Page 32 of Crowned By the Mafia Billionaires

“Bennett.”

I step closer. “If you’re there, Knox and I won’t be focused on what we need to do.”

She just glares at me.

I soften my voice. “We’ll be watching you and making sure you’re safe. If you’re there, you are our number one priority. If you’re here, safe, then our priority will be your brother.”

I reach for her hand and thread our fingers together. “I need to know you’re safe so I can think clearly.”

Knox nods beside her. “Same.”

Audrey looks between us. She’s still angry, but at least she’s listening to us now.

Dad clears his throat. “She’ll be safe here.”

Audrey sighs heavily.

As if that is settled, Dad looks at me. “And when you get Victor, I want him brought here to the cellar. Do you understand?”

Every part of me wants Victor for myself, but I know what I have to do. “I will bring him to you alive,” I assure him.

He nods, and I turn to Audrey. “We need to go.”

She looks at Knox first, then me. “Call me.”

I nod. “We will.”

She reaches for Knox and holds his hand too. “Please, don’t do anything stupid.”

She releases my hand and pulls him in for a hug, holding him tightly. Knox presses a kiss to her forehead and then to her mouth. Their tongues touch, and I know it kills Knox not to take her mouth the way he really wants to.

When they pull apart, Dad makes a sound behind me. “What the hell?”

I almost smile, but instead Audrey throws her arms around me and holds me tightly. I do the same as Knox and kiss her forehead and then her mouth. I kiss her deeply, putting all my feelings into that kiss and almost forgetting that we’re standing a few feet from my parents. I pull away and brush my thumb along her swollen lower lip. “Stay here.”

She rolls her eyes. “I will.”

I smile.

Behind me, Dad says, “Would somebody like to tell me what the fuck is going on?”

I look over Audrey’s shoulder. Dad looks completely stunned, but Mom is just smiling like she’s known exactly what was happening all along.

Knox claps me on the shoulder. “We should probably go.”

I nod. We definitely should go because taking down Victor Sterling might be easier than explaining our relationship with Audrey to my father.

CHAPTER 13

AUDREY

I stop pacing. “I should go⁠—”

Robert looks up from his phone. “No.”

I stare at him. “You didn’t even let me finish.”

He shrugs and looks back to his phone. “I know what you were going to say.”