My Bestie's Dad Likes Me Wet-Chapter 110: MONSTER

GRANT POV

I stood in my office at three a.m., staring at the photos my security team had spread across my desk. Surveillance images of Bianca. She’d been spotted in three different cities over the past week, always moving, always one step ahead.

But she’d made a mistake by sending that text And now I had her phone’s location.

"She’s staying at a hotel in Chicago," Ivin said, pointing to the map. "Checked in under a false name, but facial recognition confirmed it’s her."

"How long has she been there?"

"Two days. She’s been meeting with someone. We’re still identifying who."

I studied the grainy photo of Bianca entering a restaurant. She looked older, like Six years of running had aged her.

Good. The bitch never deserved any good thing in life afterall!

"I want every detail of her movements. Who she’s meeting, what she’s planning. And Ivin?" I met his eyes. "When I give the order, I want her brought here alive. Understood?"

"Understood, boss."

He left, and I turned back to the window overlooking the grounds. I ensured lights illuminated every corner and guards patrolled in shifts. I’d turned my home into a fortress in seventy-two hours.

Nova thought I was being paranoid but I know she didn’t understand what Bianca was capable of.

But I did. I’d been married to the woman for ten years. I knew exactly how her mind worked. She was patient, calculated, and utterly without conscience. She’d orchestrated the death of ROI’s wife, and pinned it on me, she tried to have me killed multiple times and she’d manipulated our daughter into destroying Nova’s life.

And now she knew about the boys.

My sons.

She’d use them to get to me. I knew it as surely as I knew my own name. The question was when.

A soft knock at the door. Nova stood there in one of the silk nightgowns I’d had stocked in her closet. Her hair was loose, her face tired.

"Can’t sleep?" She asked, she seems to have come to terms that there’s nothing she can do to change her fate with me and her kids are coming to that realization as well seeing as they no longer cry to sleep every night and they no longer flinch when I’m around them.

"Working."

"At three a.m.?" She walked in, closing the door behind her. "Grant, you need to rest. The wedding is in two days."

The wedding would be a quick, private ceremony with just us, the boys, a judge, and a few witnesses. Nothing like the elaborate affair Bianca and I had. This was business or so I told myself. It’s a legal formality to ensure my sons had my name and Nova had my protection.

"I’ll rest when Bianca is dealt with."

Nova’s expression darkened. "You’re still on that? Grant, one threatening text doesn’t mean—"

"It means everything." I turned to face her. "Bianca doesn’t make idle threats. If she’s reaching out, it’s because she’s ready to move."

"So what, you’re going to hunt her down? Kill her?"

"If necessary."

The words hung in the air between us. Nova stared at me like she was seeing me for the first time.

"You’re serious."

"Deadly serious." I walked to the bar, poured myself another whiskey. "Bianca has tried to destroy me multiple times. She’s succeeded in destroying others. She manipulated Lena, orchestrated your kidnapping, had people killed. She’s a threat to everything I care about."

"So you’re going to become a murderer?"

"I already am." I took a drink, watching her process that. "You think I built this empire by being nice? By following rules? I’ve done things, Nova. Dark things, Things that would make you run if you knew the details."

"Grant—"

"But I’ve never hurt anyone who didn’t deserve it. And Bianca?" I set the glass down. "She deserves everything that’s coming to her."

Nova was quiet for a long moment. "The boys can’t know about this. Whatever you do, they can’t know."

"They won’t."

"And what about me? Am I just supposed to pretend I don’t know you’re planning to kill your ex-wife?"

"You’re supposed to trust that I know what I’m doing. That I’m protecting you and our sons." I walked over to her, tilted her chin up to meet my eyes. "I will burn the entire world to ash before I let anyone hurt them. Do you understand me?"

She swallowed hard. "Yes."

"Good." I released her. "Go back to bed. I’ll be up in a few hours."

"Grant." She stopped at the door. "Please don’t become the monster they already think you are."

Too late for that, I thought. But I didn’t say it. After she left, I called Luca.

He answered on the second ring. "It’s three in the fucking morning, Calloway. This better be good."

"I need your help."

"With?"

"Bianca."

Silence. Then: "I thought you’d never ask. Where is she?"

"Chicago. I’m having her tracked. When the time is right, I need your resources. Your people."

"To do what exactly?"

"Whatever it takes to neutralize the threat." I chose my words carefully, even on a secure line. "Permanently, if necessary."

"You want me to help you kill your ex-wife."

"I want you to help me protect my family. If that means Bianca has to disappear, then yes." A brief pause "Do I have your help or not?"

"Of course. Bianca’s been a thorn in both our sides. She’s the one who set ROI on both of us, remember? I’ve been waiting for an excuse to deal with her." I heard rustling, like he was getting out of bed. "But I want something in return."

"Name it."

"When this is over, you owe me a favor. No questions asked."

Dangerous terms But it’s necessary to get Bianca off our back fully.

"Agreed."

"Good. I’ll have my people coordinate with yours. And Grant?" His voice turned serious. "Make it clean. You have kids now. You can’t afford loose ends."

"There won’t be any."

I hung up and immediately called my head of security back.

"Change of plans. I want a team in Chicago within the hour. Surveillance only for now. I want to know everywhere Bianca goes, everyone she talks to. And I want the hotel’s security footage from the past two days."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?"

