Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Luca didn’t remember much of the drive to Lenox Hill. He was still wound up tight after his face–to–face with Nicole. He just hoped he had scared her enough to make her back off.

He would never let his guard down until she was in jail or gone from the US for good.

There would never be forgiveness. The damage she’d tried to do… to Sutton, to Cyber 10, to Miles—if she’d gotten into the NICU, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable. He hadn’t even let himself consider what might’ve happened if she’d made it past security, if she’d found a way into the NICU. Just the thought made his chest tighten enough to hurt.

But she hadn’t.

His legal team had tipped off her lawyers about his intent was not a good color on Nicole.

press formal charges. He just hoped she’d want to save her skin enough to bolt. Orange

His phone buzzed just as he was pulling into the parking under the hospital.

It was an unknown number, but it was the call he had been waiting for.

Luca swiped the call open, holding the phone to his ear. “Luca speaking.”

“Sir. This is Moore from your security division. Just confirmed visual… Nicole boarded a flight to Rome about twenty minutes ago. Manifest clear. No return ticket logged.”

Luca closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She went.”

“Yes, sir. She cleared customs. I’m watching the plane now as it makes its way down the runway. She is going,

sir.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then, “Keep someone watching her passport, anyway. I want alerts if she so much as connects through New York again.”

“Already in place. Do you want follow–up surveillance from the Rome team?”

Luca hesitated.

though no

outcome there,” he said. “Let her run. Maybe

“Yes, sir.”

would be only two to three years. By running, she worsened her

his phone into

entered the US again,

the NICU floor, everything that mattered was on this floor. And now he felt like they were a

past the nurses‘ station, giving a short nod to one of the staff who had already come to recognize him. They didn’t stop him anymore; he was almost as much a fixture as

them

he had seen her before. Blair stood next to Sutton, arms folded

stepped forward and buzzed himself

he pained. He could hear them talking,

to eavesdrop,

have something I want to

was instant.

Roman and I are not telling anyone else until we are at 12 weeks. I did tell him I couldn’t keep it from you

blinked, frozen. Shit, this was a waited to let Blair

so happy for you,”

he had just wrecked it for them. But there

on the next words. “It’s still early. I wasn’t going

Sutton seemed not to understand why she

Blair’s next words confirmed

feel stupid being happy while Miles is still… stuck in the hospital. But I didn’t want to slip up, so I thought it was best to say

between a sob and a laugh, immediately wrapping

tell me, God, this isn’t something I can catch. Because whatever it is,

terrified as well, Keira,” Blair admitted, her eyes blinking hard. “But also… weirdly calm.

family?” Keira said. “Absolutely

at night while I was pregnant in a cold sweat. When you become pregnant or even have the baby, no one hands you a