Page 52 of Twisted Tate

Tate’s grip on me tightens. “We needed time. And no one was going to take her from me. Not even you.”

Thorne lets out a low whistle. Fox looks like he’s trying not to smile, as Ivy reaches over and squeezes his hand.

And Dane Sinclair, probably the most powerful man in the Raven world, looks at his son like he’s seeing him for the first time.

“Well.” Whitney breaks the silence, her voice warm and amused. “Dane, stop interrogating them and let them sit down.”

“I’m not interrogating anyone. I need to understand exactly what the situation is here.”

“You’re doing your scary patriarch face. It’s very intimidating. We’re all very impressed.” She crosses the room and takes my hand before I can react. “I’m Whitney.”

“I—” I glance at Tate, not sure how to respond to that. “I’m Reese.”

Dane gives his wife a stern look. “You’re going to pay for that, kitten.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” she fires back.

I look away, not sure what to think about their display. Tate notices and flashes me a smirk.

“Sit down, baby girl. We need to talk about what happens next.”

Whitney guides me to the sofa across from Fox and Ivy and settles beside me, close enough that our shoulders almost touch.

Tate drops onto my other side, his thigh pressing against mine, his arm stretching along the back of the couch behind my shoulders.

Thorne stays standing, arms crossed leaning against the window, watching everything unfold.

Dane remains by the fireplace for a moment longer, studying us. Then he moves to the center of the room.

“Fox filled me in this morning. We already knew that Jenson Donaldson had been running his own operation outside the Council’s approval. But we haven’t procured the proof we needed to bring him down.” His gaze flicks to me. “There is no need to discuss the details. I already know enough to agree that the man needs to be put down.”

I release a sigh of relief. I really didn’t want to discuss the worst parts of my life with Tate’s father.

I glance at Tate, and the guilt rises in my chest knowing I haven’t told him all of it. I trust him enough to tell him, I just don’t know how to find the words.

“His life ends as soon once we get him where we want him.” Tate’s arm drops from the couch to wrap around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. “Slowly. Painfully. And then we do the same to every other man on the list.”

“That’s not a complete plan. That’s you playing out your need for vengeance.”

“Isn’t that what I’ve done for you many times over? For Whitney? For Fox?”

“Tate.” Dane’s voice sharpens. “I’m not saying Donaldson doesn’t deserve to die, or that he’s not going to die. I’m saying we need to be smart about it. He’s a Council member. There are other issues at play here, and we have to do this right so it doesn’t point back to us.”

“We have that covered.” Fox leans forward. “We know when to grab him, where to find his files, and we know how to get rid of his body.”

“That’s all well and good. I know you all know how to get that job done.” Dane waves a hand. “But you are forgetting a very critical piece of this puzzle.”

“Which is?”

“Her.” Dane’s gaze lands on me, and I force myself to meet it. I’m surprised to find it’s not cruel but almost sympathetic. Then he focuses on Tate. “Do you think she can just walk into the Raven mansion on your arm and no one is going to question where she’s been for the past several days or why?”

“So we set up the Talons to find her.” Tate shrugs. “You can have me join the search, and we can follow an anonymous tip to somewhere she’s being held.”

“That handles the short term.” Dane’s expression doesn’t change. “But there’s a bigger issue. Even if we take Jenson out, someone else would lay claim to her.”

My body goes rigid. “What?”

“Your closest male relative.” Dane’s tone is matter-of-fact. “Doves don’t become free just because their fathers die. They are given to their nearest male relative if they haven’t been married.”