I run into my room, pull on a pair of shorts, and grab my gun. I’m back in the hallway and halfway down the steps by the time I hear the noise again. It’s coming from the back hallway near my exercise room.

I come down the steps, heart hammering in my chest. I push any thoughts of Sydney or what we just did from my mind and let my training take over.

I creep down into the kitchen and I notice that the light in my exercise room is on. I head over toward it, walking carefully, gun raised. I slowly reach the door and push it open, gun at the ready, prepared for anything.

There are three men inside the room. I recognize two of them and I instantly lower my weapon, but I don’t put it away.

“Sorry to disturb you,” the older man says, stepping toward me. His name is Jonathan and he’s one of the guys I hired to run security for this place.

The younger guy speaks up. “We caught this fucker sneaking around outside.” His name is Ryan, and I knew him from my SEAL days. He’s another of my hired guys.

The third man is lying face down on the ground underneath Ryan’s boot, his hands behind his back, his wrists tied up. Some of the weights were knocked off the rack, and it looks like the guy struggled. That explains the noises we heard. I slip my gun into my shorts and cross my arms.

“You talk to him yet?” I ask Jonathan.

He shakes his head. “Just the usual telling us to fuck off and threatening us.”

“But that shit doesn’t work.” Ryan stomps on the guy a little bit.

I step closer and get a better look at him. Instantly I recognize the man from earlier that day at Julia’s father’s house. It’s the blond man, the one that wanted to pull the trigger pretty badly after I injured his friend.

“I know you,” I say.

The guy turns his face to me and sneers. “Guess you remember.”

“Let him up,” I say to Ryan.

Ryan frowns. “He’s a strong fucker,” he says. “Put up a big fight.”

“We’re three against one and armed. He’s not stupid.” I look at the guy. “Are you stupid?”

“Only sometimes,” he says.

Ryan sighs and lets him up. The guy sits up, back against the weight bench.

“What’s your name?” I ask him.

“Sergei,” he says.

“Okay, Sergei. Why are you here?”

“You know why.” He grins at me.

“Came here to hurt me and my family?”

“Not hurt,” he says, shaking his head. “Just scare.”

“How’s that working out for you now, bitch?” Ryan asks.

I gave him a look and Jonathan grabs Ryan by the shoulder, steering him away. I look back to Sergei who just keeps grinning at me.

“What am I supposed to do with you now?” I ask him.

“What can you do?” He shrugs. “Slap on the wrist and let me go.”

I sigh, shaking my head. “I can’t bring you to the police, that’s for sure. Your boss wouldn’t let the charges stick.” I crouch down in front of him, smiling. “But I sure as fuck can hurt you.”

“What do you—“

Before he can finish his sentence, I stand up and kick him in the teeth.

It feels good to hurt this guy. Maybe it’s not the most mature and grown-up thing I’ve ever done in my life, but kicking him in the face brings me a special kind of pleasure.

Besides, the guy deserves it. Let’s be real here for a second. Sergei is not a good person. He works for the mafia, which already puts him pretty down low on the totem pole of nice people. But Sergei himself is a pretty nasty fella. I may not have actual proof of it, but I know guys like Sergei, and I know he wouldn’t hesitate to kick me in similar circumstances.

He groans and brings his head back forward. He spits blood onto the floor and smiles. “Bad move,” he says. “Now I have to kill you.”

“It’s weird,” I say, crouching down again. “Guys like you always say that, and yet I’m never afraid.”

“You should be.”

“Listen, Sergei. This can go easy for you. What’s Evan planning?”

“Fuck yourself.”

“Play ball, Sergei,” I say. “What does your employer have planned for this family?”

“I was going to show you tonight.” He grins at me, disgusting and bloody. “I was going to sneak in here and hurt that wife of yours.”

“I doubt that,” I say.

“I was going to fuck that little girl—“

I punch him in the nose, and his head snaps back.

“I wouldn’t talk about her if I were you,” I say.

