5

Nick

Navigating through multiple screens on my computer, I review the blueprints for Operation Frostbite one last time. Weapons, routes, contacts—all have to align perfectly. There’s no room for error; not when the Feds and rival gangs are breathing down our necks. This deal will solidify our power, give us the edge we so desperately need.

I light a cigar, savoring the first drag. Someone has to have brains in this damn organization, and that falls on me. Damon’s good with muscle; Alessandro with money. But strategy—that’s my game.

But then I get a stupid cryptic message again.

Ice melts

Same cryptic bullshit, different day. I’ve changed my number twice now, but these texts keep coming through. Damon keeps dismissing it as scammers, but this doesn’t feel like any scam I’ve encountered.

I put down my cigar and pick up the phone, contemplating whether to show this to Alessandro and Damon. The timing is terrible, right when Operation Frostbite is on the line. But then again, could this message be related to that? Could someone on the inside be trying to tip us off or threaten us?

Tossing the phone on my desk, I lean back, raking my hands through my hair. I’ve got a potential snitch, an operation teetering on a knife’s edge, and a nanny all tangled up in this mess. My gut tells me they’re all connected.

Fuck it, time to face this myself. Starting with this new nanny.

I grab my coat and head for the door. If there’s a weak link in this operation, I need to find it and eliminate it. This new nanny, Emily, is as good a place to start as any. She’s the outsider, the unknown variable in an equation that’s already too complicated.

I stop in front of her door. For a moment, I consider knocking, doing this the polite way. But courtesy hasn’t gotten me anywhere in life. I turn the handle and push the door open.

She’s there, looking surprised but not scared. Good. I don’t like it when people crumble.

“We need to talk,” I say, locking eyes with her. “Now.”

“Why don’t you guys ever knock?” She shoots back, clearly irritated.

The corner of my mouth lifts in a knowing smirk. Probably Alessandro, that bastard never was one for pleasantries. “Maybe we like to keep you on your toes,” I retort, “but enough about that, we have more important things to discuss.”

The shift in tone captures her attention. Whatever jest was in her eyes vanishes, replaced by a glint of concern. “Alright,” she says, “I’m listening.”

I step further into the room, closing the door behind me with a soft click. “Sit,” I command, gesturing to the chair by her desk. She hesitates for a moment, as if weighing her options, before she takes a seat.

Circling around to the other side of the desk, I lean against it, crossing my arms over my chest. I lock eyes with her. “So, Emily, tell me about yourself.”

“I already went through the interviews,” she starts, clearly annoyed. “What’s this really about?”

I cut her off, my voice dropping an octave. “I’m not interested in what’s on your resume. I want to know what you’re made of, what you can handle. This job isn’t just about watching over a child. It’s about being part of a world most people don’t even know exists. Can you handle that?”

She gulps, her eyes widening a bit, but she doesn’t break eye contact. Good, she’s got guts.

“Can you handle the unexpected?” Without warning, I push myself off the desk and close the gap between us, standing just inches away from her. I can see her eyes flick down to my lips, and I can’t help but smirk. I lean in, my lips almost touching her ear. “Can you handle me?”

Her breath hitches, and I know I’ve got her right where I want her. She’s both intrigued and cautious—a dangerous but tantalizing combination. I pull back, still locking eyes with her.

“Can you handle all of us?”

She furrows her brows, clearly confused. “What do you mean by all of you?”

I let out a humorless laugh. “You’re not as clueless as you pretend to be, Emily. You know what kind of people we are. You’re not just working for me; you’re working for all of us. And that comes with certain expectations.”

Her eyes narrow in suspicion. “And what kind of expectations are those?”

I lean in again, my breath hot on her neck. “Absolute obedience,” I say softly, emphasizing each word. “Total discretion. No questions asked. Do you think you can handle that?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she finally says, her voice steady.

“Playing coy, are you? We both know you are not that naïve, Emily.” I lean so close I can smell her perfume.

“Sir, I really don’t—”

“Who did you text last, Emily?”

“That doesn’t concern you,” she replies with defiant eyes.

“Are you hiding something, Emily? Who do you work for?” I hold her by the chin and make her look up at me. Her lips part, as if she’s about to say something but decides against it. The warmth of her skin is a striking contrast to the coldness of my hands. It’s as if she’s the embodiment of everything that’s been missing from my life—warmth, innocence, vulnerability. But that makes her dangerous too, dangerously tempting.

Her eyes widen, clearly confused. “Sir, I really don’t understand what you mean by all of this, but you can look at my phone. Here you go.”

I grab the phone and quickly scroll through her messages, stopping at the last one—a conversation with someone named Kelly. Flower emojis decorate the thread. My finger hovers over the screen as I read the messages. She wrote this to Kelly, “Fine, they’re kind of... hot. But that doesn’t change the fact they scare me a little.”

