pinned to the back of the headrest.

Angela laughed. “Grandma’s here.”

There was another female voice behind me that laughed as I started to drift off. Before the blackness consumed me as I heard them say Brock’s name but my mind was slipping too much to understand the words.

Brock.