Page 24 of Vengeance

"You don't get a vote,” Vengeance growled.

"The hell I don't.” He looked at her with her hair covered in concrete dust and dried blood on her sleeve from where she'd scraped her arm diving behind cover. Her blue eyes were fierce, determined, and beautiful. He knew that if he didn't do something, she'd be dead before sunrise. He made his decision and stepped out from behind the tree.

Lucius grinned. "There you are." The older man hadn't changed much. Gray threaded through his black hair now, and he had more scars. He wore the same expensive leather jacket. And he had the same dead eyes—the kind that looked like they could look straight into a person’s soul.

"You've gotten old," Vengeance assessed.

Lucius laughed. “And you’ve gone soft.” His gaze shifted past Vengeance. "You brought her to us, just like you said you would."

"I never said that,” Vengeance insisted. He could feel Chloe’s eyes on him, and he hoped like hell that she didn’t believe Lucius’s lies. “I said I'd protect her."

"You said a lot of things." Lucius lowered his rifle. "Your father misses you."

Vengeance barked a laugh. "No, he doesn’t. He misses controlling me."

"Same difference,” Lucius said. "You always were difficult."

"I learned from the best,” Vengeance said.

A flicker of amusement crossed Lucius's face. "That’s fair.” He took another step forward. "Dante's willing to forgive everything." Chloe’s gasp was nearly his undoing. He wanted to look at her and explain everything, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Lucius.

Vengeance actually laughed. "Liar."

"I'm serious,” Lucius lied.

"My father doesn't forgive,” Vengeance said.

"No." Lucius nodded. "He rewards loyalty."

Vengeance's expression hardened. "Tell him to find another son."

Lucius's smile disappeared. "You’re his only son, V." The words hit like a freight train, and Chloe gasped again behind the tree. Lucius slowly looked toward her. "I guess he never told you,” he said almost casually,

Vengeance's blood froze. "Lucius."

"What?" he innocently asked.

"Don't,” Vengeance warned.

The older man ignored him. Instead, he smiled at Chloe. "You've been trusting the wrong man, sweetheart."

Vengeance drew his pistol. "I said don't."

Lucius never even glanced at the weapon. "You should ask him what his last name is." She crouched silently in the woods. "Ask him,” he shouted at Chloe.

Chloe slowly stood, and confusion clouded her face. "Vengeance?" His heart pounded so hard it hurt. He didn’t want her to find out like this—not like this.

"Tell her,” Lucius said. He couldn't—he physically couldn't force the words past his lips. Lucius chuckled. "I'll save you the trouble." He looked directly at Chloe. "The man risking his life for you is Vengeance Manzo, Dante’s son.” Everything stopped around them—even the wind seemed to still.

Chloe stared at him and then back at Lucius. "Manzo?" Her voice barely existed. "No." Vengeance couldn't breathe. “You’re Dante’s son?” She shook her head as though trying to shake off the fog clouding her brain. "Dante Manzo?" Tears filled her eyes. “You're his son."

Vengeance closed his eyes as the world around him felt like it was falling apart. The secret he'd spent years trying to keep was finally out, and there would be no taking it back now.

Chloe

Chloe’s world felt as though it had tilted off kilter. She couldn't breathe, think, or hear anything beyond the deafening roar of blood rushing through her ears. His last name was Manzo. It was a name that echoed through every nightmare she'd fought to bury.

Dante Manzo was the man who had ordered her kidnapping. He was the monster her fathers had spent years making sure never got close to her again—the monster she swore she'd kill if she ever saw him. And Vengeance was his son.