‘Money.Power.Just name it.’
‘I don’t desire that which I already have,’ he answers plainly.‘Kade is family.’
‘No, your fuckingfatherstole him then executed him and his sister in front of me.I don’t know what went down after.I don’t knowhowyou hid him, but you did a good job.All identifying marks changed, even his dental records won’t match.I only want you to release him.’
‘All right,’ Riley answers, glancing up at the camera.‘Kade, you’re fired.’
Kade grips the edge of the console tightly.‘Very fucking funny.’
‘Now, here’s what’ll happen next,’ Riley explains to Lachlan, starting to circle him.‘Kade’s gonna tell me that’s hilarious, then he’ll tell me to go fuck myself, he’s not going anywhere.I might push harder, maybe even kick him out of the Tower.He’ll find a way back in because he helped design the place.Kade is my best.He’ll do whatever he has to until he’s standing in front of me to say again, a little louder,go fuck yourself,Riley Harker,and then he’ll probably shower and take a nap because this is his home.We’re family.I can’tlethim go when he has free will.’
‘So he goes out a lot then?’
Riley is studying him as he circles.‘What’s this tattoo?’
‘You let him out to go wherever he likes?’
‘He’s my bodyguard.He stays with me.’
‘Hedidn’t,though, did he?He left his post, came to head me off.
‘The ink looks fresh, but it’s too deep to be new.’
‘He’s gonna figure out what you did, and that youhidit from him.’
Riley has come full circle.
‘You won’t break under torture, and you can’t be killed.What do you suggest I do with you?’
‘Let him go.’
‘I asked aboutyou.’
‘Do whatever you want with me.’
‘I don’t want to do anything with you.’
‘Why is he so important?You’ve had seven years to ransom him.That’s not it.You’vehiddenhim.Kept him here, but why?’
‘I couldn’t make you understand even if I wanted to.What,’ Riley asks, ‘am I going to do with you, hmm?Let you go and you’ll come back.Let you stay and there’ll be a mutiny.You killed eighteen people who never even set eyes on those kids.’
‘They gave as good as they got.’
‘That your version of an apology?’
‘What does he mean to you?Money?Influence?Name your fucking price.Whatever you want, whatever he’s worth to you, I’ll pay it ten times over.’
‘You could never understand hisworth,Bodyguard.’
Lachlan spits in his face.
Kade’s jaw drops.
Riley wipes it away slowly, lips curled but otherwise calm.
‘You’ve been through a lot.You guarded two kids that you loved, and they died in front of you, but the truth is that you couldn’t save them and nothing is ever going to change that.’
Lachlan darkens.‘Jules isalive.’
