Page 26 of Witness Protection

Her father had entrusted her care to him, when no other man would do. That responsibility meant a lot to Hawk. The Morenov patriarch had saved him, given him a second chance at life.

He didn’t deserve the honor. Vasily should have looked the other way.

****

Cayden hadn’t been out to this end of the city in ages. He owned a few properties, but this one was the shittiest of them all. He bought the abandoned warehouse eight years ago to use as his headquarters when he was hired for a series of elaborate hits. He’d transformed the basement into a makeshift apartment, and he’d lived there for months. He still came by once in a while when he needed to ghost for a few days.

Before heading on the highway, he’d blindfolded Sophia. He didn’t need her knowing any more about him than she did. His home had already been infiltrated and knowing that prick had been in his personal space rubbed him wrong. He still wasn’t sure how he’d been tracked. Vasily’s right-hand man was next on his shit list. He’d kill the bastard for free, just for putting him through this runaround.

He pulled up to the warehouse, the gravel drive crunching under his tires as he did a slow crawl. No sign of intruders, no cars, no life for miles. Many of the small square window panels had been broken, the big, industrial building an eyesore with the cityscape in the distance.

Cayden cut the engine and walked around to the passenger side.

Last time he came here, Frank Almeida had been alive. Now he was babysitting the daughter of his murderer. If there was a woman he should hate, it was Sophia Morenov.

Randy had been right, of course. This bitch wouldn’t think twice about signing his death warrant. She’d probably been dreaming about it since witnessing her father’s death. But that wasn’t his fucking problem—an eye for an eye worked just fine for him.

“Get out.”

She touched her blindfold. “Can I take this off?”

“No, leave it on.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She stumbled on the uneven drive, letting out little gasps each time she thought she might fall.

He liked to fly solo, and this dead weight had not been a part of his plan. Maybe he should make a fucking statement and send lover boy one of her fingers each week. That would put him in his place. Hawk wouldn’t want his prize once Cayden fucked her up enough.

He unlocked the door and turned off the security system, punching in his code before locking the door again. The main level was littered with old lumber and broken machinery. Even squatters would find another place to sleep after looking at this shithole. He imagined it was once a thriving factory, but now it was just a relic from a time long past.

The lone door at the back led to the basement and his private domain. He unlocked the door, this one more heavily fortified, and flicked on the lights. Cayden led her down the narrow staircase, and she wrapped herself around his arm in fear of falling. When they got to the bottom, he tugged off her blindfold. Nothing in the basement would give away their location. And she wasn’t going anywhere.

He pointed to the sofa, then proceeded to take off his jacket and toss it on the coffee table. All his equipment was covered in a thick layer of dust. He grabbed a rag and swiped it over his monitors, computers, and surveillance gear.

Cayden looked around the bachelor pad. Everything was as he left it. There was a mini fridge, bed, sofa, and every other comfort he needed for an extended stakeout. He leaned over the keyboard, booting up his systems.

“Where are we?”

He turned his head. “Far from home, little girl.”

She narrowed her eyes, and he went back to his work. Maybe the Morenov family would pay for her return. He could turn an inconvenience into a payday. He’d need the added funds to get himself set up somewhere new. His basement apartment in the heart of the city had been home for years. It was in the middle of his stomping grounds and being forced out now that his identity was public didn’t sit well with him.

“Why am I still alive? Hawk said you wanted me dead.”

He sat in his office chair and twirled around to face her. Cayden leaned over, his elbows resting on his knees. “You’re brave,” he said. “But not too bright. You shouldn’t be putting ideas in my head.”

“Is it money you want?”

He smirked. “Sorry, princess, but you can’t buy your way out of this one.”

“Everyone wants something. Do you plan to keep me here forever?”

Cayden shrugged. “Maybe. That’s really up to you and Hawk, isn’t it?”

“You were worried about me going to the cops. I’m not a civilian. I’ve lived my life around crime,” she said. “I know how to keep my mouth shut.”

He reached around and hit a few keys to reveal the security in his apartment. After rewinding to the first intrusion, he hit play. Several large screens above him showed Hawk lounging on his sofa, petting his cat, then rummaging through his personal shit.

“It’s too late for any of that, sweetheart. Thank your boy for that.”

She watched the footage, her lips parted. Sophia cringed when Hawk punched a hole in his drywall.

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