Twenty-seven

Devlin

Tobias and Carter flank my sides as I exit the seedy underground club and approach the limo where Aiden is patiently waiting. I’d just finished a meeting with a representative from a supplier that wants to increase their prices. I don’t take kindly to a rise in greed, but fortunately for the supplier, the representative saw things my way—and so will they.

I climb into the limo, and Carter slips in beside me while Tobias takes the seat up front. As the limo pulls away from the old, brick building, I turn to Carter. “Anything yet?” I ask, referring to the fire at Charli’s apartment building. I’d been suspicious of the incident, and I’ve had Carter focused on finding out what the investigation has turned up.

Shit. My head is pounding, and all I want is to climb back into bed with Charli. We’d had an amazing evening earlier, and it’d been hot as fuck letting her do what she wanted right here in the limo. But then she’d caught me in the bathroom slipping on a disguise, and I’d worried that she might begin to doubt me. Instead, she appears to be making an effort to accept this part of my life.

“Remnants of a bomb were found in the apartment above Miss Andrews’s. A full arson investigation is under way.”

My expression hardens. Damn it. That’s what I was afraid of. There was just something about the entire thing that didn’t seem right. I’ve been staying low-key with Charli so as not to draw attention to her, but I’ve also slipped up a few times simply because I wanted to make her happy.

“What about the residents that died?” I ask, trying to exude calmness when I’m feeling far from composed.

“The young couple were newlyweds. They’d only moved in a month before Miss Andrews, and the investigation hasn’t unearthed any enemies or any reason someone would want to end their lives.”

Which leaves Charli as the possible target. “Is there word out there about Charli?” I ask, bracing for Carter’s reply.

He nods. “People are beginning to take notice.”

Fuck. “I’ve been careful until this evening.”

Carter looks at me respectfully. “You’ve been in public with her a few times,” he reminds. “There were also news crews at the fire.”

I mutter a curse and rub my temple. I’ve always been methodical about everything I do, but lately, Charli’s taken over my life, and my focus has shifted. I’ve never had to worry about protecting anyone other than the men that work for me, and most of the time, they can handle that job just fine themselves. Charli’s different, though. She’s innocent, and because I care about her, it paints a target on her back.

Holy fuck. What have I done?

My gut twists. Charli’s officially been sucked into my life, and now I have to explain to her that I fucked up—big time. This can all still be resolved if I get her out of the state and set her up somewhere no one will be able to track her. If she wants out, now’s the time for her to jump ship. If she bails, I can never have contact with her again.

Two days.

Two fucking days with her is all I had before this shit decided to destroy the one thing I care about most.