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The next morning Bast sat in his desk chair and prepared for a long-overdue confrontation. When he got the call, he cleared an hour off his schedule. He couldn't afford the time, but this had to happen. He owed his friend this much.

Wade didn't bother to sit down. He stood ramrod straight and perfectly still on the other side of the desk. Looking every bit of the formidable opponent and man who once kept Jarrett's clients in line through intimidation, he stared Bast down.

“How long have we known each other?” No fanfare or buildup. Wade launched right into the topic that clearly had him in its grip.

“I'm guessing this is the talk.”

“She's my baby sister.”

“I know.” Bast didn't have siblings, but he got it. Wade spent his life protecting Kyra. Getting her out of her father's life and helping her when she'd allow it. They shared a bond and a joint life experience Bast would never understand. “Did Becca tell you?”

Wade's eyes narrowed. “She knows?”

“She figured it out early.”

“I don't want to know how.” Wade wiped a hand over his mouth. “What are you doing with Kyra?”

Bast couldn't spell it out. There were some things a brother didn't need to know about his sister's sex life. But her safety was a different issue. “She's staying at my house, with me, because of the Natalie situation. I wanted Kyra close to make sure she's safe.”

“Hold up.” Wade's voice turned deadly quiet. Filled with a vibrating fury. “She's living with you?”

That's what he got for assuming Wade had worked through all the facts. Bast wanted to kick his own ass over the fumbling delivery. “It just happened.”

“This just gets better and better.”

“She's there for now and for however long she needs to be.” The words didn't sound right to Bast's ears. Didn't sit right inside of him. They made her sound temporary. His brain said that was the right answer but for once he wanted to turn that side of him off.

“She can move in to my place.” Wade held up a hand. “Done.”

“I want her with me.” The truth in five simple words. Bast had tried to fight it, but there it was. “I'm not fooling around with her safety and her staying with me is not up for debate.”

“I'm going to let the whole issuing-demands thing slide for a second.”

Bast fought the urge to stand up. He grabbed onto the armrests and dug in for leverage. Having Wade looming right there came off as a power play. Bast guessed that's what Wade was going for and pretended not to buy into it.

“I'm not backing down on this.” Keeping her close meant everything—his sanity, his happiness—and Bast would not forfeit that. Not yet. The day would come, probably too soon, where he needed to let her go and finish finding out who she was and what she wanted. He'd prepare for that day later. Not now.

Wade finally moved. Put his hands on his hips but kept his laser-like focus directed on Bast. “What's the plan here?”

“I don't a hundred percent know.”

“That's not comforting.”

But it was the truth and Bast didn't have anything else to offer at that moment. “I'm trying to be honest.”

“Is she in love with you?” Wade kept staring, intense and still.

Bast shifted in his chair and stopped when he realized his actions bordered on squirming. The topic had anxiety welling in his chest. A churning and winding he tried to loosen with deep breaths. “You'd have to ask her.”

“I'm asking you, Bast.”

He had no idea how to put his feelings into words. He barely knew how to deal with any of what happened over the last two weeks, and had screwed up so much over the last few days. So he went with the one thing he knew to be fact. “This isn't a game for me and it's not casual.”

“But it started out that way.”

Despite what the Royer siblings thought, some things should remain private. “Do you really want to know the details of my personal relationship with your sister?”

“I want to know you're not fucking around with her.” Wade's voice increased until he yelled the last two words. “Because, despite the fact I consider you a friend, I will kill you if you hurt her.”

“That's fair.”

“And?”

“I care about her.” Bast forced his fingers to unclench from the armrests. The tension running through him tightened every muscle. “I know I'm the wrong guy for her but—”

“Why?” The expression on Wade's face matched the confusion in his voice.

“What?”

“Why are you wrong for her?”

The list spanned pages. She deserved younger, more available, less burdened. Hell, he was surprised Wade wasn't standing there reading off the cons and calling him a dirty old man.

Bast went with the most obvious. “My history.”

“Come on.” Wade shook his head. “Fuck, Bast. If you think that matters, spend some time in my family tree. It will scare the hell out of you.”

“You and Kyra are not your father.”

“Her father. I'm not blood-related to the man.” Wade hesitated. He looked ready to say something but it took more than a few seconds to spit it out. “I thought you'd be worried that her background didn't match yours. That she wouldn't fit in your world.”

“I don't care about that.” Bast was shocked Wade thought it might. Fact was the whole “right family” bullshit never registered with Bast. Never would.

“Then what are you talking about?”

Wade sounded like his sister. They both wrote off the concerns about his reputation and his past, and Bast didn't understand why. “I keep thinking she'd be happier with some guy from business school.”

“My sister tends to know what she wants. I'm not totally sure why she wants you or when that started, but trying to push her off on some random guy is just plain stupid. And, unless I'm reading the look on your face wrong, you don't want her with anyone else.”

“I can't tell what you want me to do here.” Bast's cell buzzed on his desk but he ignored it. This was too important. “Not that I'm going to blindly follow, because I'm not.”

Wade's shoulders fell as he exhaled. “Don't hurt her and we'll be fine.”

No death threats. No “find someone else” warnings. Just a normal man-to-man statement that suggested Wade gave his blessing. “That's good enough for you?”

“I don't like the idea of any guy sleeping with my sister.” Wade made a hissing sound as he visibly shivered. “But at least with you I know what she's getting.”

“Which is?” Bast had to ask because he honestly wasn't sure what Kyra got out of this deal other than his sometimes surly attitude and constant confusion and doubt.

“Someone I can tolerate.”

“Thanks.” With Wade, Bast figured that was as good as he'd ever get. It qualified as acceptance and Bast didn't downplay how important that was.

“I'll still kill you if you fuck this up.”

