Page 43 of Until The Stars Don't Shine

“Thanks, Boy. I’m good now.”

Bud chuffed as if to say “no problem” when a loud klaxon sounded from his phone, forcing the sleep away.

“Down,” he commanded. Bud jumped off immediately as Kane sat up. Grabbing his phone, he checked the screen.

One of his new alarms on the Rockefellers’ property had been tripped.

This wasn’t of immediate concern. Sensors had been placed all around the estate, which could easily have been tripped by one of the coyotes that roamed the hills at night. His men would check the alarm and let him know if there was more to it.

But this did mean that it was time to get up in case he had to head over there. Tossing off the covers, he padded to the small shower room: there was nothing like a cold shower to really wake a man up.

Ten minutes later, he was dressed, his Keurig going when he received a message from Stan, his second-in-command that simply said:Sorry to wake you Kane, but you need to get over here. Everyone is safe, but there has been an incident.

Stan was very capable of handling things on his own, so the very fact that he was requesting his presence meant only one thing: their threat was back.

Grabbing a meal he’d already prepared for Bud, the two tore out of the trailer. He gunned it toward the estate, getting there in record time thanks to the late hour. At almost 3am, most of the city was asleep. Picking up on his concern, Bud sat quietly beside him, yawning occasionally as he waited for his command.

As the streets blurred past, images of Lexi snuck into his mind. He saw her as he’d first met her frightened yet brave. His mind flashed back to the dog shelter, to the care and patience she’d shown to the dogs — even the one who had attacked her. He saw her staring dreamily at him as they had kissed on the beach… and the devastated look she had given when he’d pulled away.

He couldn’t have handled things worse if he’d tried.

The last thing he wanted was to hurt her yet how could he explain what the problem was?

There were a million reasons he shouldn’t have kissed her, not least because he had crossed a professional line. What had he been thinking?

He hadn’t been, that was the problem.

She wasn’t the kind of woman he could sleep with then leave when things inevitably turned sour. She was his client. Hell, technically, she was his boss. What a bad example to set for Johnny.

But that kiss…

For those few seconds the rest of the world had faded away, leaving only the two of them. He had forgotten himself and more importantly, the mental scars that always flitted on the edges of his mind. They squatted there, waiting for any moment where he’d forget himself and then they would strike.

But for that blissful moment, he had been whole.

He shook off the thought, took a sip from the travel mug of coffee he’d brought with him and focused on the drive. Less than an hour later, when he screeched up to the front door, one of his men was already waiting for him.

Stan had been with the company since its inception and was one of Wilson’s best. At fifty, he still had the athletic build of a man half his age which he attributed to the healthy LA lifestyle he had adopted.

Stan drank a green protein shake for breakfast and ate a Keto diet the rest of the time. When he wasn’t running marathons, he was pushing weights and sparring in a ring. The man was as solid as they came and not prone to drama, so the concerned look that furrowed his brow was worrisome.

“They’re all fine,” Stan began before he could even ask. “A sensor was tripped on the property.”

“Where?” Kane’s eyes took in everything, looking for suspicious activity.

“Nowhere near the house. Along the perimeter, at the spot you found before.”

“So, our perp is back?”

Stan nodded. “Though something must have tipped them off, as by the time I’d gotten out there, they had gone. But that’s not all. They’d left a bunch of climbing gear. Things you could pick up at any Walmart.”

“They’re cheap then. Don’t have much money. I’m not happy that he or she seems to be advancing whatever their plan is.”

“We’ve already combed the footage recorded tonight. They’re not on any of the cameras.”

“At least they didn’t make it onto the grounds. I need to do a quick check on the clients then I’ll be back with you.”

He entered the house, hurrying to Lexi’s room. Bud’s nails clipped on the Spanish tiles that decorated the floor. He knew he should speak to her parents first, but his instincts insisted that she be seen first.

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