Chapter Twenty
Malachi's POV
The cemetery had offered no comfort. It never did. But I stayed at Emily's grave until the groundskeeper's flashlight swept across the rows of headstones, a polite signal that visiting hours were over.
I didn't go home. Couldn't face that mansion. Couldn't sit through another dinner pretending to be civilized while plotting everyone's downfall.
Instead, I drove to the property on the edge of the city. The one no one knew about. Not Maurice. Not Grandfather. Not even the family accountants who thought they knew every asset under the Blackwood name.
It was a small estate.
I'd bought it three years ago, right before everything went to hell. Before Emily died. Before the fire that was supposed to kill me. It had been my escape plan. A place to disappear if things went wrong.
Things had gone wrong. But I'd survived anyway.
The house was dark when I arrived. I didn't bother turning on lights. Just dropped my keys on the counter and stood by the window, looking out at the overgrown garden.
Sleep didn't come easily. My mind kept circling back to Alicia. The way she'd looked at the café. The way she'd called me her brother-in-law, like those two words could somehow put distance between what we both felt.
By the time dawn broke, I'd given up on sleep entirely.
I walked through the garden as the sun rose, my feet crunching on gravel paths I'd neglected for too long. Weeds had taken over the flower beds. The fountain in the center had stopped working months ago.
Everything needed attention. Repair. Care.
Like me.
I thought about Emily. About the child I'd never met. About the three years I'd spent building an empire in Dark City, convincing myself that power and money could fill the hole they'd left.
It couldn't.
But maybe Alicia could.
The thought came unbidden, unwanted. I pushed it away. She wasn't a replacement. Wasn't a bandage for old wounds. She was something else entirely.
Something I hadn't expected.
Something dangerous.
I went inside and made breakfast. Eggs. Toast. Coffee strong enough to wake the dead. The domesticity of it felt strange. Out of place. I was more comfortable giving orders than cracking eggs.
But there was something calming about the routine. The simple act of feeding myself without servants hovering nearby.
After eating, I showered and dressed. Dark jeans. Black shirt. No need for the corporate armor today.
I had other business to attend to.
The drive to the outskirts of the city took forty minutes. The roads got rougher as I left the polished downtown behind, trading glass skyscrapers for warehouses and industrial complexes.
My base was hidden among them. To anyone passing by, it looked like another abandoned factory. Rusted gates. Broken windows. Keep Out signs that actually worked.
But inside, it was a different world.
I parked in the underground garage and took the elevator down three levels. The doors opened to reveal a sprawling operation. Armed men training in one section. Tech specialists monitoring screens in another. Supply routes mapped out on digital displays that covered entire walls.
This was my real empire. The one Grandfather knew nothing about.
"Boss!" Marcus, my second-in-command, approached immediately. "Wasn't expecting you today."
"Surprise inspection," I said, scanning the room. "Where's Maurice?"
"Handling things at the mansion. You said you wanted him to keep eyes on the family."
Right. I had.
"Status report," I ordered.
Marcus led me to the briefing room. Maps and surveillance photos covered the table. He pointed to several red marks on a city grid.
"We've had three attempted intercepts on our supply units in the past week. Different locations, but same pattern. They're testing our security."
"Who?"
"Small-time mafia trying to make a name for themselves. Nothing we can't handle."
"Handle it quietly," I said. "No bodies. No news coverage. Just make them disappear."
"Understood." Marcus hesitated. "There's something else."
"Spit it out."
"The Zhao family. We've spotted their people lurking around our operations. Not making moves yet. Just watching."
My jaw tightened. The Zhao family. Trained assassins and spies who'd been a thorn in my side for years. Our territories overlapped in Dark City, and they'd never forgiven me for expanding into what they considered their turf.
"How many?"
"At least four confirmed sightings. Could be more."
I walked to the window overlooking the training floor. My men moved through combat drills with precision. But the Zhao family didn't fight fair. They specialized in shadows and silence.
"Double our security. Rotate patrol schedules so they can't predict our movements. And Marcus?"
"Yes, boss?"
"Make sure we're not the first to throw arms. I want to know what they're planning before we respond."
"You think they're making a move?"
"The Zhao family doesn't show up for sightseeing. They're planning something."
Marcus nodded and left to implement the orders.
I pulled out my phone and called Mavis. He answered on the second ring, his voice groggy.
"Do you know what time it is?" he complained.
"Time for you to earn your salary. How's Dark City?"
