Page 80 of Corrupted Empire

But she’s not wrong. At least here, there is a bevy of guards, security systems, and cameras. If someone attacks the mansion, backup can arrive in as little as five minutes. If I send her to a safe house, she will only be safe as long as nobody knows where she is.

“Fine,” I say. “But if anything goes down, you need to follow my instructions to a tee. Understand?”

“Yes.” She nods with soldier-like intensity. “I know how this works.”

“Good.”

A long second passes between us, and I nearly say more. I nearly say that I don’t know what I would do if something happened to her, and that it would drive me wild with grief. I nearly say even more than that.

But then Alexis swallows and sits forward in her chair, and the opportunity is gone. “You came back late last night.”

It’s neither a question nor an accusation, just a statement.

I nod. “The Irish set a bomb off in one of our warehouses. I was on the scene until late.”

“That’s horrible,” Alexis says, eyes widening.

“It’s not uncommon for them,” I tell her.

“Was everyone okay?”

I think of the soot-blackened faces, the wide, staring eyes. I shake my head. “No. Three dead.”

I watch as the coating of shock and horror on Alexis’ face drip away to reveal the anger underneath. She understands me now, perhaps more than she ever has before.

“We will make them pay, Alexis,” I assure her.

We. I like referring to us as awe. I can tell Alexis likes it too because there is a dash of pride in her eyes when she nods.

“I have something to tell you,” she says. “Ruby Flint came to see me at the office yesterday.”

I bristle at the very mention of the woman’s name.

“If she’s harassing you…” I begin, but Alexis shakes her head.

“She tried to get me to flip,” Alexis says. “She painted a beautiful picture. Me and the two babies, out in a little house in the countryside somewhere, far away from all the blood and lies.”

For a second, the image appeals to me too. I picture Alexis safe, with Harry and his sibling chasing butterflies, sunlight gilding waving fields of wheat. But Alexis is right. The safest place for her is by my side.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I said?” Alexis prods a second later.

I’m surprised to find that trusting Alexis has become so second nature that I hadn’t even considered her flipping as a possibility.

“You said no,” I reply. “I trust you, Alexis.”

She looks fully awake now, blinking at me somewhat in surprise but also in appreciation. Her generous mouth curves, and she leans across the desk, planting a soft kiss on my lips. I capture her face in my hands and hold her there. I kiss her back slowly. My thumbs stroke over her cheeks, and I bask in the warmth of the moment.

When Alexis pulls away, her eyes sparkle. She sits back down and drums on the top of my desk.

“I’ve got more news,” she says.

I sit back and gesture for her to continue.

“I went ahead and did a little more digging into Ruby’s debt at the Stardust Casino,” she says. “Her creditor is a man called Thomas O’Shea. I think you’re probably familiar with him. He’s related to Kevin Lynch.”

“He is,” I say, nodding. I’m impressed by her research. “He was friendlier with the Walshes than he ever was with Lynch, but they do business together.”

“So, what should we do?” Alexis asks.

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