Honorable… what a fucking joke. My brothers and Lorenzo might be honorable, but Kane is nothing but a deceitful asshole who played with my emotions last night.
“Get to the point,” Matteo demands, obviously losing his patience. “What do you want?”
“I want what my father was owed,” Kane says easily. “Our families made an agreement years ago, and I’m here to collect. A third of the business and”—his eyes go straight to me—“her.”
Oh my God.
My heart starts to race as I wrap my head around Kane’s words.
He wants to marry me.
The way Anthony was supposed to marry me.
This can’t be happening again.
Thankfully, before my panic attack hits, Dominick says, “Mysister isn’t a chess piece to play with. Besides”—he grins—“you really want the woman yourbrotherwas obsessed with?”
“Anthony wanted her,” Kane says, his gaze not leaving mine, “but—let’s be honest—he never had her.”
He smirks, no doubt remembering that he had me last night, and I sneer his way, which only makes his smirk strengthen.
“Our father’s biggest mistake was thinking with his dick, the same way Anthony and Enrique did.”
“I never wanted him,” I hiss. “The same way I’ll never want you. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Kane laughs—and not just a small laugh, but a full-blown belly laugh. “We’ll see about that.”
He slides his tongue across the seam of his lips, and I glare, hating that I was stupid enough to be with him. Nothing I say will change that he was already buried in my pussy, and he knows it.
“How about this?” Kane says, moving his focus from me to my brothers. “You guys think on it, and while you’re doing so, keep in mind that I’ve already gotten the approval for my Section 8 housing project that will conveniently be built adjacent to your waterfront project, thanks to the newly appointed city official and a certain video that involves him snorting powder off a prostitute’s ass.”
“What a fucking cliché,” Dominick mutters dryly, trying to appear unaffected when I know he’s pissed.
The South Harbor Point waterfront expansion is his baby. He’s already dished out millions of dollars and spent thousands of hours on it.
“You want to talk about cliché?” Kane scoffs. “When you guys were fighting with my idiot brothers, I bought out twenty acres of waterfront property right out from under your noses. I honestly thought it would be harder than that.” He shakes his head and tsks. “But it was like taking candy from a baby. And you know why?” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Because you are no different from my father and brothers. You’re so busy thinking with your hearts and dicks that you can’t make proper business decisions.”
“Jesus fuck,” Lorenzo bites out. “You not only resuscitated a dying company, but you got enough funds to purchase all that property—and for what? Revenge?” He whistles softly. “A for fucking effort, man.”
I glance around, unsure what’s going to happen now that Kane has thrown down the gauntlet when Matteo pulls out his gun and points it directly at Kane’s head.
Dani and Peyton gasp while Dominick and Lorenzo step toward Matteo to show a united front. And I stand frozen in my spot as memories of my father killing my boyfriend flash before my eyes.
“Please don’t do this,” I beg as my father’s men grab Owen’s arms and twist them behind his back. “Please, Dad, I love him.”
My eyes meet my father’s, and it’s in this moment that I realize my mistake. I was trying to appeal to his emotions, but how do you do that when he doesn’t even have a heart?
I should’ve promised to leave him alone, but it’s too late to take my words back because at my father’s demand, one of his men pulls out his gun and, before I can stop him, shoots Owen between the eyes.
“Stop it!” I scream, caught somewhere between the past and present. “No more bloodshed,” I plead. “Please. I’ll … I’ll marry him.”
“Bri, no,” Dominick says.
“Yes,” I hiss. “I can’t keep doing this. Owen, Anthony, Enrique, Lorenzo and Dani’s parents …”My baby,I think, but don’t voice. “So much fucking blood on everyone’s hands. You guys were supposed to be making this place safer. You have three babies,” I say to Dominick. “A baby on the way,” I tell Matteo. “It’s not worth it.He’snot worth it.” I nod toward Kane but keep my eyes on my brothers. “This is never going to stop. The waterfront expansion is your dream, and I’m not going to be the reason you don’t get it.”
“Fuck the expansion,” Dominick barks. “You’re more important.” He steps toward me. “I’m not letting you marry that asshole.”
“Fuck him,” Matteo agrees, then glances at Kane. “I’ll kill you in your sleep, and then it will all be over.”
