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“What does Griffin have to do with this?” Conway and I were the ones that started this mess. It didn’t seem right that my uncle had to take care of it.
“He has a close relationship with them,” he explained. “They’ve hired him for work in the past. Griffin also knows a lot of people, a lot of men at the Underground. He’s done favors in exchange for loyalty instead of money. He’s as close to untouchable as possible. He offered to intervene because it gives the Barsettis a lot of credibility.”
Griffin was the reason I still had all the members of my family. He had managed to take down all the enemies surrounding them. My father and uncle were the strongest men I knew, but Griffin was made of something else. “I should come too. I’m responsible for all this—”
“No.” My father’s cold tone silenced me instantly. “Crow and I have already talked about this. There’s no room for negotiation.”
“Father, Conway and I are both adults—”
“Who were stupid enough to get mixed up in this,” he snapped. “Now your fathers are cleaning up your mess.”
“We never asked you to—”
“Be grateful that you don’t have to ask. Be grateful that your fathers are willing to sacrifice their lives for you. Be grateful that we would do anything for you, even walk into the monsters’ den and risk our necks.”
I stared at my desk, seeing the pile of bills and documents that needed to be addressed. I was just scolded by my father, and as much as it angered me, I knew I deserved it. “What about the money?”
“We can talk about that later. It’s not important right now.”
If we had to pay back the Skull Kings for the profit we made, it should come out of our pockets, not Crow’s. “When is this happening?”
“As soon as Griffin gets back from his mission.”
“He’s still doing that?” I asked incredulously.
“He’s quitting. He just has to finish two more before he can be done.”
I knew Crow wasn’t happy about that. He wanted a simple and peaceful life. Griffin wasn’t fitting the bill at all right now. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do.” I should probably tell him about Mia, but if she was leaving before the deal even went down, I didn’t see why it mattered.
“You know what you can do?” he asked coldly. “Learn your lesson.”
“I have.” More than he could possibly understand. The woman I was holding captive was actually an exceptional human being, someone who deserved better than the fate she would be forced to accept. I was ignorant and got myself into a bad situation, blinded by the greed the cash instilled in me.
I’d definitely learned my lesson.
Ten
Mia
Carter sat beside me on the couch with his arm wrapped around my shoulders. My legs were pulled over his thighs, and we cuddled on the couch together like a couple enjoying their evening together. His hand rested on my thigh, and his bare chest rose and fell gently with his even breathing. Instead of focusing on the TV, he glanced at me from time to time.
It felt so normal.
It didn’t seem like I was a prisoner anymore. It seemed like I was just a woman with her man. We’d already screwed on the couch, and now we were just enjoying each other’s company. He drank his scotch while I had my wine. I pulled my panties back on so his come wouldn’t drip down my thighs and onto the fabric of his furniture.
If I didn’t have a life to get back to, I would actually want to stay there.
My life had been stressful since I was young. A lot of stupid decisions put me in bad situations. Every day was a struggle, and I constantly worked to have a better life. Being a guest in Carter’s home showed me a luxurious life I’d never imagined. There was no such thing as stress, not when a man like him took care of me.
But it didn’t matter how much I loved being there. It couldn’t compare with the life waiting for me.
The true place where I belonged.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he fished it out to see the name on the screen.
Ever since I came into his captivity, I always looked for an opportunity to escape, to gain more knowledge about Carter and his behavior. So naturally, I looked at the screen even though I didn’t expect to see anything relevant.
But the name on the screen was very relevant.
Egor.
Carter immediately repositioned the phone in his hand to hide the screen. “I have to take this, sweetheart.” He left the couch and headed up the stairs, his black sweatpants hanging low on his hips.
Was that a coincidence?
What were the odds that he would be in contact with the same Egor?
It seemed unlikely, but that didn’t chase away the dread that settled in my heart. Carter and I had just experienced an evening of peace and quiet, but all of that faded away the second that phone rang. My body became heavy with terror, and my heart thudded with palpitations.
