“Someone high up,” he says. “They got to someone high up. Not the CEO of the company. He’s single. Has no loyalty to anyone but the Steels. We’re his paycheck. Uncle Bryce and I made sure of that years ago.”
“How long have you been using Monarch Security?”
“Forever. Your grandfather contracted them when I was just a baby. When I was threatened.”
My jaw drops. “What?”
“I don’t know the details, Brock. If I did, I’d tell you. There’s no use hiding any of this from you now. All I know is that when I was just an infant, someone threw a rock through the window of the main house, right into my nursery.”
My flesh goes numb. Someone threatened a child? A baby?
But why am I surprised? Whoever’s behind our current situation used an innocent baby to deliver drugs.
Dad continues, “My father got a state-of-the-art—for that time—security system, and he financed— Oh my God…”
“What?”
“He financed Monarch Security. Made sure they were always at the top of the heap of what’s going on in security. He fucking financed them, Brock. How could I have neglected to consider that?”
“You had a few other things on your mind. Are you saying our family owns the company?”
“No. It would be a lot simpler if we did. But we are their major client.”
“What does it matter, then?”
“My father. He had a lot of enemies. He—”
“What, Dad? For God’s sake, what?”
Dad pulls the car over to the side of the road and turns to me, his face stern.
“Brock, we have a problem.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
RORY
“Thank God,” Callie says under her breath once Sadie’s break is finally over and she has to go back to work.
First thing she does is bring our lunch.
She smiles. “It was positively fabulous talking to the two of you. I hope we can talk again sometime.”
I flash a smile, and I hope it looks sincere. “Sure.”
Callie doesn’t flash a smile. But that’s just Callie. She simply nods.
“Geez, Cal,” I say. “You might be a little nicer. After all, it’s my guy she’s after, not yours.”
“Your guy?” Callie lifts her eyebrows.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what the hell he’s feeling. But…”
“I know. You can’t help who you fall for.”
“It’s ridiculous. I’ve got an amazing bisexual woman who’s interested in me, and I’m hung up on an alpha Steel guy.”
“It’s kind of cool, when you think about it,” Callie says.