Nicholas's Pov
"If I had I wouldn't be calling, now would I?" I asked rubbing the bridge of my nose "I need a favor" There was a rustle of fabric on his end followed by a faint click
"Alright shoot. What kind of favor are we talking about? Blackmail, intimidation, or good old-fashioned slander?" he asked
"Leak everything you've got on Miller Carson and if it's not bad enough, dig deeper and ruin him" Ethan gave a low whistle
"Damn and here I thought we were playing nice these days."
"This is me playing nice," I replied, "You in?"
"It'll cost you" he says,
"I'd be worried if it didn't" he laughed low and husky like smoke curling from a lit cigar.
"You've got yourself a deal angel. He won't know what hit him"
"When you're in town" I said, "come by I'll make dinner."
"Don't tease me with food and your voice pretty boy, Dangerous combination." I grinned
"I'm serious,"
"I'll keep that in mind." he said and just like that the line disconnected. Greg pushed through the door just as I slipped my phone into my pocket.
"Linda just got off the line with Seline's assistant," he announced,"They want to know when to schedule the meeting."
"Tell them Thursday late afternoon." I said pouring a generous amount of bourbon into the crystal tumbler
"Alright then" He turned toward Clarissa "You're with me I won't be available for a while, your turn to babysit the new recruits" Clarissa groaned dramatically and shot me a long-suffering look.
"They smell like sweat and axe body spray" she muttered but tossed me a quick nod and followed him out. The door shut behind them with a soft click silence settled into the room, I took another sip of bourbon cracking my neck side to side. Reed's voice cut through the quiet
"you sure you want to go down this road?" I didn't turn jto look at him I didn't want to so I just stared out the window at the city bleeding gold and grey beneath the setting sun.
"Which road are we talking about exactly?"
"You know which one" he said quieter "Miller, this plan of yours there's gonna be backlash. He's going to retaliate" I took a sip savoring the burn before replying.
"Miller came for my people, my girls, what did you think I'd do? Write him a stern note" I asked and he stepped forward his tone still calm but there was a sharp edge under it.
"Once this gets out of control it won't just be about Miller you know that, you start a fire this big it won't stop where you think it will" I stared at him for a moment letting the silence stretch before asking
"Are you worried about me Reed?"
"Maybe, or maybe I know what it's like to start something thinking you're doing it for the right reasons and watching it eat everything you love." Nathan who'd been half-scrolling through his phone looked up one brow raised as he clocked the tension.
"Well" he said lightly "not to interrupt the heartfelt trauma bonding but I need a ride or a drink or both" I gave him a look
"you live in the damn building Nathan" I say rolling eyes.
"I need you to take something back to your base," I said to reed moving to my desk drawer and unlocking it with a fingerprint scan I pulled out the black case slim sealed and coded. Reed's expression hardened the moment he saw it
"Is that what I think it is?"
"The initial specs" I confirmed "Donovan's not being clear yet but I know this shit matters. I want eyes on it and I trust yours more than most" He took it carefully,
"you sure you want to hand this over before knowing the whole picture?"
"No," I admitted "But I trust you'll tell me if what's inside is worth burning cities over." His mouth tugged at one corner almost a smile
"I'll take care of it."
"I know" I downed the rest of my drink "go and keep me in the loop" Reed hesitated for a moment then nodded and walked out with the case file under his arm. Nathan waited until the door closed behind him before whistling.
"Okay but the sexual tension? That was palpable. Do you want me to leave you two alone next time so you can dry hump in peace?"
"Don't test me" I muttered and he chuckled
That night I couldn't sleep eventually i gave up trying and slid out of bed and headed to the pool, I always come to find solace here. I dove in and let the water drag everything heavy out of me, lap after lap I swam until my muscles burned and my thoughts dulled.
I didn't hear Nathan at first, until the glass door slid closed, he tossed a towel on the chair and walked over with a mug in his hand. "Alright, Aquaman. You gonna tell me what's going on or do I have to dive in and drag it out of you?" I stopped mid-stroke and blinked water from my eyes
"You'd ruin your skincare routine"
"Worth it." I swam to the edge and rested my arms on the tile
"Didn't think you were still here" He sat cross-legged on the deck sipping whatever was in the mug.
"if this is some billionaire insomnia thing I'm leaving" he said "Or worse I'm filming it." I smirked
"It's just swimming" he looked at me for a long beat he wasn't teasing,
"You don't swim unless your head's loud" I didn't answer just watched the stars blur above me.
"You want to talk about him?" he asked
"No."
"You miss him?" He asked and I didn't lie
"Yeah, I didn't know I did until I saw him" I said sighing heavily and he nodded once like he already knew
"You're allowed to, you know, you loved him."
"Still do" I admitted quietly surprising even myself "It's just not simple anymore."
"Nothing worth it ever is." I looked at him
"Since when did you get wise?" He grinned
"I've always been wise you were just too busy being emotionally constipated to notice."
I huffed a quiet laugh and climbed out of the water towel draped over my shoulders. He handed me the mug of tea because Nathan was annoying and thoughtful like that. We just sat there a while side by side not saying much. He didn't press for more, he was just there and that was enough.
A few days passed since Ethan did what he does best and the media's been circling the Miller situation like vultures. Every outlet had a theory, a lead, a breaking update. Nathan's been keeping his ear to the ground now that the smoke is cleared we all know what comes next. Miller's going to bolt and if he does Nathan might catch a ping in his financials. Today was one of those days where I felt the need to work from my home office. I was finishing the last of the paperwork with Export/Import Express the company had been on its last legs for a while now I needed the acquisition clean. Liam and his lawyer would be arriving later today but Ilay would handle the final signatures. Greg's gone MIA and the interview with Selene got pushed till tomorrow, she's the only one in the media with enough steel to come at me head-on.
I had just initialed the final page when Nathan barged in, pad in hand his face a shade paler than usual.
"Nick" he said voice low but urgent "i think you should see this." He handed me the tablet and the news feed was already mid-broadcast. A shaky live video flickered across the screen, fire blazed like a living creature, tearing through the remains of a building I recognized instantly, Greenwich Hospital. The flames danced in sharp reds and a choking black smoke curling skyward in frantic spirals. The field reporter stood beneath the flickering firelight, her usually calm expression fractured at the edges.
"The explosion appears to have been the result of an advanced high-yield device" she said, voice tight almost trembling. "The perpetrators remain unidentified. First responders are doing what they can, but..." She paused, visibly shaken "Authorities on the ground confirm there are no survivors, the hospital's interior was completely incinerated everything... everyone... gone" A heavy silence settled in my chest but the report wasn't done.
"There was... something else" she continued like the next part hurt to say "A message was found among the debris" The anchor leaned forward.
"What kind of message?" Candace's gaze flickered with something pity or maybe fear.
"It was directed explicitly to Nicholas Grey of Grey Enterprises." My name cracked through the silence like a gunshot. Nathan exhaled sharply and the room felt smaller as the anchor's tone sharpened.
"You're sure?" Candace nodded slowly,
"It was burned into one of the remaining steel beams near what was once the surgical wing." I didn't react outwardly. The fire on the screen roared louder and the audio distorted like it was underwater, Gracie stood frozen in the doorway a hand covering her mouth, nathan had already started moving locking doors, pulling blinds muttering instructions into his comm but I stayed rooted eyes locked on the words flashing in red across the bottom of the screen.
"What did it say?" the anchor asked
"You're next" Candace replied