Page 97 of In Love and Revenge

‘My daughter,’ George confirms. ‘She’s struggling. With money and bills and things. She won’t admit it to me, but I know her.’

‘What do you want?’

‘You said yourself: you’re a well-connected man. Make some calls. Get them off her back.’

‘Her rent’s already taken care of,’ I tell him.Perks of being her new landlord.

‘And the rest.’ George grimaces. ‘She’s not ... she’s not eating enough. I wouldn’t put it past her to be living off the samples at Tesco. She used to love that as a kid. Trying all the freebies they’d have out on the counter.’ He tries to smile, but it falls straight from his face. ‘She won’t tell me if she’s struggling.’

‘And you think she’ll tell me?’

‘Not unless she thinks you’re something bloody special, she won’t.’ He snorts. ‘She only lets people she really cares about get close to her. But I think you can help her anyway.’

‘And if I do?’

He levels me with a look that cuts right through me, his bloodshot eyes boring into mine.

‘Then I’ll tell you where it is. Every. Damn. Penny.’

I lean my head back against the Bugatti’s cool leather headrest.

‘Dammit!’ I curse, punching the steering wheel.

He wants me to watch over Aurora. Act as her what? Goddamn guardian angel?

I snort, our company’s name taunting me.

Guardian Fairfax. Protecting the priceless. Providing you peace.

My mother’s whimsy over the way she and I were saved in that car accident led to my father’s name choice for the business.Guardian Fairfaxbecause of guardian angels. And my mother’s choice to name me Rafael. The slogan came later, once Dove was born. She was the ‘peace’. The calm baby. The one that completedour family, my father said. And then we got Angelo too. A happy bonus for all of us, except, perhaps, my father.

I crack my knuckles, staring out of the window at the uninspiring grey box of a building.

He’s in there laughing at me. George bloody Thorne. Mastermind. Blackmailer.Desperate father.

I know he’s playing the only card he thinks he has. One that will help Aurora. The poor arsehole practically collapsed with relief when I agreed to his proposition.

I don’t want to be indebted to George Thorne. I’d look out for his daughter for goddamn nothing other than my own peace of mind since I discovered she’s struggling. But now I understand what his offer really means, and it throws a whole new light upon the situation. A whole new light indeed.

I drag in a deep breath and pull out my phone. My thumb hovers over the name, hesitating before I hit call.

‘Hello?’

She answers on the second ring, making satisfaction burn warm and reassuring in my chest.

It’s been a week, but she wants to talk to me. Maybe she’s been thinking about me as much as I’ve been thinking about her.

‘Aurora,’ I purr softly. ‘How are you?’

There’s a pause before she answers. ‘Fine.’

I can hear the hesitation in her voice. The suspicion. She isn’t used to me calling her, and certainly never with anything less than blame and distrust dripping from my voice.

‘How’s your week been?’

‘Fine.’

I smile. She’s going to make me work for it. Good girl.