bullshit. Anyway, let’s talk business.”
Craig was tempted to say he’d call back, but he knew Dominic wouldn’t appreciate it. “You said you had a job in mind.”
“I do, but at the moment the details are still sketchy. You’d be working for me in Seattle with Quinn and possible two more. I can’t tell you much more than that, until I’ve finalized the details. Would you be interested?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?” Dominic sounded surprised. “Isn’t it something you want to talk about with Louis?”
“Louis wants me to stay in Seattle, and I don’t want to be his head of security or some other made up bullshit job.”
Dominic laughed. “Understood. Okay, talk to me next week. Is there anything else?”
“Yeah, I think it’s time to wind down security on Louis.”
“I agree. There’s been no further attempt on Louis. If he’s going to be at the club or with you, I think we can limit it to usual security at the club. We’ll pull back end of day tomorrow.”
“He’ll be pleased.”
“Jace won’t. He was looking forward to going on vacation with you to the mountains.”
“We haven’t even discussed that yet,” Craig protested.
“I’ll let you tell him.”
Craig growled as he disconnected the call and went in search of his boy.
Louis looked up from the tablet on his desk. “Hi there, how did your calls go?”
Craig walked quickly over to the desk, tugged Louis to his feet and took him into his arms, kissing him hard. “I think it’s the start of something special.”
“Great. Going to tell me what?”
Craig didn’t have a chance to say a word before the door from the club opened. He frowned as a young man walked in. Who the hell was this?
“Carter? What are you doing here?” Louis asked, looking as surprised and wary as Craig.
Carter? Craig knew that name. Where did he know that name? A light went on. Dan Carter? One of the employees complicit in the assault? How the hell had he gotten past security and just waltzed into Louis’s office? Where was the team?
The young man shifted from foot to foot, but he looked Louis in the eye. “We need to talk.”
“Sure,” Louis said, but he sounded uncertain.
“How did you get in here?” Craig snapped.
Carter shrugged.
Craig was about to demand Carter answer him, when Louis laid a hand on his arm.
“Could you get coffee?”
“I’m not leaving you alone with him,” Craig insisted.
Louis squeezed his shoulder. “Just organize the coffee. I’ll be fine. He wasn’t the one who hurt me.”
“I’ll be back in one minute.”
He scowled at Carter. The man better not try to hurt his boy. Craig would kill him. As he passed Carter, Craig pressed a button on his watch, knowing it would alert his team, and CCTV was running in the office.
He didn’t see Carter pull the gun, or the blow that knocked him out.
Chapter 15
Louis
“Stay where you are,” Carter snarled and turned the Sig Sauer on Louis.
But Louis ignored him, dropping to his knees to be next to Craig, who was out cold.
“I said don’t move,” Dan yelled, pointing the gun at him.
“Shoot me if you insist,” Louis said, trying to stop his voice shaking, “but I’m going to check on Craig.”
Louis felt Craig’s pulse at his neck, relieved to find it was strong and steady under his fingertips. Carter had just knocked him out.
“He’ll be fine. For now.”
Louis shivered at Carter’s menacing tone, but he didn’t take his eyes off Craig, stroking his cheek along the bruise blooming where Carter had hit him. His Daddy was unnaturally still. Louis wanted to throw himself into Craig’s arms, but instead he was the one who had to be strong. He knew if he called for Jace or Doug, Carter wouldn’t hesitate to shoot them.
Louis still couldn’t get his head around the fact that this sweet boy had been the one to hurt him. He’d been the one to employ Carter, and had taken a personal interest in his training. He remembered Carter’s interview. Even under the shyness and inexperience, Louis thought he’d seen in Carter a hint of the way Louis had been at the beginning. His judgement had been crap.
He licked his lips and forced himself to ask questions, anything to get more information. “You were the one who arranged for me to beaten.”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
“You’re getting in the way of my family.”
Louis furrowed his brow. He remembered Carter talking about his mom and his sister with affection, but as far as he was aware, he’d never met them. “What have I ever done to you or