My Boss Is My Stalker's Twin

CHAPTER 5: DON'T MOVE

Nobody moves.

Nico stands in the doorway like he owns it. Gun steady. Eyes bright. The kind of bright that isn't sane.

Kieran is in front of me. Still. Controlled.

"Put it down, Nico," Kieran said. Voice flat. No panic.

Nico smiled.

"Not yet."

His eyes found mine over Kieran's shoulder.

"You look scared, Mara."

I wasn't scared.

I was furious.

Two years. Two years of running, hiding, changing my name, checking locks twice, sleeping with the lights on.

And he was smiling.

"You broke into a penthouse," I said. "With a gun."

Nico shrugged.

"Dad owns the building."

Of course he did.

Kieran took one slow step forward.

"Nico."

"Don't," Nico said. The smile dropped. "Don't do the calm voice. I know what you're doing."

"Then you know I'm not bluffing," Kieran said.

Nico's jaw tightened.

"Neither am I."

The gun swung toward me.

Kieran moved.

He grabbed Nico's wrist and twisted hard. The gun skidded across the floor.

They hit the wall together. Nico threw an elbow. Kieran caught it. They struggled, breathing hard, neither one giving.

I didn't freeze.

I grabbed the gun.

"Stop," I said.

Both of them stopped.

I had the gun pointed at Nico.

Hands steady

Heart pounding.

Voice steady too.

Nico stared at me.

"You won't shoot me."

"I won't have to," I said. "Sit down."

Nico laughed. But it was thinner now.

"You're bluffing."

"Two years ago, maybe," I said. "Not anymore."

Kieran stepped back from Nico slowly. His eyes flicked to me.

Something moved across his face.

Not fear.

Something else entirely.

Nico sat. Slowly. Like it was his idea.

I pulled out my burner and dialed Lena.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Mara—"

"Nico's here," I said. "Penthouse. He had a gun."

Silence.

Then: "Don't let him leave. I'm six minutes out."

I kept the gun on Nico.

Kieran moved to the door and blocked it.

Nico looked between us.

For the first time, he looked like what he was.

Cornered.

"You think this is over?" he said.

"I think you're done," I said.

Nico's eyes cut to Kieran.

"Tell her about Dad," he said. "Go on. Tell her why Victor really funded me."

My grip tightened.

"What?"

Kieran's jaw clenched.

"Don't."

"Dad paid me to keep tabs on you," Nico said. Casual. Like he was talking about the weather. "Back in Boston. Before the island. Before any of this."

The room tilted.

"Why?" I said.

"Because Kieran wanted you," Nico said. "And Dad didn't approve. So he sent me to make sure you'd never be a problem."

I looked at Kieran.

He didn't deny it.

"I found out three weeks ago," he said. "About my father. About what he did."

Three weeks ago.

Three weeks and he said nothing.

"You knew," I said.

"I was going to tell you."

"When?"

He didn't answer.

There wasn't an answer good enough.

Nico smiled from the armchair.

"Same as me," he said softly. "He just hides it better."

"He's nothing like you," I said.

Nico tilted his head.

"How would you know?"

A knock at the door.

Three short knocks.

Lena.

Kieran opened it.

Lena walked in, badge out, two officers behind her. She took one look at Nico, one look at me holding the gun, and one look at Kieran.

"Okay," she said. "I'm going to need everybody to start talking."

The officers moved toward Nico.

He stood up slowly. Hands raised. Still smiling like this was funny.

"Careful, Mara," he said as they cuffed him. "Victor's not done yet."

Then they walked him out.

The door closed.

The room went quiet.

Lena touched my arm.

"Give me the gun, hon."

I hadn't realized I was still holding it.

I handed it over.

Lena bagged it and looked at Kieran.

"We need to talk about your father," she said.

Kieran nodded.

"I know."

"He funded the harassment campaign," Lena said. "We have the wire transfers. Jake gave us everything."

Kieran's face went blank.

"How long?"

"Two years," Lena said. "He's been paying Nico since the

beginning."

I sat down on the couch.

Two years.

Victor Hayes had been funding my destruction for two years.

Because his son wanted me.

Kieran crouched in front of me.

"Cara."

I looked up.

His face was open in a way I hadn't seen before. No walls. No control. Just tired.

"I didn't know," he said. "About my father. I swear it."

I studied him.

I thought about the helicopter. The island. The broken lock. The bedroom door code. The jet. Every moment he had stepped between me and Nico.

"I know," I said.

Something in his shoulders dropped.

Lena cleared her throat.

"I hate to do this right now," she said. "But there's one more thing."

I looked at her.

Her face was careful.

The face she used when the news was bad.

"Victor Hayes turned himself in an hour ago," she said.

Kieran stood up fast.

"What?"

"Walked into the FBI field office on his own," Lena said. "With a lawyer and a full confession."

"Why?" Kieran said.

Lena looked at me.

Not Kieran.

Me.

"Because Nico wasn't just going after Mara anymore," she said. "He was going after Victor too. Had files. Leverage. Victor decided to talk first."

The room went quiet again.

I let that settle.

Nico had been playing all of us.

His father.

His brother.

Me.

And in the end, he played himself.

Kieran turned to the window.

Boston stretched out below us, grey and early and indifferent.

"It's over," he said.

I wanted to believe that.

My burner buzzed.

Unknown number.

One message.

You think locking me up stops it? Check Kieran's server. 11 PM tonight. Everything burns.

I read it twice.

Then I showed it to Lena.

Her face changed.

She grabbed her radio.

"Kieran," I said.

He turned.

"It's not over," I said.