Chapter Twenty-Six
Malachi's POV
The security monitors in my room had become my obsession.
I'd spent the better part of the evening watching camera feeds, waiting for her to return. Maurice had reported that she'd left the lawyer's office hours ago, but she hadn't come home. She was avoiding the mansion. Avoiding me.
Smart girl.
But not smart enough.
At nine-forty-five, Maurice's car finally pulled through the gates. I watched her get out, clutching her bag close to her body like it contained state secrets. Her face was different. Lighter somehow. Like a weight had been lifted.
The lawyer had given her something. Papers, probably. Some tangible proof that her nightmare was ending.
I tracked her movement through the cameras. Front door. Main hallway. Heading toward the stairs.
I checked my watch. Timed it perfectly.
Then I left my room and positioned myself in the darkened third-floor hallway. Right where her path would take her.
I heard her footsteps before I saw her. Eager to reach the safety of her room.
I stepped out at exactly the right moment.
She collided with me, her body hitting mine. Soft. Warm. Perfect.
My hands went to her arms automatically, steadying her. Her bag fell, and papers scattered across the floor like snow.
"Careful," I said, keeping my voice low.
She tensed immediately. Recognized my voice. "Malachi."
I could smell her perfume. Something light and floral. It made me want to bury my face in her neck and breathe her in.
But first, I needed to see what she'd been hiding.
I bent down, gathering the papers. Even in the dim light, the words were clear.
LEGAL SEPARATION AGREEMENT.
Between Alicia Blackwood and Travis Blackwood.
Satisfaction rolled through me like thunder. She'd actually done it. Filed the papers. Started the process of leaving him.
Of becoming free.
Of becoming mine.
I stood slowly, reading the document. Her signature at the bottom. Today's date. Everything official and legal.
"Separation papers," I said quietly, letting the words hang between us.
"Give those back." She reached for them, but I held them just out of reach. I wanted to savor this moment. This proof that she was done with Travis.
"You went to a lawyer today."
"That's none of your business."
Wrong. Everything about her was my business. Every decision she made, every step she took toward freedom, it all mattered to me.
"Everything about you is my business, Alicia." I kept reading, noting that she wasn't asking for any money. Any assets. She just wanted out. "You're leaving him."
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
A problem? It was the best news I'd heard in years.
I looked at her. Really looked at her. Even in the darkness, I could see the determination in her eyes. The strength it must have taken to walk into that office and sign those papers.
She was magnificent.
"No. Not a problem at all."
I handed the papers back, watching as she quickly shoved them into her bag like they might disappear if she didn't protect them.
"Congratulations," I said, and I meant it. "On your upcoming freedom."
"Thank you."
Now came the part she wouldn't like. "You'll want to start packing."
Confusion crossed her face. "What?"
"Packing. For the trip."
"What trip?"
I smiled. "Check your email. Goodnight, Alicia. Sleep well."
I walked past her, fighting the urge to turn around. To pin her against the wall and kiss her until she understood that her freedom from Travis meant something very specific.
It meant she could be mine.
Back in my room, I pulled up the security feed again. Watched her rush into her bedroom. Saw her open her laptop, the light from the screen illuminating her face as she read the email.
The mandatory conference notice. Three days in Dark City. Just the two of us, essentially. The other employees would be there, but they'd be busy with their own assignments. Their own schedules.
Alicia would be with me. Morning, noon, and night.
My phone buzzed with a text.
Alicia: I can't attend the conference. I'm not feeling well.
I laughed. She was panicking. Good. It meant she knew what three days alone with me would mean.
Malachi: I just saw you in the hallway. You seemed perfectly fine.
Alicia: It just came on. I think I'm getting sick.
Malachi: Then you have two weeks to recover. The conference isn't until November 3rd. You'll be fine by then.
Alicia: Malachi, please. I really can't go to Dark City.
I paused at that message. There was something in those words. Something beyond simple reluctance. This wasn't about avoiding me. This was about the place itself.
Dark City.
What had happened to her there?
Malachi: Why not?
I waited. Watched her typing bubble appear and disappear three times on the screen.
Alicia: I just can't.
