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I remove my glasses and drag a hand down my face.

“You wanted to risk your safety by going alone into enemy territory to save this woman,” he affirms. “It’s admirable, and I respect you for the courage it would take to perform such an operation, but…” He lets out a frustrated sigh. “Clara needs you. Your family needs you. I…” He clears his throat. “I need you.”

My shoulders drop, the wrath inside me slowly dissipating.

“My family is my priority,” Vin begins. “My brothers, sister, mother, sisters-in-law, and now Clara. They are all my priority. That is my job as head of the family. And every decision I make is with your safety in mind. I could have agreed to let you kidnap Charlotte when you came to me with your plan months ago, but I was too selfish to let you risk your life for a woman we don’t know. I’m sorry, but you are my brother, Alex.” I turn, putting on my glasses to witness him staring down at the ground, his hands on his hips. “And I’m not willing to find out what living life would be like without you.” He shakes his head, his eyes meeting mine. “You can ask anything of me, just not that.”

I swallow down the emotion, seeing my older brother in a new light than I did a few days ago.

I step toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He straightens. “You better fucking not.” He shows a quick grin that quickly fades. “I really am sorry about what happened to her. I wish it hadn’t ended this way.”

I nod, looking off at the empty lot, my hand dropping to my side. “Me too.”

“You ever going to tell me how you two met?”

“Maybe someday.”

He scratches his chin. “If you’d like, we can make a sizable donation in her name to the St. Elizabeth Jean’s Women and Children’s Center.”

I let out a breath. “I made a sizeable donation this morning, and I’m going to be adding more to it soon…just waiting on the funds.”

“The funds?” He grins as realization hits him. “Let me guess…”

“Garrett has no idea that Charlotte’s life insurance policy will be directly deposited into the women and children’s center’s account next week instead of into his.” I shrug. “It was a fairly simple system to hack into.”

“Oh, fuck.” Vin laughs. “I can’t wait for that phone call.”

“I’ll be ready for it.” I glance down at my watch. “Let’s head home. I’d like to see Clara before she goes to bed, and I’m sure Francesca could use a break.” Until the new nanny starts tomorrow, my mother’s longtime housekeeper, Francesca, has been temporarily filling in. Vin and I fall into step beside each other as we make our way toward my car. “Things with Garrett might get messy.” I side-eye him. “Can I count on you to have my back?”

“Seeing as I know how much you hate a mess.” He smirks. “I will help you in any way I can to exact your revenge.” He opens the passenger door. “Before we head back to the estate, let’s drive by Garrett’s house. I want to see how much damage my pyromaniac brother caused.”

The corners of my lips curve up just the tiniest bit as I slide behind the wheel. I press the start button and ease out of the lot, merging onto the highway.

“By the way…” Vin clears his throat, glancing over with a nervous look in his eyes. “Is this a bad time to tell you I bought Clara a pony?”

I can’t help the grin that breaks through despite every emotion I’m feeling. “Of course you did.” I shift lanes. “I can’t wait for the day you have a kid, and I can return the favor.”

He smirks, leaning back in his seat. “Never fucking happening.”

Chapter five

Charlotte

Istare into the back seat of the taxi, an eerie chill in the air, wrapping its hold around me. My gaze flicks over my shoulder, the familiar unease in the pit of my stomach impossible to ignore.

This is Garrett’s home. His kingdom. A place where he has eyes and ears on every street corner, ruling without mercy to get whatever he wants.

But there’s only one family who overrules this monster in strength, power, and wealth. One that causes fear in Garrett’s eyes at just the mention of their name.

Which means I’m about to do something I never thought I would do… Run straight into another monster’s arms, hoping I’m not making the biggest mistake of my life.

I’m pushed from behind, shoved against the side of the car as a group of men walks by. Pain shoots up my side, my bruised ribs aching from the contact.

“Watch it,” one of the men shouts as he continues, not bothering to look up from his phone.

I wince as I straighten, lower the brim of my baseball cap over my face, and slide onto the cracked leather seat, placing my bag at my feet before pulling the door shut behind me.