“Do you have Tanner?” I asked them as if this were a shock to me.

  Thatcher shrugged and ran his hand over the blade of a knife he was holding. “Not anymore.”

  “Where is he? Tanner is my friend! He’s my friend Daphne’s boyfriend!” I really hoped I’d sold that.

  Thatcher barely glanced at me, then turned his threatening gaze to Maxon. “When Maxon here tells us what we want to know, then we can tell him what he wants to know. Really, Oak, you need to calm down. Considering we normally hang men from the ceiling so we can torture what we want to know out of them, we’re being nice to this guy.”

  “You mean, Hamilton,” I corrected him, thinking that was what I was supposed to do. We hadn’t covered this, but if I was supposed to think he was Hamilton, I would have responded this way, I thought.

  “No, I mean, Maxon. Maxon Carda,” he drawled.

  Okay, he had dropped the last name. I had to play along. He was going off script, but here we go. Hopefully, I was doing the right thing.

  I stared at Maxon with confusion on my face. “Carda? As in Carda Global?”

  He looked angry as he met my gaze. He hadn’t wanted me to find that out while he was hanging there. “It’s not what you think, Oakley.”

  “He’s right,” the other guy said, speaking for the first time. “You probably aren’t thinking the guy you’re dating is the heir to the company that hired you just after you and Sebastian started dating.”

  I let my jaw drop. “Heir?”

  He took a deep breath and gave me a pleading look. “Yes.”

  “You … hired me because of Sebastian? But then we broke up. What,” I shook my head trying to appear hurt. Confused. Not sure if I was pulling it off or not. “Did you start dating me because my niece was the daughter of a member? I was just a tool to you?”

  He shook his head and cursed angrily. “NO! That was not it! I love you, Oakley. I’ve fucking loved you since I met you at the fundraiser the first week you were hired. But you barely acknowledged me. You smiled and pretended to want to be there. Pretended to like Sebastian Shepherd, but it was in your eyes that you just wanted to leave. You intrigued me. I wanted to get to know you, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t supposed to want you. You and I aren’t about business. This is real. What I feel is real.”

  I didn’t have to fake my shock this time. I’d had no idea I’d met him years before or that he had been keeping track of me. This was all getting uncomfortable. What happened if he walked free? Would he continue stalking me? Was that what he’d been doing? Panic started slowly unraveling in my chest.

  I had to get away. He had to talk. Tell them what they wanted so I could leave.

  “Then, please,” I begged him, “tell them what they want to know so you can be freed. We can leave. Talk about this. Figure it out.” I swallowed hard. “I’m scared, Hami—Maxon.” And that wasn’t a lie. I was scared of him. I wanted to get away from him.

  His expression hardened, and he tore his eyes off me to look at the other men. “I tell you what you want, and you tell me where Tanner is?”

  “That’s the deal,” the other guy said.

  “If this gets out, if they know that I told you, we are all dead. You understand that, right? You’ve stuck your fucking noses in something you should have stayed away from. You’re not the only Mafia in the world, and the one you are fucking with will end you.”

  My heart slammed hard against my chest as I listened to him. Wilder. This meant Wilder was in danger. I wanted to go run to him and hide him. Keep him away from all of this. Safe. Sarah needed him.

  I couldn’t live without him.

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” the other guy drawled. He didn’t seem surprised. “I want to know why Carda is involved and how deep. Because there will be a stop put to it, and we need to know who all we have to end to do that.”

  Maxon let out a laugh and shook his head. “You’re all fucking insane.”

  “Yes. And it makes us more lethal,” the man told him.

  “Carda Global owes them money. A lot of money.”

  “That’s a start but I need a name.” Thatcher replied.

  Maxon kept his gaze locked on me. I could see the pleading in them. He wanted me to believe him. For what purpose? I didn’t love him. I would never love him.

  “The Fotilas,” Maxon’s words came out in a raspy strained voice. As if he struggled to even say the name.

  Thatcher walked over to me. “Your part is done,” he said to me. “Let’s go.”

  I didn’t look at Maxon as I turned to walk out.

  “Wait! Where are you taking her?” Maxon shouted.

