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“The cartel leader we were after? Gage and Rush did. I was fighting for my life after tackling a kid to the ground when one of those drones flew over.”
My hands fly to cover my gaping mouth. “My God, Aziel.”
“The child survived.” The relief of reminding himself of that chases a few of the demons I see lurking in the shadows of his past.
I slip from his lap and fall to my knees, shame holding me to the ground under its impressive, unforgiving weight.
“I have no right to ask for your forgiveness. Please, you have to believe me. I have no part in the crimes my family commits. But I am their blood. And I would die for them.” I raise my gaze to his and let my love for those who love me shine fiery hot.
“Just like I would die for you. For Gage and Rush. I never dreamed of hurting you, any of you. I never thought this between us would be something…special.” I finish strongly, holding his eyes with mine.
He takes my chin in hand. “No man ever deserves to see you on your knees, especially me.”
He pulls me to my feet and I shudder in a deep breath at the feel of his lips on my bare shoulder. His arms lock me to his side. He roams his kisses up my neck and finally takes my mouth in a slow-burn kind of claim.
When I think I’m about to pass out he breaks away, both of us breathing heavily.
“Let’s talk about it in the morning when we’ve all had a few hours to sleep.”
My phone goes off again and this time a text comes in. Leaving it unread, I shut the phone off and let them lead me off to bed. Tomorrow, I can tell them the rest of my news. For right now I think one secret at a time is all I can handle.
Later that night I wake with a terrible feeling in my gut I recognize immediately. Guilt and fear. I don’t feel right lying to my brother and lying to my men. This will never work if there are secrets between us and this one comes with a ticking clock.
Thunder rumbles over the lake with lightning trailing close behind.
“Guys?” I call out only to find silence in return. I walk through the dark house, flicking the lights on one-by-one finding no one.
Dread weighs my feet to the floor. The men are gone. And so is my phone.
Eighteen
Aziel
I've never been afraid of a gun shoved into my face. Tonight is no different. Only this time I’m not getting paid to take out the trash. I’m doing it for free.
“Well, it seems we have their attention,” I say over my shoulder.
Gage is at my back alongside Rush. Neither of them finds my offhand comment funny.
We’ve formed a triangle in the middle of Chicago’s Club of crime, Genesis. Men in matching suits come out of the woodwork, their guns drawn and their faces puckered like they’ve sucked each other’s ass all day. Chandeliers, leather and expensive liquor are the main attraction from what I can see. It didn’t take much to be led to the third floor and told to wait after dropping Belle’s name and demanding to see her brother.
Gage flicks the deadly end of Dude Number One’s gun. “Should I start or do you want to do the talking?”
“Frankly, I’m surprised we made it this far. The rest of the plan is more of a wait-and-see kind of deal.”
Rush goes to move but gets a gun shoved into the side of his face.
Dude Number Three out of…I count them quickly…seven…is lucky Rush is in a neutral mood tonight. Otherwise, that gun would be shoved up Number Three’s ass already.
“Stop toying with the hired help, they can’t help that they look like idiots in designer suits.” I blow air kisses to one of them and he looks ready to pop me in the nose with the butt of his weapon. I hope he tries.
“I’m thinking we should have come armed,” Rush adds like it’s an afterthought. “Balance the scales a little. I feel naked.”
“Stop whining. We are here for Belle, not to measure dicks.”
“Gentlemen.”
A man about my height walks out of the same elevator we rode up to the third floor. His suit is worth probably more than my SUV. Cocky and arrogant make up the aura wafting off him. Typical mafia type. He thinks he’s untouchable. I’m dying to teach him otherwise.