"Boring without you here to terrorize people." I could hear him sitting up. "Business is good. Better than good. The new shipping routes are bringing in twice what we projected."
"And the competition?"
"Quiet. Too quiet. I don't like it."
"Neither do I. Keep your guard up."
"Always do." Mavis paused. "So, are you going to tell me what you're really doing in Silver Lake City? Because I know it's not just to play CEO for your unconscious brother."
I smiled. "Patience. I'm waiting for Mario's armor to slip."
"That old bastard? He's too careful."
"Everyone makes mistakes eventually."
"Speaking of mistakes," Mavis's tone shifted, "there's a rumor going around that you're interested in Travis's wife."
My grip on the phone tightened. "Who told you that?"
"No one had to tell me. I know you. And I'm telling you now, that's a dangerous game."
"I don't need your advice on this."
"Maybe not. But you're going to get it anyway. The Blackwood family will eat you alive if you go after your brother's wife. Grandfather will—"
"Grandfather will do what I tell him to do. Eventually."
Mavis was quiet for a moment. "You really care about her."
It wasn't a question.
"I need you to do something for me," I said, changing the subject. "Investigate Mario's son. Tyson. I want to know where he went after his banishment."
"Why?"
"Because people don't just disappear. Especially not Blackwoods with grudges."
"What did he do to get banished anyway?"
"I don't know. Grandfather won't talk about it."
"And you didn't ask?"
"Some secrets are better uncovered than asked for."
Mavis sighed. "Fine. I'll dig into it. But Malachi?"
"What?"
"Be careful. Whatever you're planning, it's going to blow up in your face if you're not smart about it."
"I'm always smart about it."
"That's what worries me."
The call ended, and I pocketed my phone.
Before leaving the base, I stopped by the armory. Checked inventory. Approved new weapon orders. Made sure everything was running smoothly in my absence.
By the time I left, it was mid-afternoon. I drove back into the city, my mind already shifting gears.
I needed to clear my head. Work off some energy.
The gym I used was private. Exclusive. The kind of place where discretion was guaranteed and questions weren't asked.
I changed into workout clothes and hit the weights. Push-ups. Pull-ups. Heavy bag work until my knuckles ached and my shirt was soaked with sweat.
The female assistant working the front desk kept staring. I could feel her eyes following me as I moved between equipment. She'd tried talking to me the last time I was here. Offered her number with a smile that promised more.
I'd ignored her then. I ignored her now.
Only one woman's attention mattered to me.
Alicia.
I wondered what she was doing. If she was handling the meetings okay. If she was thinking about me the way I couldn't stop thinking about her.
After an hour, I hit the showers. Let the hot water wash away the tension in my muscles but not the thoughts in my head.
When I dressed and left, the assistant tried one more time.
"See you next time, Mr. Blackwood?"
"Maybe."
I wouldn't.
The evening sky was turning orange and purple as I drove to Blackwood Enterprises. I parked in the executive section of the garage and leaned against my car, watching the elevator doors.
Waiting for her.
Employees trickled out. Some in groups, laughing about weekend plans. Others alone, exhausted from long days.
And then she appeared.
Alicia stepped out of the elevator, her bag over her shoulder, looking tired but beautiful. She scanned the garage, probably looking for her car.
Then her eyes found me.
I watched the emotions play across her face. Surprise. Confusion. And something else. Something that looked a lot like relief.
She tried to hide it. Walked toward me with careful steps, her expression guarded.
"Where were you?" she asked.
The concern in her voice made something warm spread through my chest.
"Missed me?"
"No. I just wondered why you weren't at work."
"Liar." I pushed off the car and closed the distance between us. "You missed me. I can see it in your eyes."
Her face flushed. "Don't say things like that. We're in a working area."
"So? I don't care who hears."
"Malachi—"
"Let me take you to dinner. To thank you for handling everything today. You worked hard."
She stared at me, clearly torn between what she wanted and what she thought she should do.
"Okay," she finally said.
I couldn't hide my smile. "Really? That was easier than I expected."
"I'm sore. And I don't want to deal with family drama tonight."
"Sure. That's the only reason."
"It is."
"Or maybe you just want to be in my presence."
Her pulse jumped visibly at her throat. "You're impossible."
"And you're adorable when you're flustered."
I opened the passenger door for her. She hesitated for only a second before getting in.
As I walked around to the driver's side, I couldn't stop smiling.
Tonight, she was mine.