  “Not your business,” the other man informed him just before the door closed behind us. The shouting instantly silenced.

  We went back toward the entrance but stopped at the door closest to the stairs. Thatcher turned and went inside.

  “Here she is. Unharmed,” he announced, and Wilder ignored him as he made his way across the room to me.

  His eyes searched my face for any sign of trauma. When he reached me, his eyes narrowed. “What happened? You’re scared.”

  “She’s fine. She’s shook up because the idiot has been stalking her for years, and that piece of information almost gave her away. It messed with her head but she was bloody brilliant handing it. We got what we needed, and it’s what we originally thought. It’s the Fotilas. Carda is in deep with them financially.”

  The massive man nodded his head with a grim expression. “Then, we kill them all.”

  “First, we make a statement with the one we have tied up. The Cardas can put their trust in us, or they can go down with the Fotilas.” A deep voice with a smooth Southern accent filled the room.

  I turned to see a man with dark blond hair, long enough to be tucked behind his ears. A worn cowboy hat sat on his head, and he had the greenest eyes I’d ever seen. I moved to Wilder’s side, feeling the change in the room at his presence. He wasn’t as big as the other man, but the threat in his chiseled face, which commanded power—or rather fear—was more intimidating.

  His steely glaze locked on Wilder. “Go back home. Take her with you. Keep her there. She’s not safe. I have two of my men camped outside your house now, and they will rotate. Send your mom and stepfather on a trip. Away. Less people to protect, the better.”

  “Yes, sir,” Wilder replied.

  I realized then who the man was. Blaise Hughes, the boss.

  “Thatcher, you remain with Levi until Gage returns. Then, you need to get back to Madison.”

  Thatcher nodded and headed toward the door.

  “Don’t let Levi lose his shit and hurt him—yet,” Blaise called out to a retreating Thatcher.

  He paused and smirked, looking back at his boss. “I can control my cousin.”

  Blaise nodded once, then turned back to the room. “Kye, give them a ride home.”

  The tattooed blond guy stepped forward and saluted Blaise. “On it,” he said with a cocky grin.

  Wilder placed his hand on my lower back. “Let’s go,” he told me.

  I started to follow the man named Kye.

  “You did good in there,” Blaise said as I passed him.

  I paused and glanced at him. He tilted the front of his hat at me like a cowboy, not a Mafia boss.

  “Uh, thanks,” I replied in a shaky voice.

  “I’d remind you of the importance of keeping her close, but from your current body language, I can see that’s unnecessary. You’ll be hearing from me soon, Jones.”

  Wilder nodded his head and nudged me to start walking. Every step I took away from the room where Maxon was bound, the more relief I felt. It wasn’t until we climbed into the back of the SUV that I curled into Wilder’s side and cried.

  Thirty-One

  Wilder

  Oakley stopped crying by the time we reached my gated subdivision, but she was still clinging to me as if her life depended on it.

  While I held her, I imagined murdering the bastard who had caused this with my own two hands in many different ways. I wanted to go back and slice the fucker’s throat open, then watch him bleed to death. It would be quick, but I didn’t need him to suffer. Just die.

  She had gone in there and pulled it off, not breaking down once. Not giving herself away. Whatever Blaise had heard over the speaker he had in there, he’d been impressed with her. I’d seen it in his eyes.

  Asking her about it wasn’t going to happen though. I’d find out from Levi. She needed to forget this and get that damn happy smile back on her face. The one that I craved and realized I needed more than I should.

  When Kye parked the SUV in my driveway, the front door swung open, and Sarah came running out onto the porch with Belladonna at her side. Oakley instantly sat up and reached for the door.

  “My son just started walking. He comes toddling to the door when I get home now. I hope he’s that excited to see me when he’s older,” Kye said from the front seat.

  Oakley pushed open the door, but paused and looked up at Kye in surprise. “You have a little boy?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah. He turns a year old in a few weeks. Hard to believe.”

  Kye didn’t look like the married with a kid type. Oakley’s expression was funny when she realized he was a dad.

  “If I don’t see you again, happy birthday to your little one,” she told him.

  He grinned. “Thanks.”

