CHAPTER 4

The perimeter alarm beeped moments after Daron ended the call. He immediately grabbed his weapon, then snatched up a tablet from the counter. He glanced at the display screen and sighed, putting the Beretta back in place as he chuckled.

Cameron Stone kept him on his toes. She loved to test his security system for any weakness. Last week, she found and used a sensor that had been blocked by a branch to enter the property undetected, but he’d already installed a secondary one. Today, she managed to bypass the first two but wasn’t aware of the third one. Daron didn’t know if her actions were meant to keep him sharp or to make sure her skills stayed on point. Maybe a little of both.

He made his way from the basement workshop up the stairs to greet her. When she approached, he pulled open a steel door camouflaged by a layer of Cherrywood.

“Hey gorgeous.” Daron stared at her baggy workout pants and over-sized shirt. Not that she didn’t look beautiful, but he couldn’t wait until she changed into the clothing that accentuated her shape, and rocked those high heels he loved. His mind flashed back to the evening at the garage when she was ready to rumble with Marquise’s men, wearing one of his preferred outfits. Intense anger filled him as he thought how the incident ruined the remainder of his night.

She gave him a peck on the lips before sliding past him. “What’s that face for? Did one of your top candidates for the program get eliminated?” She slipped off her sneakers as he locked up. “Warden.”

Daron smiled, realizing he’d taken too long to respond but not missing the intentional use of the name associated with his illegal past. “Not yet.”

“Mmm.” Cameron’s eyes seemed to study his face again as she slung the backpack strap onto one shoulder. “Are we still meeting up with Calvin and Mia?”

“They rescheduled, but we’re leaving within the hour for our dinner date.”

“I’m good with that.” A slight smile curved her lips, then her expression darkened. “Should I come prepared?”

He stared into her eyes, hating the brown contacts covering the natural hazel color and her face altered to hide those adorable dimples. A reminder that, once again she was hiding in plain sight. “To have a good time?” he hedged.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.” She lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else.

Unfortunately, having developed a tracker that located a missing girl, working with Calvin on an invention worth billions, and taking a seat on The Castle’s board of directors didn’t bode well for Daron remaining under the radar. “Did anything else unusual happen besides your mom showing up asking you to look into your dad?”

“You don’t have to avoid my question.” She stepped into his path as he made his way to the basement. He felt the heat of her gaze lasered on him. “We’re a team, remember.”

“Yes, and we live a life where we always need to be ready for anything.” Daron kissed her forehead then turned her in the direction of the master bedroom.

Drawing attention to himself had also put a spotlight on her. When he met her under the alias of Tandria Jenkins, her hazel eyes were always on display, as well as her reddish-brown hair that skimmed the middle of her back. Now the hair was black and hidden under a sable wig unless they were at his hme and staying in all night.

“For a while, we weren’t,” Cameron pointed out in a solemn tone. “Not like this.”

His heart ached because their post-retirement bliss hadn’t lasted longer. Things hadn’t been the same since the day Tracy went missing and all the madness started. “Babe, take your shower.” He patted her round ass. Daron wished the answer could be different but until he was no longer working with Calvin, The Castle, and now the program, he was always expecting trouble. “I’ll be in my workshop.”

“I hope you picked a good restaurant for tonight,” Cameron said as she walked away.

Forty-five minutes later, Daron glanced back as Cameron quietly slid into the workroom wearing a peach spaghetti-strap dress that hugged her curves, eliciting some carnal and sensual thoughts. Daron smiled as her arms wrapped around his waist. Her breasts pressed against him as she placed her chin over his shoulder, giving him a squeeze.

“What are you working on?”

“A tattoo, in case a man doesn’t wear an earring.” Daron couldn’t say it was for Dro because Cameron knew nothing of The Castle or the eight men he was working with. “It would work similarly to the earring but it pulses if you accidentally activate the sensor.”

She picked up the schematics and the circuitry the tattoos required. “Where will the tattoo be worn?”

“On the inside of the wrist.” Daron admired the lion, with flames as the mane, centered inside three circles. Between the last two circles were nine spearheads. Simple yet stunning. “JD drew it for me.”

“Nice. I’ll give my cousin a hard time about that later since he claims he’s too busy to do anything for me.” She lowered herself onto a seat, then put the items back. “You need to rethink a couple of things. Maybe have a way it can be turned off and quickly turned back on in case of emergency.”

“Why? When it pulses, the person would just turn it off.” Daron flipped his wrist up to show the one he’d been testing.

“Because if I’m feeling frisky, push you onto a bed and hold you down by the wrist.” Cameron stood and grabbed his wrist, pinning it against the countertop.

The pulse was immediate and not only on his wrist.

She lowered those luscious lips to his, her tongue exploring the inside of his mouth. Her body skimmed his, electrifying his senses. Daron slid his free hand over her round ass, deepening the kiss. He pulled her into his chest as she attempted to move away. With one arm, he cleared some space before lifting her onto the tabletop. The cell’s alarm blared, reminding him it was time for them to leave.

She chuckled, her lips curled into a mischievous grin. “See, this time I don’t think your mind was on your tracker.”

Daron rested his forehead on hers. “Point taken.”

* * *

Forty minutes later, Daron and Cameron were at Mastro’s Steakhouse in the heart of Chicago sipping whiskey mules and waiting for the arrival of a Porterhouse steak and Lobster Tails. His cell chimed with an image of Levi. The picture was of a man no darker than a piece of toffee with piercing eyes and a nick in the left eyebrow. The same man who was across the room staring at him. The tattoos on both his arms peeked out from under the cuff of the crisp white shirt he wore.

“What’s wrong?” Cameron discreetly glanced over her shoulder.

“It seems I have a new admirer.” Daron watched as a muscular man, draped in an expensive light-blue suit, rose to his full six feet as two men at the tables near him did the same.

Levi motioned to his men to remain seated as he made his way to Daron’s table.

“Daron Kincaid, I’m Levi Diesel. I’ve seen you around the Morgan Park area,” Levi lied without missing a beat. “I thought I’d introduce myself.”

Daron shook the extended hand noticing the robot mechanism tattoo on the back of it and didn’t miss the way Levi angled his body to reveal the weapon under his jacket.

“Is this beautiful woman your wife?” Levi focused on Cameron with lust instantly flaring in his eyes. “I see we can’t be business partners because I already know I want what you have.”

Levi lifted Cameron’s hand from the table toward his mouth. Before it made contact, she snatched her hand back, giving an evil sneer that only seemed to draw Levi in more. “Dude, I don’t think so.” Cameron shot him an evil glare. “I only hang with men who have decorum, that was a classless move right there.”

Levi’s demeanor shifted from charming to combative.

“It’s time for you to return to your table.” Daron stood, towering over the man by three inches.

Levi leaned toward Daron and whispered, “Be prepared to lose everything.” He smiled, focusing on Cameron, who didn’t look away. “Pleasure meeting you, gorgeous.”