Stoking the Fire (Salus Security #1) - Teodora Kostova Page 0,55

son may be way off.”

Alec’s dark eyes are pure steel; his chin juts out in defiance.

The urge to kiss him is thrumming in my veins, like a powerful maelstrom I have no control over.

I clear my throat. “What’s your point, Alec?” I ask, resigned. I really need another cup of coffee before I can deal with this.

“I need to get you out of New York for a while. Until things settle down.”

“What? No!” I step around him, walking to the window and gazing out at the city I love. “I have shit to do, Alec. My PhD program is not going to just pause until it’s convenient for me to resume it. It’s not Netflix.”

“Your summer vacation starts next week,” he reminds me.

“Fuck, I still haven’t finished grading papers,” I mutter to myself, my anxiety spiking. I have about ten more papers to grade and take back to Professor Cohen before my summer break can actually begin. “I can’t leave Evie,” I say, the urgency I feel translating into my voice. “She’s due to have surgery next week, and I can’t just pack my bags and leave her.” He pushes away from the counter and stalks toward me. I continue, the words coming out faster and more panicked. “And what about the rest of my family? My mother? Dad? Why are they staying here if it’s too unsafe for me? Evie will be in recovery after the surgery. She’ll be defenseless—”

Strong hands on my shoulders stop the flow of words as effectively as a gag would have.

“Breathe,” he says softly. “Calm down, Zach. It’ll be fine.”

I shake my head in denial, but I feel my anxiety ebb. My heart rate slows after a few deep breaths, but I still count backwards from five in my mind, like Dr. Simmons taught me.

“I’m doubling the security in the building. Evie will be as safe here as she could possibly be. If she needs to leave for any doctor’s appointments, she’ll be escorted by Felix and, if needed, another security detail.” Alec’s voice is low and gentle, tingling me in all the right places. “Your mother has agreed to stay put for a few weeks, and your father…” Alec sighs, his hands sliding down my arms to rest at his sides. “I can’t reason with him about his own safety. He will have another personal bodyguard at all times when he leaves this building, and we’re putting more people in all offices. But he nearly bit my head off when I suggested he work from home for a few weeks.”

I bite my lip against a smile. “I totally get the frustration you’re feeling right now. Trust me.”

Alec smiles gently at me. “Better?”

“I guess.” I shrug. “Where would we go?”

“I have a house in Vermont that is secure. Nobody will find us there.”

“What if we’re followed?”

Alec cups my cheek, but then changes his mind, and his hand drops down by his side. “I’ll make sure we won’t be. And you’ll leave your phone here. I’ll get you a burner for emergencies. You can take your laptop to work, but no internet access.”

I take a deep breath, count to three, and then let it out. “I need to go to my studio to pick up some things, and come back here to talk to Evie. And my dad if he’s here. I have questions, and I think he owes me answers.”

Chapter twenty-two

“Something isn’t right,” I say as I slide the key in the lock. It won’t go all the way in. It’s never happened before. I wiggle it, and it manages to go all the way in, but when I try to turn it, it won’t budge.

“Get behind me,” Alec growls, already reaching for his gun.

He tries the handle. The door swings open.

“You saw me locking it when we were last here, right?” I whisper.

Alec nods jerkily, then pushes the door all the way and walks inside, gun raised.

“Clear,” he says after a few seconds.

I walk in, and my heart sinks. The place is trashed—coffee table overturned, papers and books strewn everywhere; the bed is a mess, the mattress skewed in an awkward angle. Plates, cutlery, and glasses are thrown uncaringly on the floor, most of them broken.

My eyes fill with tears.

Alec’s still checking for the intruder, opening the bathroom door, then the closet, but all I can do is lean against the counter and bury my face in my hands.

The crash comes out of nowhere. One moment, I’m standing there, crying and feeling sorry