He groans, shaking his head. “Fucking asshole. Stop hitting me. Let me finish a sentence.”

“I’ll let you talk if you have something nice to say. Now, what does your boss know?”

“Everything, you fucking twat.”

I sigh, shaking my head. “You’re not helpful.”

“You want helpful? Bring that girl down here, I’ll—“

I punch him in the nose again, and this time I hear a satisfying crack.

“Argh, you fucking cock,” he says. “I think you broke it.”

He spits blood onto the floor again.

I frown. “You know that I work out in here, right? You’re making a mess.”

“You poor—“

He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, because I stand and kick him in the face again.

Jonathan comes up to me with a frown on his face. “Connor...” He gives me a look.

“I know, I know,” I say. “Don’t kill him. I know.”

Sergei, meanwhile, starts cackling like the psychopath he is.

“Tie him up,” I tell Jonathan. “We’ll dump him back on his employer’s doorstep.”

“Is that wise?”

I shake my head. “Not really.”

He shrugs and sets to trussing up Sergei, who doesn’t give much of a fight. He’s pretty beat up and out of it at this point, which is good.

I know I just made a serious enemy right there. Sergei is not going to let this go, no matter what happens. I’m just making myself more work for the future.

I just can’t help myself. That fucking bastard was going to talk about hurting Sydney, and that just can’t be allowed.

It’s strange, feeling this powerful sense of protectiveness. I’d do anything to keep Sydney safe, I realize, including hurting this mafia guy pretty fucking badly. It doesn’t matter that he’ll come after me in the future, as long as she’s going to be safe.

My mind finally drifts over to what just happened between me and her as I go into the kitchen. I get a drink of water and stare out the back window.

Sydney drives me insane. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking, bringing her out into the hall like that, but it was one of the hottest things I’ve ever done. The fucking thrill of possibly being caught by her mother drives me absolutely fucking insane. I can still feel the desire pulsing through me, begging to take her, needing to get another taste. It’s crazy and there’s blood on my knuckles, but I still want her.

I wash my hands off as Jonathan and Ryan drag Sergei out of the room and out the front door. I hesitate in the kitchen.

We’re going to drive his ass out to Evan’s house and dump him right on his front step. I’m going to ring the goddamn bell and hopefully wake up his whole fucking family. Maybe they’ll see the monster that he’s becoming and do something about him before it’s too late.

But it’s more likely he’ll just get more aggressive. I can’t help it, though. Maybe pushing him will force him to make a mistake, or maybe it won’t. I walk down the hall and pause, looking up the stairs.

Sydney is standing at the top of the steps, looking down at me, a worried expression. She comes halfway down the stairs and I meet her in the middle.

“What’s happening?” she asks, whispering.

“Don’t worry. It’s under control.”

“Who were those men? Was that guy... dead?”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “But he should be. And those other men are working for me.”

“Working for you?” She touches my face. “What’s happening?”

“I hired some men to watch over us.” I take her hand in mine. “You’re safe. Go to bed.” I kiss her softly on the lips.

“Okay,” she says. “Just, be careful.”

I grin at her. “I always am.”

She hesitates then turns and heads back upstairs. I watch as she disappears into her room.

I don’t know what I’m going to do about her still, but more and more of me doesn’t want to do a thing. More and more I want to throw myself into whatever relationship is starting to build between us, because it feels right.

And in this life, I don’t know how many right things I’m going to get. I’ve lived hard and fast for a long time. Even my job is a way to walk that line between death and life. I’ve wanted to dwell in that risky space, to feel that total rush as I defied the odds time and time again, but suddenly I’m not sure I want to keep going there.

Sydney feels like risk enough. I’m suddenly worried that if I push myself too hard, I’ll lose Sydney. Worse, I’ll hurt her. I’m not sure what any of this means. I’ve never once in my life considered changing my ways just because it was dangerous.

I used to want the danger. Now, I don’t know what I want.

I head down the steps and follow the guys outside, still confused, but following through with my plans.