Dane

Dane had spent the early hours outlining the plan that had been brewing in his head ever since that photograph showed up on the internet. His eyes ached from lack of sleep, but he felt a tiny bit less panicked because he was starting to feel more confident that he might be on to something. He knew Chris was in a snit and coming over early, so he put everything away at five. But he was still making breakfast when Chris buzzed in through reception and started in on him before he'd even eaten.

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"Where is she?" Chris snapped, pulling up a stool at the island, but there was nothing casual or pleasant in his brother's tone. Since Chris wasn't going to be polite enough to even greet him, Dane didn't turn to face him, but continued cooking.

"I told you, she's safe."

"Where?"

"In a place we planned ahead of time," Dane said without looking up from the eggs he was whipping for an omelet.

Chris grunted. "You going to see the Police today?"

"Nine o'clock."

"And what if they keep you? Is Lila still going to be safe then?"

Dane didn't let himself react. It was the thought he'd had this morning. "Yep."

Chris swore. "You're really doing this? You're really holding this back from me—me!—so if something happens to you, I have to find her starting from scratch? And if I don't find her, if something happens to her, it's me you come looking for to pay for it!"

Dane dropped the bowl on the counter and turned to face his brother, leaning on the other side of the island so there was no mistaking how serious he was. "Yes, I am. I'm doing exactly that—except the last part. Because if something happens to me, she already knows what to do, and she'll do it, and you'll listen to her when she does."

"I'll—what?"

"I'm just saying, if something happens to me you won't have to go looking for Lila, Lila will come to you."

Chris's mouth dropped open. "And if we still have a mole? She's just going to walk in and start talking to them?"

Dane ran a hand through his hair. "If something happens to me, Dad's not interested in the rest of you anymore," he said. "You all can finally get on with your lives."

"Bullshit, Dane!"

"I don't want to hear it."

"Well, tough, because I'm not going to sit here and let you set me up to fail because you're so damned scared of your father you don't trust anyone except, apparently, Lila Farris who showed up in your life just as everything started going to hell!"

Dane went very still, but Chris didn't back down. "I'm going to give you exactly thirty seconds to shovel that accusation back in your mouth, Chris. That's my wife you're talking about."

Chris shook his head and swore again. "Don't even get me started on what the fuck you were you thinking getting married—with no pre-nup, and no warning, and no fucking legal counsel at all—"

Dane shoved himself past the island and put himself in Chris's space. "One more word, Chris. One more fucking word and I swear—"

"If she's so perfect and she's so great, tell me where she is so I can protect her if I need to! That's what you brought me in on this to do, right? That's my job? You trust me with everyone else, but not with your wife?"

"It's not you I don't trust," Dane said, his voice low. "And I'm not talking about it anymore. If I get arrested or it looks likely I will, we can talk about it again. But for now, nothing changes. Period."

Chris shook his head. "This is on you, then, Dane. You know that right? If something happens to her because we can't put people on her, it's on you."

"I know."

Chris put his hands up in surrender, but his jaw was tight and he shook his head. Dane waited, but he didn't go on.

"What was the other thing?" he asked his brother.

"What?"

"You said you had two things to talk to me about. What was the other thing? I have to prep for the Police meeting."

Chris took a deep breath and pulled his stool up to the island again, leaning on it while he spoke without looking at Dane. "I think we need to tell the staff about your dad. Specifically."

Dane blinked. He hadn't seen that coming. "They already know there's a threat—"

"I think at this point, with the very obvious sabotage and rising risk, we should tell them in detail."

"Why?"

"Firstly, because we need to root out the mole, and telling all the staff about him might shake something loose that someone else noticed, or someone else knows but doesn't realize they know."

"And what's second?" Dane asked, surprised that he didn't immediately disagree.

"I think it gets people on your side."

Dane frowned. "They're already—"

"No, Dane. Not always. They agree with what you do. They like you when you aren't yelling. But right now, you're a job. Right now, you're the boss. I was thinking about what Lila said about that press conference, and she was right. People need to see the man. If we really want help from the staff that's above and beyond, they need to be doing it for more than a paycheck."

Dane was surprised to find he agreed. He had a natural resistance to sharing personal information, but he couldn't fault Chris's logic that the staff might have seen or heard something they hadn't.

It also gave their mole, or moles, if they still remained, less cover.

"I think you might be right," he said finally.

"Dane, I know—wait, what?"

Dane shrugged. "I think you might be right. I'm going to think about it today, but… I think I will probably do that. Just, let me think through the angles and talk to John a little, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure." Chris looked stunned.

Dane clapped him on the shoulder. "Do you want an omelet?" he asked.

Chris shook his head, his face still confused.

"Suit yourself." Dane went back to the kitchen and pretended he was relaxed. It was an act, of course. Every other thought in his head was panic for Lila. But she was hidden safely, in the best possible place she could be. And he had a plan that was coming together, and his brother may have just helped him out with the last detail he'd been unclear on.

Maybe, just maybe, he was finally going to pull this off and get free of his father forever.

Or die trying.

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