I smirk.

“So, you find us ‘intense’? ‘Scary but also...hot’?” I look up to meet her eyes, which are a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

“Those messages are private.”

“You handed me the phone. So, who’s Kelly?”

“Kelly’s my sister.”

“Is that right? What does your sister have to do with this?”

“Nothing,” Emily fires back defensively. “She’s just my sister. Look, I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but I don’t appreciate being interrogated like this.”

“I’m just trying to get to the bottom of these cryptic messages we’ve been receiving,” I say, my voice low and serious. “And you seem like the only outsider in this organization who could be connected to it.”

Emily hesitates for a moment, clearly calculating her next move. “Look, I don’t know anything about those messages. I barely know anyone here. All I’m trying to do is take care of the kid and get paid.”

I step closer to Emily, close enough I can feel her breath quicken. “Taking care of the kid and doing your job also means obeying me,” I say, my voice dropping an octave.

“What happens if I don’t?” She challenges. I love the fierce ones.

“Do you know, Emily,” I start, brushing her hair away from her face so I can see her clearly, “what happened to Ayla’s father?”

She stammers, “N-no.”

“You wouldn’t want to know.” I smirk, letting the implications hang in the air. Just as I’m about to continue, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

I don’t break eye contact as I pull it out. Holding her gaze, I swipe to answer. “What is it?” My voice is curt, not wanting to break the tension between Emily and me for any longer than necessary.

It’s Alex.

“Something’s gone sideways,” Alex says, his voice tinged with urgency. “We might have a problem with Operation Frostbite.”

I grind my teeth, feeling my pulse quicken. “What kind of problem?”

“A security breach. We’ve been compromised. Might be an inside job. Go see Travis.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment I glance away from Emily, my mind racing. Could she be involved? No, it doesn’t add up. She’s been with me this whole time.

And her body language tells me she is not lying.

“I’ll deal with it,” I say, hanging up the phone.

Turning my full attention back to Emily, I pocket the device. “Look, Emily. You deserve to know what you’re getting into. You should’ve already understood you’re not working with normal people.”

Her brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“You’re at risk, Emily.” I watch her eyes dart between mine, searching for the truth in my words.

“Risk from what?” Her voice trembles, but she’s holding her ground. Brave.

I pause, letting the tension build, before I continue: “From danger. From us. From our enemies. But don’t worry. We’ll protect you, and the kid. No one can hurt you here. As long as you don’t betray us.”

My eyes travel down to her lips, then back to her eyes. In that instant, I imagine what those lips would feel like pressedagainst mine. How her body would react to my touch. The thought makes my heart pound, but I keep my face stoic.

“Is that clear, Emily?”

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. “Crystal clear,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. I can see fear in the depths of her eyes now, but also a steely resolve. She’s not afraid to take risks, to put herself on the line for the sake of what’s right.

“Good,” I say, and I step back from her, giving her space to breathe. “Now, about that security breach. I need you to help me figure out who’s behind it.”

Emily looks at me skeptically. “Me? How?”

“You’re our best chance of figuring out where the leak is coming from,” I explain. “You have access to information the rest of us don’t have. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, anything that doesn’t add up, I need you to report it immediately. Can you do that?”

She hesitates but nods. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good girl,” I say, flashing a rare smile. She’s flushed, her cheeks painted a soft, rosy hue, and I can’t help but find it fucking adorable. But it’s more than that. Despite the danger, despite everything, she’s standing here, willing to play the game. Willing to help us. And that’s more than intriguing; it’s a fucking revelation.

Without another word, I walk out, leaving her in a room that suddenly feels too small to contain the energy between us.

God knows I what I wanted to do to her. To teach her true obedience. I’d teach her what it meant, alright, and I’d relish every damn second of it.

But I need to focus on the task at hand. The breach in security needs to be handled immediately. We can’t afford to let anything slip through the cracks. As I enter the control room, I’m greeted by the usual chaos of beeping screens and frantic techs trying to fix everything at once.

“Report,” I bark at Travis, who’s hunched over a monitor.

“We’ve traced the breach to a computer belonging to one of our agents,” he says, his eyes never leaving the screen.

I feel a knot form in my stomach. We trusted these people with our lives, and now it seems that trust was misplaced.

“Who is it?” My voice is low and gravely.

“Grace,” Travis says after a moment.

“Grace,” I repeat, disbelief in my voice. “How could she do this?”

“She was in charge of maintaining communication with one of our contacts,” Travis explains. “We believe she was leaking intel to them.”

Grace. Isn’t she the one who found Emily for us? A cold knot forms in my stomach. If Grace is compromised, what does that mean for the new nanny? For Ayla? Everything could be at risk.