Not good enough. If she had a real reason, she'd tell me. This was avoidance. Fear. Something I could work with.
Malachi: Not good enough. You're coming. That's final.
I set the phone down and switched back to the camera feed. She'd thrown her phone on the bed and was pressing her hands to her face. Even through the grainy footage, I could see her distress.
Part of me felt guilty. But a larger part knew this was necessary. She'd spend her whole life running if I let her. Running from pain. From memories. From anything that might hurt her.
But I wouldn't let her run from me.
She changed into her nightgown, and I forced myself to look away. That felt too intimate. Too much like a violation, even for me.
I needed to make a call anyway.
I dialed Dante. He answered on the fourth ring, music thumping in the background.
"Malachi! Didn't expect to hear from you tonight. What's up?"
"I need you in Dark City."
The music cut off abruptly. "When?"
"Two weeks. There's a business conference. I'll be there for three days."
"And you need me because...?"
"The Zhao family. Zhao Wei specifically. He's been making moves, and I need to know what he's planning. You still have contacts in Dark City, right?"
"Yeah, a few. You want me to dig around?"
"More than that. I want you there. We'll handle the conference during the day, and at night, we'll handle the Zhao problem."
Dante was quiet for a moment. "Killing two birds with one stone."
"Exactly."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with your brother's wife, would it?"
I smiled. "Maybe."
"Jesus, Malachi. You're bringing her to Dark City while planning to deal with a rival crime family? That's not just dangerous. That's insane."
"She'll be at the conference events. Safe. Surrounded by people. She won't know anything about the other business."
"And if something goes wrong? If the Zhao family makes a move while she's there?"
"Then I'll handle it. I always do."
Dante sighed heavily. "Fine. I'll be there. But you owe me. This is way above my usual pay grade."
"I'll make it worth your while. Book a room at the Grand Meridian. Same hotel as the conference."
"Fancy. Must be nice to have Blackwood money."
"It has its advantages."
We talked for a few more minutes about logistics. About who else we'd need in Dark City. About contingency plans if things went sideways with the Zhao family.
By the time we hung up, I felt better. More in control.
I pulled up the security feed one last time before bed. Alicia was asleep, one hand pressed against her hip. Even in sleep, she looked troubled. Like whatever demons haunted her weren't giving her any peace.
I made a mental note to have Maurice dig into her past. Her childhood. I needed to know what I was dealing with.
But even knowing she was afraid, I didn't change my mind. She was coming with me. We both needed this trip. For different reasons, maybe, but we needed it.
The morning of the trip, I woke early. Dressed in comfortable clothes for travel. Black jeans. Gray sweater. Nothing too formal.
I supervised Maurice as he loaded my bags into the car. The bus for the other employees was already there, people boarding with excited chatter.
I'd specifically instructed Maurice to tell Alicia she'd be riding with me. Wanted to see her face when she realized she couldn't hide in that bus. Couldn't put physical distance between us.
She appeared in the doorway, dressed simply but beautifully. Her hair was down, falling in waves over her shoulders. No makeup. She looked young. Vulnerable.
Mine.
I watched her walk toward the bus. Watched Maurice stop her. Watched the realization cross her face.
She turned and looked at me across the driveway. Even from this distance, I could see the dread in her eyes.
"Problem?" I called out, unable to help myself.
She didn't answer. Just walked to my car with slow, reluctant steps. Each one probably feeling like a march toward something she couldn't escape.
When she reached the car, she paused at the passenger door.
"Get in, Alicia."
She did. Settled into the seat and immediately turned to look out the window. Building walls between us with silence.
Maurice finished loading the last bag and closed the trunk. "Everything's ready, sir."
"Thank you, Maurice. You're taking the bus with the others?"
"Yes, sir. I'll meet you at the hotel."
I got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and I pulled out of the driveway.
The bus followed behind us, keeping pace for the first few miles before I accelerated and left them behind. Three hours to Dark City. Three hours alone with her.
"You can relax," I said after we'd been driving for twenty minutes. "I'm not going to attack you."
She didn't respond. Just kept staring out the window like the passing scenery was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen.