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At that moment, Grant would take pleasure in dropping his head of security in a goddamnswamp.
“Did you ever help your father cleanup—”
“That’s enough,” Grantbarked.
“Mr.Thorne—”
“I won’t have her incriminating herself without a lawyer,” he cut Jake off. “There are certainly more details to be sifted through, but let’s focus on the issue at hand—the ROC has put a hit on Blaire and Liam because they don’t want the contents of the flash drive revealed and Orlov wants revenge for his son. That’s all they’re after, right, Blaire? Did you or Liam take anything else fromthem?”
There was hesitancy on Blaire’s face before she shook herhead.
Alarm ghosted over his instincts, but he ignored it for now, not wanting to upset the tenuous bond they were trying to re-forge. He turned to Jake. “Find out about the ROC, what their weaknesses are, who their business associates are. I’ve got billions at my disposal—useit.”
“I want to point something out,” Blaire spoke up. “We’re not simply talking bodyguards here, Grant. They were able to trace your phone lastnight.”
“I figured that,” Grant said, motioning to Tyler. “We’re upgrading our phone’s security with the highest encryptedchannels.”
“You’ll also have to review cyber security at your company.” Blaire chewed her bottom lip. “ROC is dealing with drugs, game fixing, and prostitution, but they’re increasingly employing hackers to hold company data hostage. They’re only going after small businesses for now, for protection money, a way to fund some of the gangs who are also their distributors.” Blaire shook her head from side to side as if weary and defeated. “The more I think about it, the more I wished I was back in my cabin inColorado.”
Grant glanced at her sharply. “Don’t turn chicken shit on me now,baby.”
For some reason, his woman smiled at hisprovocation.
“Mr. Thorne, as much as we want to keep everything under wraps, Ms. Callahan’s past with the ROC may, in some way, affect security for the senator. We need to alert his men about what’s goingon.”
“I know, Donovan,” Grant looked at Blaire and held out his hand. “Come here,Angel.”
When her hand curled into his, he gave it a tug to bring her close. “Should I call youPaulina?”
She grinned. “No, I’m used to Blaire. Liam and I agreed to use our new identities. The process the DEA used was similar to witnessprotection.”
Grant pressed a kiss against her temple. “It’s going to be okay. We’ll get throughthis.”
“I trust you,” she said, smiling up athim.
A twinge of unease pricked his chest. On this, he would agree with Donovan—he couldn’t procrastinate in informing his father about Blaire’s association to the Russian mafia. It would be selfish and dangerous should hedelay.
It could bedeadly.
15
Blaire
The airbetween Grant and me sizzled when our security team left us alone. The events of the previous night, and the relief that we came out of that alive, temporarily put our other issues on hold. But judging from the working muscle in Grant’s jaw, and the awareness needling my skin, my reprieve wasover.
I gave him a tentative smile, but his hewn expression was unflinching as he fixed his gaze onme.
“Had you always planned on leaving me?” Grantasked.
The truth was going to hurt, but lies would come out eventually. “I conditioned myself that we were temporary.” My voice faltered when Grant’s face morphed from stony to furious. He clenched his fists and I imagined them around myneck.
“Was any of this real?” he asked, his tone guttural. I stepped toward him but he backed away with distrust in his eyes. “Tell me, Blaire. Is this”—he pointed between us—“even realthen?”
“What do you think, Grant?” I whispered. His lips twisted into a sneer but I soldiered on. “The plan was to live in the moment, to be happy with whatever time we had, but then I started falling for you and I found myself aching for afuture.”
Surprise lifted the fury from his face to a certain degree. In its stead was wary hope. “Are you saying you feel something forme?”
“I fought hard against it,” I admitted. “Each day I was plagued by regret. I’d feel the high of being with you and then I’d feel despair knowing that any moment it could be rippedaway.”
