The night air was heavy when I stepped outside the Everett's' house.
My phone was still warm in my hand from the last call. The message had been clear enough. Whoever was circling Ellie wasn't acting on a whim.
They wanted information, and in my world, questions like that always had sharp teeth behind them.
Black Donovan, my grandfather, had built our family empire with both of his hands.
One is clean, while the other one is dirty.
As the appointed heir from my generation, I'd inherited both when my father, Edward Donovan, passed me the reins. Most days, I carried it without hesitation.
But tonight, with her in the line of fire, this empire felt like a curse.
"Sir," Marcus, my head of security, called as he approached. His expression was grim, his voice pitched low. "That car tonight was unmarked, and the plates were fake. But our contact says someone's been sniffing around the docks, asking about you and about her."
My jaw tightened. "Her." Even hearing it out loud burned me. "Do they know her name?"
Marcus hesitated. "Not yet. But it won't take them long to get all the information."
I turned away, running a hand over my face. "Damn it," he said.
His Ellie had nothing to do with this world, nothing. She deserved Sunday mornings at the cafe, teaching kids in her mother's classroom, but never in the shadows of my family's dealings.
And yet, I'd let myself cross a line with her, I'd let myself want her.
How selfish could I be?
I could still see the fear in her eyes tonight, the way her body trembled when I touched her shoulders. That image alone carved something dangerous into me, an oath I couldn't undo.
"Double the surveillance around her house," I ordered, my voice sharper now.
"Unmarked cars only. I don't want her or her mother to be alarmed. Only a quiet protection, do you understand?" Marcus nodded. "How about at the estate?"
"She'll be moving in," I said. The decision left no room for any argument.
"Tighten the perimeter. Make sure to run background checks on all staff, no one in or out without my approval."
Marcus studied me carefully. "Sir, this woman, she means something to you, doesn't she?"
For a moment, I didn't answer. Then I let out a breath, heavy and unguarded. "More than she should."
Silence stretched between us, broken only by the distant hum of traffic. Finally, Marcus gave a tight nod. "Then we'll keep her safe. No matter what."
As he left to relay the orders, I stood there under the weight of the night, staring out at the horizon.
The Donovan's were no strangers to enemies. Even I had made peace with blood and shadows long ago, but now, the thought of Ellie being pulled into these shadows felt unbearable to me.
If they wanted her name, they would have to go through me first, and I would make damn sure they regretted it.
My phone buzzed again, this time with a message from an unknown number.
It's only a one line message.
"How much is her worth to you?"