As far as Bast could tell he'd have to stand in line behind Becca and Jarrett. “Understood.”

“I'll go.”

Bast waited until Wade almost reached the door. “About Eli.”

“Not a topic that's on the table.” But Wade turned around. Walked back to the desk. Listened without storming off.

He didn't look open to a long conversation, so Bast planted the seed fast. “So, you just wanted to try a preacher's son and move on?”

“What are you talking about?”

Just as Bast suspected. Eli didn't share. “His messed-up background. Almost makes yours seem normal.”

“How do you know—”

“Natalie filled me in.” Bast had seen the CIA file on Eli. The guy was such an easy mark for a clandestine organization. He had survival skills, no ties and a heap of anger that needed directing. “The guy was a minister who got kicked out of every legitimate church and took his message of hate on the road. I try to imagine Elijah living in a tent, listening to his father spout off on how gay people should be burned alive.”

“That's . . . okay, awful.” Wade closed his eyes for a second while he rubbed his forehead. “But at some point you grow up and put all of that bullshit aside.”

“I'm a pretty smart guy and my past impacts me every single day.” Bast eased back into his chair. “I can see where Eli can't shrug his off and go just be happy.”

“Are you matchmaking?”

“Just laying out some facts I thought you might want to know before you fully move on.” If everyone was going to mess around in
his
love life, Bast could return the favor.

“Easier said than done.”

“Maybe there's a reason it's so hard.”

When Bast's cell buzzed again Wade gestured toward it with a head nod. “Someone wants your attention.”

“Good job getting out of the conversation.” Bast first saw Eli's name on the screen. “Weird.”

“What?”

“A call from Eli.” And he wasn't the frantic type. If he kept calling then something was very wrong.

“Where is he?”

The facts clicked into place. The most important one flashed across Bast's brain and had him up and out of his chair. “At my house with Kyra.”

“I'll drive.” Wade was already headed for the door.

•   •   •

Kyra got to Bast's front door and entered the alarm code. Fumbling for the right key came next. Just as she got it out, she felt someone behind her. Bast would say her name. Eli would call out. No, this was someone who shouldn't be here.

Wrapping her fingers around her key, she spun around ready to attack. And scream. In this neighborhood a bone-chilling scream would stand out.

Her father's feral smile stopped her. “You've been ignoring my calls but it looks like you did very good, girl.”

His presence, so out of context, threw her off stride. She held on to the doorknob for balance as she glanced up and down the street. “What are you doing here?”

“Checking out your new digs.” He looked up the two stories of Bast's town house and whistled. “Fancy. Lots of money in this part of town.”

‘How did you know I moved in?” He couldn't know. She'd only just packed a bag.

Her father turned and pointed toward the beat-up black sedan in the street. Kyra didn't know the man leaning against the door but the face of the woman standing next to him chilled her.

“Your friend Gena.” Her father nodded. “Lovely girl. Very loyal to you.”

It couldn't be. They met at the apartment complex. Shared meals and talked about men. There was no way Gena worked for her dad. “I don't understand.”

“She wouldn't give up any information on you.” Her father's smile turned feral and sick. “And I asked so nicely, too.”

Fear washed through Kyra. The thought of Gena as collateral damage had Kyra struggling to find her cell. “What did you do to her?”

“Calm down, girl.” He pointed a few blocks down to where Gena stood, being held by some man. “She's fine.”

Gen rushed forward and the man let her go. “Kyra, please understand. I didn't know he was following me.”

“Your work is done, so shut up.” Her father motioned for the man to move over and block Gena's view.

“Let her go.” Kyra fought to keep the shaking out of her voice. “Right now.”

“You don't issue orders, but if you let me in she can just wait out here on the sidewalk, nice and safe.” Her father leaned in. “It's either that or I'll make a scene right here on your new boyfriend's front porch. We both know that will mess up your cozy setup and get you kicked out. A man like Sebastian Jameson has had enough bad press without you adding more.”

Still reeling and her emotions in a whirl, Kyra could barely keep on her feet. Her world spun around her and she wanted to throw up.

But she had to get him out of there. “This isn't a setup.”

“I'm not complaining. You did nice this time.” Her father glanced down at the keys in her hand. “Now, open the door.”

“Gena, I'll be right back.” Kyra moved without thinking. Opened the door and brought the filth right into Bast's entryway. Her stomach lurched with each step but she had to focus. Had to think.

She turned around. The move put her body in front of her father's and kept him from roaming through the impressive downstairs rooms. “Bast isn't part of a scam.”

“I always said if you concentrated and used some of those gifts God gave you, you'd do some fine work.” Her father walked around the two-story entry and peeked up the staircase. “Look at this place.”

“I'm not working with you. I'm not conning Bast.” She repeated the refrain, her voice wobbling with anger.

“Calm down, girl.”

The front door opened with a click. A warning sounded on the alarm, but Eli punched in the code before walking over to stand between her and her father. “Kyra, are you okay?”

“Who's this?” Her father looked Eli up and down.

She tried to block the sound of his voice and concentrate on Eli. She didn't want him in the line of fire, but she knew what he did for a living and he would help her. “I'm fine.”

Eli's eyes narrowed. “That not what your friend outside said. She said you needed help in here.”

“You heard my girl. You can go.” Her father tilted his head, motioning toward the front door.

“I don't think so,” Eli said.

“I'm her father.”

Eli held his ground. If anything, he widened his stance, making his body seem even more formidable. “I know who you are.”

“Is she fucking you, too?”

Eli took a threatening step forward. “What is wrong with you?”

The maneuver worked because her father moved back. The back of his leg hit a small table by the coat closet. “This is family business.”

Kyra knew if she didn't put a stop to this, there would be a bloodbath and she would be at fault. She tried reasoning with the one man she knew who was totally immune. “You should go.”