Chapter 4: Black Forge

Roman answered on the second ring.

“Where is he?”

There was a short pause on the other end. “Good morning to you too, again.”

“Roman.”

“I’m listening.”

“Where is Cass?”

He paused, then sighed. “Didn’t he just leave your apartment?”

Okay, that was a fair question.

“Why are you saying I shouldn’t see my brother?”

“Should ask Cass, Soph.”

“You people are really bad at answering simple questions.” I muttered, throwing myself on the couch.

“We’re actually very good at answering them. We’re just choosing not to answer yours.”

I stared at the wall. “That’s not making me feel better.”

“It wasn’t supposed to.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Roman, I’m going to see my brother.”

“You really shouldn’t.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“I’m not asking permission. I haven’t seen Ethan since the shooting, and now you’re telling me I can’t see my own brother without explaining why?”

“I’m telling you that right now isn’t a good time.”

“That’s not an explanation.”

“It’s the one I have.”

I got to my feet again because sitting still while Roman casually told me what I could and couldn’t do was making my blood pressure rise. “You showed up at my apartment this morning, told me yesterday wasn’t random, gave me your number because apparently I’m now part of something I know nothing about, and then you tell me I can’t see my brother. You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Sophia.”

“No. Don’t Sophia me.”

He sighed. “Your brother isn’t the problem.”

“Then what is?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Fine. Then I’m seeing him.”

“You really are stubborn.”

“I prefer determined.”

“I’ll tell Cass.”

“Tell him whatever you want.”

I ended the call before he could say anything else. I didn't like how easily everyone else seemed to know what was happening while I was the only person standing in the dark.

For the next few hours, I tried to work from home, which was harder than it sounded when every few minutes my mind wandered back to the shooting, Roman’s warning and the fact that my boyfriend, who apparently wasn’t technically my boyfriend because we’d never had that conversation, had somehow acquired a small army of men who seemed to think keeping me alive was part of their job description. The only good part about this whole thing was that I’d stopped worrying about Victor’s files. I had my own problems that didn’t involve getting in the nerves of a client.

By one o’clock, I was standing in my kitchen making another cup of coffee when someone knocked. This time I knew exactly who it was. I opened the door and found Ethan standing there with his hands in his jacket pockets. Why he couldn’t just use his key was beyond me. I just filed it as him thinking I’d freak out after what happened.

He looked at me for a second before stepping inside. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He looked over my shoulder. “You sure?”

“Yes.”

He came farther into the apartment, and I closed the door behind him. “You could’ve called.”

“I did.”

“We could’ve done this over the phone then.”

He smiled. “Being your brother.”

“That’s not a job.”

“It is when you’re you.”

I rolled my eyes and walked toward the kitchen. “Do you want coffee?”

“Sure.”

I grabbed another mug and filled it. Ethan leaned against the counter, watching me in that way he had when he wanted to ask something but was trying to decide how to word it.

I handed him the mug. “What?”

“What?”

“You’re doing that thing.”

“What thing?”

“The thing where you stare at me like you’re waiting for me to confess to something.”

He laughed. “I heard about yesterday.”

“Apparently.”

His smile faded slightly. “Sophia.”

“I’m fine.”

“I know you keep saying that.”

“Because I am.”

He looked down at his coffee. “Who was the guy with you?”

I paused. “What guy?”

“The one people said was with you yesterday.”

Who are these people? Someone from the next building?

I frowned. “They saw Cass?”

“Cass?”

I stared at him.

He blinked. “That’s his name?”

I slowly set my cup down. “Who told you about any of this? I left Cass at my office yesterday after he saved me. Was there someone else at my office?”

He looked away. “A police friend told me.”

That was enough to make me suspicious. “You have a police friend?”

He ignored my question. “What exactly do you know about Cass?”

“Nothing.”

“Sophia.”

“I said nothing.” I shrugged. “Who is your police friend?”

“No one.”

I folded my arms. “You’re terrible at lying.”

He laughed, but it sounded forced. “And you’re terrible at minding your own business.”

