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During the drive to my father’s house, Havoc received a call from his mother. When he hesitated to answer, I gave him a gentle nudge.
“Answer it,” I said. “She deserves that much. Unless you’d prefer not to talk to her in front of us.”
With a groan, Havoc hit the button to accept the call. “Hello?”
The rest of us sat in silence while he did his best to explain to his mother why he’d done what he had. He stayed calm, speaking to her in a tone I’d never heard before. Soft but firm, unwilling to admit that he’d done anything wrong while also being sympathetic to her pain.
When he finished the call, he said, “Well, that’s surprising. She doesn’t want the syndicate to know that I killed my father. She lied to them. She told them a man she didn’t recognize came to the door and went upstairs with him. He was gone before she discovered my father dead in his study. She’s sworn my sister to secrecy.”
“Because of Nate,” Gage piped up. “She doesn’t want bad blood between you. He’d probably come after you. He might not be the only one.”
“He still might if he wants to keep me from taking over,” Havoc mused. Fisting a handful of his hair, he let his head fall against the window. “I can’t even think about that right now.”
I patted his leg, offering a supportive smile. “You don’t have to, and you don’t have to take over for your father unless that’s what you really want.”
I swallowed hard. If Havoc took his father’s position as head of the Alexander syndicate, that would make him my father’s direct opposition. Now that Maverick was dead, we would never know for sure what really happened between him and my father. I’d always believed the story my father told. Maverick had killed his own best friend in order to pin it on my dad and use it to start this war between them. Now there was no way of getting the truth from Maverick.
“I don’t know what I want anymore,” Havoc sighed. Sliding his fingers between mine, he gently squeezed. “Except for you. I definitely want you.”
Maybe Maverick’s death would open the door for peace between both organizations. Only if Havoc took over. Otherwise, I doubted anything would change. Those closest to Maverick would most likely keep operating as they had been.
We arrived at my dad’s to find him sitting in the backyard. It was a nice day. The sun shone down, bathing the yard in a warm glow. Dad sat in a lawn chair, a drink in one hand.
I sucked in a deep breath as I led the guys into the yard. “Hey, Dad. I hope this is a good time. We really need to talk to you.”
I’d called ahead to let him know that I was coming and that I wouldn’t be alone. He waved a hand at the chairs next to his and nodded to the pitcher of Long Island iced tea on the small table next to him.
“Help yourselves and take a seat. I’m Desmond, although I’m sure you already know that.” Because my dad wasn’t a jerk, he offered his hand to each of the Gods in turn, ending with Havoc. The two of them shared a look, like two sharks sizing each other up.
“Nice to officially meet you, Sir. Raina has told us a lot about you.” Havoc surprised me with his polite, respectful tone.
“She hasn’t told me nearly as much about you,” Dad quipped, making me cringe. “I’m glad to have this opportunity to speak with you all.”
We each took a seat. I sat stiffly on my lawn chair, unable to relax. My palms were sweating. I tried to subtly wipe them on the sweatpants I wore. Havoc’s this time.
“Look, Dad,” I began, trying to find the right words. “There’s a few things we need to tell you. First of all, Maverick is dead. Also, he was involved with Nikki.”
Dad’s face never changed. He sat there with his lips pressed into a tight, thin line, listening as the four of us told him various parts of the story. Telling my dad that his wife had never loved him and had planned all along to kill both him and me broke my heart. Sure, she was a cheap floozy barely older than me but he deserved better.
When we finished, he nodded once and drained the rest of his drink dry. Looking to Havoc, he asked, “You killed him?”
Havoc nodded. “I did. He went after Raina. He wanted her dead. I had to do something to make sure he could never hurt her again.”
Dad absorbed this bit of information with a twist of his lips and a grimace. “I appreciate your dedication to keeping Raina safe. That was a bold move, kid. It takes a strong person to do the right thing when it means making a decision like that. I’m impressed.”
Maybe it was just me but I swore Havoc brightened at my father’s compliment. He sat up straighter, accepting the compliment with a nod.
“Thank you, Sir. I did what I had to do. What any man would do for the woman he loves.”
I had to double check that my mouth hadn’t dropped open. Despite Havoc’s admission of his feelings last night, I hadn’t expected him to share that with my father.
Dad looked as shocked as I felt. His eyes widened. He poured himself another drink from the pitcher. “Love, huh? That’s a pretty bold claim. I hope you understand what you’re getting yourself into. You are now the head of an organization that has made itself my enemy. What is your intent here?”
Havoc held my father’s piercing stare without flinching. “My intent is to protect Raina above all else. At this point, I’m not even sure that I want to take my father’s place. There was a time when that’s all I wanted. Now, I’m not so sure anymore.”
Dad slid me a questioning glance, raising a brow. Heat flooded my face. If Havoc told him that I’d been sleeping with all three of them, I’d kick his ass. As much as I thought I might love him too, I wasn’t ready to have that conversation with my father.
“I’m not sure if you want my advice. However, I wouldn’t make a decision too quickly. Taking over your father’s organization would create a lot of opportunity for you. If you were willing, we may even be able to lay this decades long feud to rest. Of course, I imagine your father had a different version of that story.” Dad sat back in his chair, tipping his face up toward the sun. He pulled the sunglasses off his head, sliding them over his eyes.