"Yes. Start running background checks on everyone who’s had contact with her. I want to know if she’s hired anyone. If she’s planning anything. And if you find even a hint of a threat to my family, you notify me immediately."

"Understood."

I spent the next three hours coordinating. Calling in favors. Moving pieces into place. By the time the sun rose, I had fifteen of my best people in Chicago, three hackers working on Bianca’s digital footprint, and Luca’s entire network on standby.

Bianca thought she could threaten my family.She was about to learn what happened when you backed a monster into a corner.

At seven a.m., Nova came down with the boys for breakfast. Phoenix and Asher still wouldn’t look at me, but they were eating. Small victories.

"Good morning," I said, forcing warmth into my voice. "Did you boys sleep well?"

No answer.

"They had nightmares," Nova said quietly. "About Sam."

Of course they did.

"Maybe we could do something fun today," I tried. "The pool? The game room? Whatever you want."

"We want Dad," Phoenix said, not looking up from his cereal. I gritted my teeth, phoenix seems to be the tough twin. "I’m your dad now."

"No, you’re not." He finally looked at me, and the hatred in his six-year-old eyes was like a knife. "You’re the bad man who took us away."

"Phoenix—" Nova started.

"It’s fine." I stood up. "I have work to do anyway."

I left before I could say something I’d regret. Before the frustration boiling in my chest could explode.In my office, Ivin was waiting with an update.

"We identified who Bianca’s been meeting with." He pulled up a photo on his tablet. "His name is Marcus Webb. Former military, now works as a freelance... specialist."

"Specialist in what?"

"Kidnapping. Assassination. Whatever pays." Ivin swiped to another photo. "He was spotted at the hotel three times. The last visit was this morning."

My blood ran cold. "She’s hired him."

"Looks that way."

"Do we know the target?"

"Not yet. But based on her history..." Ivin didn’t need to finish.

It was Nova or the boys Or all of them.

"I want Marcus Webb picked up. And I want that today. Use whatever means necessary. And I want Bianca’s room searched the moment she leaves it."

"Sir, that’s—"

"I don’t care about the law. I care about my family being safe." I looked at him. "Do whatever you have to do. Break whatever laws you need to break. I’ll handle the consequences."

Ivin nodded. "Yes, sir."

My phone buzzed. Another text from Bianca: Two days until the wedding. How sweet. I wonder if the boys know what kind of monster their father really is.

I typed back: Touch my family and I’ll show you a monster.

Three dots. Then: I’m counting on it.

She wanted me to come after her. Wanted me to make a move so she could spring whatever trap she’d set.

Fine. I’d give her what she wanted.

But I’d make sure I was the one who walked away.

I called Luca back. "Change of plans. I’m not waiting for her to make a move. I’m going to Chicago. Tonight."

"That’s a mistake. You have kids now, remember? You can’t just—"

"My kids are the reason I’m going. I’m not sitting here waiting for Bianca to hurt them. I’m ending this. Now."

"Grant—"

"Are you in or not?"

A pause. Then: "I’m in. But we do this smart. We do this clean. And we make sure there’s nothing that leads back to you."

"Agreed."

"I’ll meet you there. And Grant? Bring Ivin. You’re going to need him."

I hung up and started packing. A small bag. Clothes. And a gun.

I hadn’t carried a gun in years. Hadn’t needed to. But tonight was different.

Tonight, I was going to war.

Nova found me in the bedroom. "Where are you going?"

"Chicago. Business."

"Business." She didn’t believe me. "Grant, whatever you’re planning—"

"Is necessary." I turned to face her. "Bianca hired someone. A professional. She’s planning something, and I’m not waiting around to find out what."

"So you’re going to kill her."

"I’m going to stop her. However I have to."

"And if you get caught? If you go to prison? What happens to us then?"

"I won’t get caught." I zipped the bag. "I have the best lawyers, the best people. This will be clean."

"Nothing about this is clean!" Her voice rose. "You’re leaving two days before our wedding to commit murder!"

"I’m leaving to protect my family!" I shot back. "That’s what fathers do, Nova. They protect. Even if it means getting blood on their hands."

"Sam never had to kill anyone to protect us."

The words hit like a slap. "Sam also couldn’t give you a life where you’d never have to worry about money or safety or—"

"We were safe! Until you showed up and dragged us into your world of threats and violence and—"

"You think you were safe?" I laughed, bitter. "You were living under a fake name in a town nobody’s heard of, working at a diner, raising my sons in poverty. That’s not safety, Nova. That’s hiding. And you’d still be hiding if I hadn’t found you."

"Maybe that was better than this!"

The words hung between us, sharp and true.

"Well, it’s too late now." I grabbed my bag. "You made your choice. You’re marrying me in two days. And I’m going to make sure my ex-wife doesn’t destroy that like she destroys everything else."

"Grant—"

"I’ll be back tomorrow. Stay in the house. Don’t let the boys outside without security. And Nova?" I stopped at the door. "If anything happens while I’m gone, you call Ivin immediately. Understood?"

She nodded, tears in her eyes.

I wanted to comfort her. To tell her it would be no okay. But I couldn’t lie.

Because I was about to do something that would change me. That would make me exactly what everyone feared I was.

A monster.

But monsters protected their own.

And I’d be damned if I let anyone hurt what was mine.

Even if it cost me my soul.