Page 99 of The Innovator

This was why I loved them.

“Thanks.”

“Is Natalie okay?”Forrest asked.

“Yeah, she’s sleeping. How did you know I was there?”

“An anonymous text message with the location and a blueprint of the building,” Remi said.

“Me too,” I replied. “He told me to go alone. So he knew help was coming.”

Remi pursed his lips, thinking.“Someone’s aiding us.”

“We have to be careful. We don’t know who this guy is. Maybe he’s trying to deter us from something else.” Arrow drank from a water bottle.

“There was a guy watching the building burn. Did you see him when you arrived?” I looked at Royce and Forrest.

“I didn’t see anyone,” Royce said.

“Neither did I.”

Remi crossed his arms. “This guy had to know we were friends.”

He also had to know me and my relationship with Natalie. Who was he? “We’re being monitored.”

We spent the next hour discussing how we could protect our loved ones. Because this could be the work of The Trogyn. Maybe they finally discovered something about our drone recordings. We weren’t sure, but we didn’t want to risk our women and our families.

The more I spoke with them, the more I suspected something was going on with the man I saw that night. Did hewantme to see him?

I decided to take a leave of absence from my company, deferring everything to my team. They had never failed me, and I had to trust them again.

I relayed information about Derek to my friends regarding The Trogyn. We all agreed this crime organization would eventually come after us, so we’d cut off their limbs one at a time. It would take our collaboration and careful steps to succeed.

What wealthy men hated most was losing money. Money meant power and status. Some people lived for only those things. We had to attack from that angle. So, though I didn’t know these members, I knew one way they made their money—elite clubs. And if my friends and I could start destroying pieces of that colossal conglomeration, it would eventually fall.

“You get some rest. We’ll do some research on the various clubs around the world and catch up soon.”

“Forrest, I need to consult with you on a medical matter.”

Forrest remained on the screen after the other guys logged off. “What’s up?”

I described a plan that needed his medical expertise. “I don’t advise you to do that, but I understand your situation. As a doctor, my vote is no. As your friend, I’ll leave that up to your discretion.”

Forrest didn’t know I’d already decided. Getting his medical opinion was just extra caution.

After our conversation, I compiled an email listing all the tasks for the management team. I’d want weekly updates, but I’d only chime in on urgent matters. Otherwise my focus was on two things: Natalie and the crime organization who wanted to sell her.

I went into the bedroom to check on Natalie. She stirred, opened her eyes, saw me, and pushed herself up. “Hi.”

“You should go back to sleep, get some rest.” I gathered her into my arms.

“I was so scared I’d never see you again.” She placed a hand on my heart. “I love you, Grayson.”

My heart jolted and then swelled, filling my chest with so much warmth I didn’t know what to do or say. I tightened my arms around her and kissed her head.

I knew that Ishouldsay those sacred words to her, but I couldn’t. My words would make her happy now, but it would only make the situation worse later. I had a plan, and I had to stick to it. So I sealed my lips and embraced her, rocking her back and forth like a baby.

“I want you to rest. No more thinking about anything, okay? Youmatterto me more than you know, and it hurts to see you injured. I want to kill every last one of those dogs.”

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