“I’m starting to think that’s a family trait.”

Before he could answer, someone knocked on the door. Ethan glanced toward it. I walked over and opened it.

Brianna stood there holding a bottle of tequila in one hand and a bag of ice in the other. Monica stood beside her with two bottles of something else tucked under her arm.

Brianna pushed past me before I could say hello. “You got shot at and didn’t call me?”

“I didn’t get shot.”

“That is not the point.”

Monica walked in behind her and looked at Ethan. “Hi.”

“Hey.”

Brianna put the tequila on the kitchen counter. “We heard what happened.”

I closed the door. “How?”

“People talk.”

I stared at her.

She shrugged. “Apparently faster than you do.”

Monica set the other bottles down. “We came to check on you.”

“And drink my alcohol.”

Brianna looked offended. “Your alcohol?”

“I know you. What you brought is not nearly enough.”

“Exactly. Which is why you should appreciate me bringing more.”

I laughed despite myself.

Ethan shook his head. “I’ll leave you girls to it.”

“Good idea,” Brianna said.

He looked at her. “Nice seeing you too.”

“You too.”

He walked toward the door, but before he reached it, I stopped him. “Where are you going?”

“I have somewhere to be.”

“You just got here.”

“I’ll come back later.”

I frowned. “Why?”

He hesitated for half a second “I said I’d come back.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

He smiled. “You worry too much.” He opened the door.

“Ethan.”

He looked back.

“Be careful.”

His expression changed for just a second before he nodded. “Always.”

Then he left.

I closed the door and turned around.

Brianna was already staring at me.

“What?”

She pointed toward the window. “There’s two hot men outside your building.”

I walked toward the window. “What?”

“Two very hot men,” she repeated. “Something about security.”

Monica joined us, pushing the curtain aside slightly. “They look familiar.”

“From where?”

“I don’t know.”

Brianna glanced at her. “You remember hot men but not where you saw them?”

“I remember faces.”

I looked through the gap in the curtain.

Two men stood across the street near a black SUV. One had a tool box. He was tall and broad, wearing a black vest over a dark shirt. The other stood beside him, slightly leaner, his attention moving between the street, the building and the people walking past. Neither looked like they were waiting for a bus.

Brianna leaned closer to the window. “They’re definitely not here for the scenery.”

Monica nodded. “I swear I’ve seen them somewhere.”

I let the curtain fall. “Maybe they’re cops.”

Brianna turned around. “Cops don’t usually look that good.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You’re welcome.”

We opened the tequila.

An hour later, the bottle was already missing a respectable amount, and Brianna had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be angry with me.

She was sitting on my couch with one leg tucked underneath her, explaining why she thought the taller man outside had been staring at her when someone knocked on my door again.

We all stopped.

I looked at Monica.

Monica looked at Brianna.

Brianna lowered her glass. “If that’s one of those hot men, I’m answering.”

“I’m answering my own door.”

She sighed. “Fine.”

I walked over and opened it.

The two men from outside stood in the hallway.

Up close, they were even more intimidating.

The taller one looked at me first. His expression was unreadable as his eyes moved briefly over the apartment behind me before returning to my face. The other man stood slightly behind him, his attention already moving past my shoulder.

Neither looked surprised to see the alcohol.

I looked from one to the other. “Can I help you?”

The taller man nodded. “I’m Jax.”

The other man gave me a brief look. “Dante.”

I stared at them.

Neither name meant anything to me.

“Okay,” I said slowly. “And who are you?”

Jax looked at me. “We’re here to do surveillance.”

I frowned. “I didn’t call for surveillance.”

“No.”

“Then why are you here?”

Dante looked past me again.

His eyes landed on Brianna. She was now standing near the kitchen, her glass in her hand. For the first time since they’d arrived, Dante’s expression changed. It wasn’t much. Just a slight narrowing of his eyes. Jax noticed him too.

I looked between all three men. “What?”

Dante didn’t answer.

Monica did. “They’re Black Forge."