"Or what? You'll put a bullet in my head too? Find another heir to do your dirty work?" I turned back to face him.
He wouldn’t go after me personally, but Elin and Rhea were another thing. I'd seen what he was capable of. But Elin had changed everything—changed my perspective. For her, I would face even this monster who had shaped me.
"You're making a grave mistake," he said softly.
"No, the mistake was thinking I had to become you to survive." Anger simmered in my bones and I was doing everything I couldto keep it under control. Turning, I strode for the door. "I need to check on Rhea. Make sure she's actually safe at the lake house."
I turned my back on him mid-sentence and strode out, the leather of my shoes striking the marble like gunshots. My fingers twitched toward my phone, as I was already mentally composing the discussion with Harley about doubling security at Paradise. Behind my eyes flashed an image of Elin’s face, of Rhea in a white dress beside Juarez. My jaw clenched so hard I could have cracked a tooth in protest. The heavy door slammed behind me as my phone vibrated in my pocket. Elin's name flashed on the screen, along with a text that made my heart stop:
Elin: Someone broke into the house. Handled it. One of Juarez's men. We need to talk.
My steps quickened. Juarez had moved faster than I’d anticipated. This wasn't just about business anymore—this was war. And I needed to get to Elin before anyone else did.
I called Harley while running to my car. "Get a team to the lake house. Now. I don't think Rhea's there."
"What?" Harley's voice sharpened even through the wind coming through the mic. "Where would she be?"
"I don't know, but my father's lying about something. And call Brandon—tell him to increase security at the club. No one gets in without direct approval."
As I sped down the driveway, another text came through from Elin:
Elin: Your sister called. She said your father sent men to "protect" her at her apartment.
Her apartment? I thought she was at the lake house?Switching screens, I pulled up the text thread with Rhea.
Gavriel: Are the trees green or grey?
Rhea: Grey. Are they supposed to be green this time of year?
Gavriel: According the patriarchy. ??
Rhea: LOL Nope. Pretty grey looking outside.
Gavriel: So, no green outside? No sunlight glistening off the lake?
Rhea: I wouldn’t know. Haven’t seen the lake.
Shit!There wasn’t a window at the lake house that wouldn’t give you a stunning sight of the water. Which means, she’s not there, but at her place.
A text from Elin popped down as I thought of how to respond.
Elin: Harley said he’ll help with cleanup.
I gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles whitened. Protection or prison? With my father, they were often the same thing.
Timelines had been moved up and were moving fast. The careful balance I'd maintained was collapsing, and I needed to choose which pieces to save.
Family or freedom. Loyalty or love.
For the first time in my life, the choice was clear.
Chapter 35
Sighing,Isnuggledintomy chair, the warmth and comfort surrounding me like a weighted blanket. The wine was good, a Cabernet that Gavriel had brought over, rich and complex like the man himself. My Kindle rested against my bare thighs as I scrolled through a particularly filthy scene involving ropes and begging. Research, I told myself with a smirk, though Gavriel had proven quite the willing student already.
My stomach growled, reminding me that burning calories required replacing them. Three hours of dominating Gavriel early this morning had left me famished. I’d come home after he’d left, since I’d had some housework to do around here, which I’d finished much faster than I anticipated.
I set my Kindle down, wrapping myself in his discarded shirt. He’d left it this morning, and it smelled like him, so he had now officially lost ownership. My bare feet padded to the kitchen on the cool hardwood, and I realized for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel tense or stressed. For a moment, I thought about sending him a salacious text, but when I looked at the time onthe microwave, I realized he was just stepping into his meeting with his father and Don Juarez.
