A tear falls from Violet’s eye, and I reach out to wipe it away with my thumb. Christ, that one tear just about rips my heart out.
I’ve never spoken about this with anyone aside from my brothers, but everything with this woman is easy. Not just because she needs to know this story if she’s ever going to trust me, but because something in meneedsto share this with her.
“They were going to take her to sell her, to get back at my uncle, but she fought them. You remind me of her, so fucking strong and not afraid to kick someone’s ass. Anyway, she got some good hits in, and it wounded their pride. So, they killed her there in our kitchen.”
“Mateo, I’m so sorry. What happened to the men?”
I clear my throat. “My uncle killed all but one of them. The asshole went underground, and it took a long time to find him. He’s waiting in my basement for me to finish him off.”
She blinks in surprise.
“Julian’s family took me in. I had no interest in going to work for my uncle. These days, my cousin runs that outfit, and we’re on good terms. I still have no interest in his business, and he doesn’t care about mine. A few years out of school, we met Carson. The four of us are brothers in every way that counts. They’re my family, Violet.”
“I’m so glad you have that,” she replies softly.
“We’re not good men.” I shake my head and let out a soft laugh, but the water whistles, so I get up to make her tea, pulling my thoughts together.
I set her mug next to her, but she doesn’t pick it up. Her eyes are pinned to me.
“I won’t tell you all of the shit we’re involved in. We all have our own separate legit businesses, and we have plenty that are a little more ...nefarious.”
“Like the fight club.”
“What fight club?” I smile at her and take her hand in mine, gently brushing my thumb over her bruised knuckles. “Yeah, things like that. But never, not once, have we ever dealt in people. I don’t sell women, Savage. I don’t hurt women. None of us do. In fact, we’ve been working to find who’s behind the flesh trade in our city and wipe them out. That’s why we were there tonight.”
She nods slowly and swallows hard. “That makes sense.”
“Now, I need to come clean with you on a few things if I expect you to tell me everything I want to know.”
“Shit, what did you do?”
I let out a laugh and then kiss her knuckles. “I’ve been stalking you since the minute I saw you at my club.”
“What club?”
My lips twitch. “I’ve followed you, and I’ve had you followed when I was working and couldn’t keep an eye on you.”
“Iknewsomeone was watching me.”
“I orchestrated which businesses you’d show up to so you could find me.”
Her eyebrows climb. “What? How?”
“Julian could see what you were searching, and he planted the information in the search engine that I owned the café and Rapture.”
“Youdon’town them?”
“No.”
“Not even Rapture? But, I got VIP access, and you were there?—”
“Rome owns it,” I reply. “And he got you everything I asked him to.”
“Jesus, and I thoughtIwas a liar,” she mutters. “Why did you do all of that?”
“Because I want you. As far as I’m concerned, you’remine.”
Her jaw goes slack. “That’s it?”
