Chapter 6 Raining more chaos

Sienna.

The sleek glass walls of the penthouse office did nothing to keep the heat from crawling under my skin. I shifted in my chair, the leather cool against the backs of my thighs, while the voices in the boardroom droned on. The air smelled like expensive fragrances, but beneath it was a tension I couldn't shake. I had tried to focus on the situation of the post-hack analysis going on around me, but the minute the consultant flashed a diagram on the screen, my stomach twisted. A series of supply chain disruptions, a backdoor in the system, a subtle, insidious move disguised as technical glitches. I had seen it before. Too many times. My breath hitched, and I tightened my grip on the pen in my hand. This was exactly how the Cartel had done it. How they had dismantled my family's cartel, piece by bloody piece, until everything we built crumbled. Seeing it again felt like drowning. And right then, I couldn't breathe. I pushed back my chair, the sound too loud in the glass-enclosed room. Heads turned. Zane's icy-blue gaze locked on me from across the table, a silent question in his eyes. But I couldn't stay. Not with my heart pounding in my throat. "Excuse me," I muttered, rising to my feet before anyone could stop me. I barely made it out into the hallway before the walls felt like they were closing in. My fingers trembled as I pressed the elevator button, ignoring the familiar shadow lurking near the door. One of Zane's men was stationed to keep an eye on me. I hated being watched. Hated feeling like a burden. Because this was my fault, if I hadn't come to work at The Atlas Group, none of this would be happening. The cyber-attacks. The money leaks. The chaos brewing underneath Zane's perfectly ordered empire. I was the common denominator. I had to get out at least for a little while. By the time I hit the lobby, I was already pulling my phone out and making a call to Belinda. Just to feel something normal. But she didn't pick up. She clearly was busy at work. I shoved the phone back in my bag and ducked into a waiting cab, ditching the two guards stationed outside. I knew they would report it and Zane would be pissed. But I couldn't be his problem today. I already felt like too much. The city blurred past, neon lights bleeding into one another as the car sped toward downtown. But even with the movement, the memories followed. They always did. It had been three years since the last time I ran. Another job, another city, another fresh start. Away from Ian. But no matter where I went, the past always found a way to claw itself back. The night it all fell apart, I was twenty. The hacks came first and then the threatening red envelopes at every corner. My father had taken us to the safe house, but it didn't matter. The Cartel found us anyway and the night they carried off the brutal attack on our family, I should have been asleep but Father had given me the silver locket earlier and I was fascinated by it. He had always treasured the piece and never let it out of his sight and it was why I was still awake when the visitors came. Four men in dark suits. One of them stood out because of his funny build. I still remember his face. The scar along his forehead and the way his eyes drooled when he raised the gun. I should have died that night. The voices downstairs were loud enough to wake the dead keeping me up. When the gunshot rented the air, I knew that was the last time I'd be normal again. I went to hide in the makeshift cabin father had carved out and shown me. I listened but everything was silent after the shots were fired. The heavy, terrifying silence before everything burned. They had the house set on fire. I didn't even get to bury them. When I crept down the stairs, my heart nearly stopped. They were already leaving yet I saw them. Instead, I ran. And I kept running. Until I ended up here. Working for Zane Calloway. The one man powerful enough to keep me safe. At least, that's what I told myself. The cab stopped, jerking me back to the present. I paid the driver and slipped into the crowded sidewalk. If I kept moving, the memories couldn't catch up, nor would the men after me. My phone buzzed in my jacket and I pulled it out. The screen flashed Belinda's name and I answered the call immediately. "Are you okay? I missed your call. I am just seeing the news about the Atlas hack." I smiled faintly and leaned against a lamp post, watching the flow of people around me. "I'm fine. Just needed air. How's the hot colleague?" I asked trying to distract her from being worried about me. "Even better. He asked me to the movies. I'm not ready for a relationship, but damn, girl, those eyes? I might risk it." I laughed under my breath, the sound foreign in my throat. At least one of us was living a normal life. My stomach growled, and I realized I hadn't eaten since lunch. "Are you sure you are fine?" Belinda asked "I am. Have a wonderful evening and tell me about it when you return, okay?" "Okay, girl. Bye," she said and hung up. I scanned the area, looking for a diner to eat since my stomach would not stop protesting in hunger. I spotted one down the corner and headed over there. My boot thumped softly against the pavement. I knew Zane would be furious when he realized I had slipped away from his men, but for now, I just needed to feel like myself again. Needed to remember who I was before my life became one long chase. The bell above the door jingled as I stepped inside the diner and instantly, the aroma of fresh bacon filled my nostrils, and for a second, I felt something close to peace. I slid into a booth, my body aching from the tension of the day. The waitress barely glanced at me as she dropped a menu on the table. "Coffee?" "Please," I murmured, my throat dry. As I skimmed the menu, the door swung open, and I glanced up, half-expecting one of Zane's men to drag me back. But it wasn't his security. It was worse. My stomach dropped.