It’s Mateo’s home. And it suits him. All dark colors and glass. Spacious. The city lights are an incredible backdrop.
Under any other circumstances, I’d love being here.
“They’re Sergei’s men,” Carson says as he hangs up the phone. “All of the soldiers killed were Russian.”
My eyes shoot up to Carson, and he’s watching me with a steady gaze.
“Oh, fuck that,” I announce and kick off my shoes, then stand to pace. “Absolutely fuckingnot.”
“Angel, we got positive ID?—”
“That’s not what I’m talking about, I’m not in denial,” I reply, spinning to face my husband. “I’m so over that piece of shit that sired me.Kill him, Julian. I want him gone. I want the entire organization wiped out.”
Julian tilts his head, watching me. The room is quiet, and I turn in a circle to take them in. It’s our usual crew, sitting all over the spacious room. My girls are sitting with their men. Carson and Mateo are standing. All four of the guys’ number twos are nearby as well. And they’re watching me like they’ve never seen me before.
“I’vehad itwith that man trying to hurt me and the people I love. Myfamily.” I shake my head and clench my fists. “He’s done. Now, how do we take him out?”
Julian’s eyebrows climb in surprise. “I’ll take care of it, Angel.”
“I want to help.”
“You want to kill your father?” Carson asks, and his lips tip up on the side. “I knew I liked you.”
“Yes, I want him dead, and I think it’s pretty obvious that I need to be the bait that brings him out of his hidey-hole.”
“Fuck no,” Julian growls. “You will never mention yourself and the wordbaitin the same sentence again, do you understand me?”
“It makes sense,” I insist and reach for my husband, taking his hands in mine. “Look, I’m not a good liar. Like, not atall?—”
“You’re not selling yourself well, sweetie,” Scarlett says.
“But I can lie to that man all day long. I’ve done it my whole life. I don’t know what he wants from you, why he keeps fucking with you, but I can help end it.”
Julian watches me for a moment, his eyes full of emotion.He doesn’t want me to do this.Then he turns to his brothers, and I follow his gaze.
“I think you should tell her,” Rome says with a shrug. “It’s her dad.”
Julian sighs and drags his hand down my back, as if he’s soothing himself as well as me.
“Your father wants to dismantle us from the inside out,” he tells me. “He’s pissed because we wouldn’t bring him into our organization. We don’t play well with him. The marriage between our families was supposed to be a peace treaty, but Sergei took it too far, and now he’s obviously not upholding the deal.”
“After the wedding,” Mateo adds, “he came to us and basically demanded we include him in our business dealings, since Julian married you. He’s an entitled ass. No offense.”
I grin at him. “No offense taken. I already knew that about him.”
“I didn’t know that Natasha had this badass side,” Lulu says to Scarlett, “but it’s fucking hot.”
“Agreed,” Scarlett says, making me chuckle.
“I didn’t always feel this ...confident,” I reply. “But I’mpissed. It’s because ofhimthat Julian kicked me out of my own house and I had nowhere to go.”
Julian swears under his breath.
“My father used to beat the shit out of me. Broke my ribs, stomped my toes. He got off on hurting me, and now he’sstillhurting me because damn it, IlikedJeremy. And Danny’s hurt. And he could have hurt any one of you. My mom is no better. She used to throw me under the bus with my father all the time to take the focus off of her. I had nannies that showed me more affection. If I died, my own parents wouldn’t care. It wouldn’t even be a blip for them. They’re not my family.Youare. And now, that asshole is threatening my organization. If I’ve learned anything since marrying Julian, it’s that we don’t stand for that. I should know. So yeah, it seems I do have a badass side whenthe people I love are threatened. And goddamn it, I’m a fucking queen in this city, and they fucked with the wrong girl.”
“I like her too,” Spider says to Carson, and I admit, that feels good.
I turn back to Julian, who’s staring at me like I hung the moon.
