“Then this gets worse. For everyone. But especially for those boys who are going to have nightmares about men grabbing them at school.”
“I’ll be there,” I say.
She hangs up.
Declan walks into my office ten minutes later. “That was Nadia Vance. Julian wants to negotiate.”
“How did you know?”
“Because I just got a call from her assistant confirming the meeting. She’s being smart about this—using her business relationship with us to broker peace.”
“It’s not peace. It’s surrender.”
“It’s access to your sons without starting a war. Take it.”
I don’t answer.
The next afternoon, Declan and I arrive at the Carlyle ten minutes early. Julian and Nadia are already there. He’s standing by the windows, hands in his pockets, looking every bit the man who runs a criminal empire even in a tailored suit. Nadia sits at the conference table, a legal pad in front of her, pen ready.
Julian turns when we enter. “Rourke.”
“Vance.”
We stare at each other across the room. Declan closes the door behind us and takes a position near it. I move to the opposite side of the table from Nadia.
Nobody sits.
“Let’s be clear about something,” Julian says. “What you did at that school was an act of war. You came after my family, terrified those children, and put everyone at risk. I should end you for it.”
“You kept my sons from me for five years. I’d say we’re even.”
“We’re not even close to even.”
“Then kill me. But it won’t change the fact that they’re mine.”
Julian’s jaw tightens. “You don’t get to walk into their lives and play father after what you did. You want access to those boys? You earn it. On my terms.”
“Your terms put me in their lives for an hour a week like I’m a fucking stranger.”
“You are a stranger to them. You have no relationship with those children. You’re just the man who tried to kidnap them.”
I take a step forward. Declan puts a hand on my shoulder.
Nadia stands up. “Gentlemen. Sit down.”
Neither of us moves.
“Sit. Down.” Her voice is steel wrapped in silk. “Or I’m walking out, and you can both go to war and watch those boys suffer for it.”
Julian sits first. I follow, across the table from him, close enough to see the gold flecks in his brown eyes and the vein pulsing in his temple.
Nadia remains standing. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to negotiate like adults. You’re going to find a solution thatprotects those children while giving Cassian what he deserves—access to his sons. And you’re going to do it without threats or violence. Understood?”
Julian nods once.
I don’t respond.
Nadia sits down and picks up her pen. “Supervised visits. The Vance estate. Aurelia will be present at all times. Security will be on site but out of sight unless needed. You’ll start with two-hour visits twice a week.”
