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It’s been days since Isabella and I talked about my past, days since I let Isabella catch a glimpse into the kind of life I used to lead.
Instead of running for the hills, she’s been nothing but patient, kind, and understanding.
It’s making me love and appreciate her all the more because even when I was locked in a closet as a kid and dreaming of a different kind of life myself, I couldn’t have dreamed up Isabella. Even in my wildest fantasies, she didn’t exist.
I’ve got to make damn sure I’m worthy of her and the kind of love she’s giving me.
Because I desperately want to believe that I am, that after everything I’ve done to claw my way to the top of the empire, I can still start over from scratch—with Isabella and our daughter by my side.
Remy folds his arms over his chest, his nostrils flaring. “I’m not leaving.”
I glance over at Tristan, who nods and gestures to two Blackthorne men. In silence, they both step forward and head straight for Remy. Inches away, they stop and give the Donahue rat a meaningful look. He ignores them both and keeps his gaze fixed on me.
“That’s it? You’re just going to have me kicked out by your goons? You’re not even going to try and indulge me?”
“Rich is dead. He had it coming. Unless you want to meet the same fate, I’d suggest you take a fucking hike. I’m not here for you.”
Nor do I have any interest in getting any blood on my hands after weeks of steering clear.
My first priority after making sure the truce goes into effect is making sure Remy is given whatever money or property he deems necessary to shut him up and send him back to whatever hole he crawled out of.
It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, but it’s all for Isabella and the future I’m trying to build for myself. And I’ll be damned if I let a Donahue, of all people, take that away from me.
His family has already taken too much, and I’m not letting him take one more thing.
With a quick look at my men, the two of them take another step, and one of them places a hand on Remy’s arm. He shakes him off and wheels on the other to try and punch him. Everyone in attendance watches as Remy misses and has his arms pinned behind his back. Then he is slammed against the nearest well, a low wheezing sound leaving his body.
Mathew and Floyd exchange quick looks that I can’t decipher.
I continue to stand there, leaning against the table.
Remy squirms and thrashes against his captors. “You’re a fucking coward, Blackthorne. Can’t even deal with your problems yourself, so you have to have others do it for you. How does it feel, huh? How does it feel to know that Rich was right about you?”
I gesture to my men, who stop dragging Remy away. “Unless you want to limp out of here, I’d suggest you shut the fuck up.”
Remy scowls and dusts himself off. “Or what? I’ll be subjected to the infamous Blackthorne wrath? Go ahead and make my fucking day.”
It’s exactly what he wants.
Remy isn’t just here to disrupt the truce and throw a wrench in every suggestion. He wants his pound of flesh, and I’m standing a few feet away from him.
All he needs to do is launch himself across the room, and he’ll be one step closer, but Remy and I both know that he won’t get within an inch of me. Not in this room, not in this life.
Not unless I make it happen.
Frowning, I step out from behind the desk and approach Remy. A ripple of surprise moves through the room. As soon as I’m close enough to feel the anger radiating off him and see the tight set of his shoulders, I realize two things at once.
The first is that Remy is a complication that needs to be taken care of right now. The second is that he believes he can take me on.
Without breaking our gaze, I peel off my jacket and drape it over the back of the nearest chair. Then, I roll up the sleeves of my shirt and shove both hands into my pockets. Remy’s eyes widen as his eyes dart between the jacket and my face.
“Don’t tell me you’re losing your nerve now,” I tell him, pausing to shift from one foot to the other. “This is the only chance you’re going to get.”
Remy blinks. “To do what?”
“Beat me to a bloody pulp,” I reply with a grim smile. “You want your revenge, right? Be man enough to take it, or else get the fuck out.”
Remy glances around the room, but no one wants to meet his gaze. “What kind of trick is this?”
