Page 31

“Who are they?” she whispered with a shaky breath.

She looked like she wanted nothing more than to slink away and disappear. When we reached the end of the hall, I filled my lungs and slowly exhaled, preparing myself for what laid ahead. With a single blink, the uncaring mask I wore around my father slid into place.

I guided Sutton into the room until we reached my long mahogany dining table. I shoved her into a chair, and she plopped down with an oof before shooting me a glare. Cute.

The black stairs that led to the rooftop terrace sat on the other side, right above my bedroom that faced the kitchen. Everything reflected the light as the afternoon sun blazed through the tall windows, flecks of gold shimmering along the floor.

With shaky hands, Sutton faced the group. Her breath sped up as the news reporter filled the tense air, the vein at her neck drumming beneath her skin.

“Breaking this morning—a man was found dead inside a limousine near the Fraser River. Authorities say the death appears consistent with an overdose, though no official cause has been released yet. The vehicle is reportedly owned by the prominent casino owner, Luka Hale,” the reporter stated.

The TV was shut off with a click of the remote. Still centered in the room, Father turned to face Sutton, his blond hair slicked back. I placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her steady, and her back pressed further into the chair as if she’d rather crawl beneath my skin and stay there.

Tall and broad, my father was all muscle and hard lines, and his navy suit sat taut across his shoulders. His features were steeled and stout, evidence of spending years committing atrocities within his mafia. His glacial blue eyes burned with confidence as he stared down his nose, but there was a hollowness in his gaze, similar to my own.

Naomi was the only one left with light in her eyes, and sometimes, I hated that part of her. I hated how happy she was.

Father deliberately rounded the couch, followed by Grave and the other two men. He stood across from Sutton with a cool smile.

“Sutton Hale, good to see you. Well…” Father scanned the room before shifting back to her. “...despite the circumstances, that is.”

“I wish I could say the same,” Sutton clipped.

I flexed my hand on her shoulder as Naomi snickered in the kitchen. If Sutton pushed too much, Father would probably send her off to the Russians, and I wouldn’t allow that. Not with Dmitri lurking around. Not after the last time he’d seen her.

Father chuckled and slid his hands into his pockets. “I bet you’re wondering why you’re here.”

“I don’t particularly care,” she said.

He nodded. “Mm. Well, I allowed your father and his casinos to lie low for the time being. His time is up, and yet he keeps postponing his agreement with me.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“A lot.” He held her gaze, though not a trace of kindness settled within his stare. “You are our ticket to get him back. That’s if he cares enough to comply.”

“There’s probably a good reason he left, and I won’t ask him to come back. So why don’t you just kill me? I won’t work with you, and I doubt he will either,” Sutton said.

Kill her? It was bold to tell Ronan Mortaine to end her life—someone who wouldn’t hesitate snuffing the light from her eyes. Sutton shrugged off my hand and straightened her spine. I refrained from yanking her back, clenching my fists instead, and stepped to the side.

“I like your tenacity,” Father said, a shadow casting over his face as his brows lowered. “But you’re worth more to me alive than dead at the moment. You will work for me, and you’ll do it with a fucking smile.”

Sutton’s defiant expression faltered. Despite the palpable fear on her face, she held his gaze without blinking and said, “No.”

Father smirked. “I figured you’d say that, but you can’t fool me. You do an excellent job at it—making others believe you’re as innocent as you portray. I know the truth, though.”

Color drained from her face.

I glanced at Father, my mind whirling. What did he mean by that? Did he have something on Sutton? I looked at Naomi in question, but she only shrugged.

“I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Father stated with a knowing grin. “Don’t you?”

Sutton’s chest heaved, shoulders rising on broken inhales as she rubbed a thumb against her palm. Was he bluffing or telling the truth?

I’d been following Sutton and had scraped up every ounce of information on her without his knowledge, so what didn’t I know? The thought of being left out of information annoyed the fuck out of me.

A deafening silence tainted the air, and I clamped my jaw shut, fighting the urge to demand answers.

“Well?” Father pressed.