Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 53693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53693 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Kat nods at me, and we take a sharp turn toward the ice cream cart. Kat holds Lily’s hand tightly in hers as she orders a small cone with two scoops, and I have my hand firmly on the stroller. I look around us discreetly, sweeping the area for the man.
I text my bodyguard and Mario to come meet us. Usually, when I go to the park with Kat, I give them time off. I feel confident I can protect my family. But something niggles in the corner of my brain, and I need backup.
The two men approach us casually, pretending to be friends rather than paid employees. Lily lights up when she sees Mario. He’s often a reluctant participant in her various tea parties. To her, this is the best day ever. She’s got ice cream and her favorite babysitter.
To me, this is a scenario I’d hoped would never happen, but one I’d prepared for. I leave the two men with my wife and daughters, knowing no one will mess with the giant men. I jog out of the park and over to the penthouse, where I find that the place has been trashed.
The man in the park hadn’t been there to hurt us, he was watching us to make sure we weren’t home. And while we were gone, someone has broken into our home and robbed us of our security. I don’t know how this could have happened. Our building is supposed to be secured.
I call down to the security office, but it’s clear they’re all in a panic. Someone cut the feed on all of their monitors and set off multiple alarms throughout the building. This was a complex attack, orchestrated and coordinated to make sure that my family was targeted. I’ve dreaded this moment for years, knowing that one day Dimitri would go too far.
I text Kat to take the girls to the Plaza for tea. I have a few of my best men come over to sweep the place, and once we’re absolutely sure that there’s no one still in the penthouse, I have them start packing our things.
I walk over to the Plaza and book a suite for our family. I don’t know how long we’ll be staying, but I figure a week will at least give us enough time to figure out our next move. Perhaps it’s finally time to leave the city.
I find my girls sitting at a table, drinking tea with their pinkies up. Mario is sitting with them looking miserable, and my bodyguard stands by the exit, carefully watching everyone who comes in and out of the room. Kat looks up at me expectantly as I sit down, and Lily is absolutely buzzing with excitement.
“Daddy, daddy!” she screams. “This is the best day ever!”
Kat smiles down at our daughter with adoration while she rocks the stroller back and forth with one hand to ensure our twins stay awake. She is strength and grace under pressure. I don’t know how I got so lucky to have her, but I’m endlessly grateful for who she is.
“Well, bug, today is going to get even better,” I tell her in an overly animated voice. “Daddy booked you a room at the Plaza! We’re going to stay here for a few days.”
Lily’s excitement is palpable, she can’t even contain it. But rather than screaming in joy, she looks at her mom with wide eyes.
“Mommy,” she whispers reverently. “I’m going to be just like Eloise!”
Kat kisses her head sweetly and pulls her into a tight embrace. She looks up at me with concern in her eyes, and I gesture that I’ll tell her later.
The men come with our things, setting up our suite in a way that will make our girls the most comfortable. Lily plays for hours, delighted that all of her favorite toys have magically appeared at the Plaza. Kat watches her carefully, a guarded look on her face.
When we’re finally able to put the girls down for bed, she pulls me into our bedroom and fixes me with a look. “What the hell is going on?” she hisses. “It’s been torture not knowing.”
I put my hands on her shoulders to calm her, but she shakes me off in anger. I understand her frustration, but we both know we had to keep everything calm and normal for our daughters this afternoon.
“Someone broke into the penthouse,” I tell her as calmly as I can. “They trashed the place, but even worse, they attacked the security of the whole building to make it easier to sneak in.”
She looks at me with wide, fearful eyes, and nods. “It was my father,” she says, without a hint of a question.
She knows without me telling her. She’s seen the look of worry on my face over these last few weeks, and she’s figured it out.