Comfort at Home

ZANE

We were finally back home. The screech of the plane’s tires against the runway jolted me awake. Shay, however, was still sleeping so peacefully that I didn’t want to wake her.

I slid out of bed and made my way to the main cabin where everyone was gathered. They all looked up as I walked in.

“Boss, you look like you’ve been through the wringer,” Noah teased. “I get that you’ve had a rough time, but man, you could at least change out of that dirty, tear-stained shirt.”

I yanked him out of his chair and put him in a headlock. “What was that, wise guy?”

He wriggled free and knocked my legs out from under me. We both hit the floor, laughing. I let him go, shoved him off me, and got back up.

“You’re improving. Seems like all that training with Conner is paying off. I’ll have to stop going easy on you,” I said, giving him a friendly smack on the arm.

He punched me back. “It’s easier to learn when you’re not breathing down my neck, pointing out every mistake. I can figure things out on my own.”

Luca, flanked by four men on each side, looked up from his seat. “You think you’ve won, don’t you? The men at the house were just a fraction of my crew.

“When they find out what happened, they’ll come looking for me. And when they attack, it’ll be worse than World War II.

“If you manage to escape your property alive, they’ll hunt you down one by one until you’re all dead.”

Conner shot him a glare. “Why would you think that? Your guys couldn’t even get in, except for one—and he’ll be dealt with soon.”

Luca’s laugh sent a chill down my spine. “Are you really that naive, Conner? When your boss and his lady disappeared, you and your men immediately sprang into action.

“I’m sure my men are doing the same right now. They haven’t heard from me for a few hours, and none of my main contacts have checked in.

“They get nervous when I don’t check in at least once a day, and I haven’t made contact today.”

I stared at his smug smile and turned to Noah. “Strip him. Make sure he doesn’t have any devices on him. Burn his clothes and run a scanner over him. He might have a tracker implanted.”

“Smart move, Zane. You’re sharper than I thought. I don’t hide my trackers in my clothes; they’re inside me. You’re about to have a war on your hands now that they know exactly where I am.”

I crouched down to meet his gaze.

“I’ll dig out every single one of them with the dullest knife I can find. You think getting shot in the knee was bad? That’s nothing compared to what’s coming.

“You’re going to suffer like no one ever has before. I’ll make sure your death is slow and excruciating. When I rip your heart out with my bare hands, you’ll be alive just long enough to see it beat one last time.

“I haven’t had a good, long torture session in a while. My hands have been itching for it, and now I have the perfect excuse.”

Luca’s eyes widened. He quickly masked his fear, but I knew it was there, lurking in the back of his mind. I stood up, grabbed a strip of duct tape, and covered his mouth.

I signaled to my men as the plane came to a stop and the door opened. They hauled him off and took him to a waiting vehicle, which would transport him to his cell.

“Noah, have the doctor remove the bullet. Don’t give him any drugs; I want him to feel everything. The only time he gets put under is if the doctor has no other choice. Got it?”

He grinned as he looked out the door. “Sure thing, boss. Where do you want him? The house or the warehouse?”

“Put him in the cells at the house. That way, the doctor is close by to patch him up after we’re done with him. I figure he’ll survive maybe three days max with what we’re going to put him through.

“The cells are soundproof, so he can scream all he wants. No one will hear him.”

Conner stepped up to me. “What about what he said? If his men have tracked him here, they’ll come with everything they’ve got.

“We need to make sure our security is airtight. The first thing they’ll go after is Shay—you know that. She’s your weak spot.

“They’ll exploit that to get their boss back and make you bow to their demands.”

I scratched my chin and glanced back at the bedroom.

“She’s going to hate me for this, but install a palm scanner on our room. Set it so that if we have to lock the room down, only the three of us can access it.

“Leave her print out of it when it’s in emergency mode, so she can’t open the door and is safely locked in. Also, make sure it can’t be tampered with or hacked.

“You’re the best at this, so make sure it’s done within the next two hours. Install them on your and Noah’s rooms too, so she can lock herself in if she needs to get to safety quickly.”

He nodded and disembarked from the plane. I leaned against the wall, my head hanging between my arms.

I took a deep breath, thinking about everything that could happen in the next few days. I couldn’t let anyone hurt her again.

I had promised her that, and it was a promise I intended to keep until my last breath. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, pushed off the wall, and went to wake her up.

I opened the door slowly. She was still there, sleeping peacefully. I walked over to the bed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I promise you, love, you’ll never be hurt again. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll protect you. You’re carrying a piece of me inside you, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you both safe.”

I gently slid my hands under her, lifting her slightly. She stirred as I cradled her against my chest. I pressed a kiss to her forehead, looking down at the woman who had completely transformed my life.

I knew I had to do everything possible to keep us all safe. Her eyes fluttered open and I smiled at her, her face angelic. “Did you have a good nap, love?”

“Yes, I did. Are we home already?” she asked, glancing around.

My heart swelled as she referred to this place as home. “Yes, we had to make sure the plane was secure and that he was nowhere in sight before we could get you off. He’s gone now—you’ll never have to see him again.

“I need to talk to you about something,” I said, settling down on the bench with her in my lap.

She sat up, her gaze meeting mine. Those beautiful eyes I’d come to love were searching mine. “What’s wrong? You sound upset.”

I gently caressed her face, leaning in to kiss her softly. “There are going to be some changes around the house. I need you to listen closely and promise not to get mad at me.”

I explained the modifications Conner was making to the rooms, how they would function, and what we might expect from Luca’s men.

She looked away from me. “I know you’re doing this to protect us, Zane, and I understand why.

“If things are going to get that bad when his men come, I want the baby and me to be safe. I don’t want you to worry about us. Are the windows bulletproof in case someone tries to get in that way?”

“The entire house is virtually impenetrable. All the windows are bulletproof and the house itself is built like a bomb shelter.

“Even if a bomb were to go off, it would only damage a small area, not the whole house. The material is integrated into the structure of the house, so it can withstand a major attack.

“I’ve never had to test it, and I hope I never will.

“Please, stay close to me, Conner, Noah, or your bodyguards. Don’t go anywhere alone anymore.”

She turned her gaze back to me, her eyes filled with worry and sadness. I kissed her lightly on the lips.

“I promise. I have to think about both of us now.” She placed a hand on her stomach, and I covered it with mine.

“You two are my world now. I want you to be safe, no matter what. Please, be careful, for me. Follow my instructions on this. If you do, nothing bad will happen to you.”

I lifted her into my arms again, carrying her to the car to head back to the house. I sat in the front seat, keeping her in my lap.

I wasn’t going to let her out of my arms unless absolutely necessary. She was my everything, and I was determined to make sure she knew it.