  Sarah was waving happily, and Oakley jumped down and ran to her. Damn, that made my heart get fucking tight.

  “Finding a woman you love and who loves your kid like her own is special. Don’t lose it. In fact, make that shit permanent. I did.” Kye held up his left hand. There was a tattoo on his ring finger.

  “What does it say?” I asked, not sure I was reading it correctly. It was written in script, and from what I could see, it said Baby.

  “Baby Doll,” he said, then smirked. “Her name is Genesis, but I call her Baby Doll. Have since we were kids.”

  I nodded. Okay. I didn’t think tattooing Oakley’s name on my finger was what she’d want, but I got his point. Besides, if she wanted me to ink her onto my skin, I already knew where that would go.

  “Daddy!” Sarah called out.

  I gave Kye a nod, then climbed out and headed toward the two females in my life who had ever had a hold on me. The one who had owned my heart once and the one who had healed it.

  When I reached the porch, Belladonna ignored me while she wagged her tail and licked all over Oakley. Sarah, however, threw herself into my arms.

  “I missed you!” she said, clinging to me.

  We hadn’t been gone long, but I knew this was more about her fear. She’d been locked in a house with my mom and Porter. They had been instructed not to leave. While Oakley and I hadn’t been here. I hated that my life had touched her at all. She wasn’t supposed to ever know that side of it.

  How did I protect her and keep her from it though? Was there even a way to do that?

  What if Oakley had been right in court that day?

  I held Sarah tighter, not liking where my thoughts were going. She was mine. She was safest with me.

  “Honey and I made coconut cake! Come eat some. It’s yummy!” Sarah told me, then looked over at Oakley with her eyes full of excitement. “Can you stay a little while?”

  Oakley’s gaze flickered to mine. I could see the uncertainty there. Even though she had heard Blaise tell me to keep her close, she wasn’t sure if I would be sending her home. The fact that she believed I could do that didn’t sit well with me.

  “Oakley is staying with us for a couple of weeks,” I told Sarah.

  “OH MY GOD! NO WAY!” She let out a loud squeal and started jumping and clapping.

  “What in the world is going on out here?” my mom asked, coming to the door with an apron on, smiling as if I hadn’t sent someone to her house to bring her here and lock her up yesterday.

  “Let’s get inside the house,” I told all three of them, not comfortable with everyone being out here in the open. Even if I had already spotted the two men Blaise had guarding the house right now. Neither were in eyesight, but I knew where to look.

  My mom seemed to understand and stepped back inside, waving for the girls to follow. “Come on in and have some cake,” she said to Oakley.

  I followed them inside, then locked the doors behind me.

  “Sarah, take Oakley to the kitchen and get her some cake. I’ll be right there,” my mom said, then swung her gaze to me. She wasn’t happy, but she was hiding it well.

  Mom had always hated this life. She had gotten pregnant with me, not knowing that my father was in the Southern Mafia and that his family had been for decades. When she found out, she’d left him.

  Sarah grabbed Oakley’s hand, and I listened to their chatter fade away as they headed down the hallway.

  “I guess I don’t need to tell you that having armed men come to my house and demand that I leave for my own safety didn’t sit right with me. It almost gave Porter a heart attack. He went pale as paper. Then, when we were told Sarah was being taken from school and would need us at your house, it near about gave me a heart attack. What is going on, Wilder?” Her tone was stern, but she was whispering.

  “A lot. I can’t get into all of it with you, Mom, but I am keeping Sarah and Oakley here. There are men stationed at this house for added security. You and Porter are going to get on a plane this afternoon, headed to a private island off Florida’s east coastline.”

  Her eyes widened. “You can’t just tell us what we are going to do. I didn’t sign up for this life. We have a home. One we want to get back to.”

  “Mom, listen to me. This is temporary. I need you and Porter somewhere safe so I can focus solely on Sarah’s and Oakley’s safety. Please. Just get on the plane and go. Enjoy a free vacation.”

  I could see her losing her steam as she sighed heavily. I had known mentioning my need to keep the girls safe would nudge her.

  She glanced back at the hallway leading toward the kitchen. “Oakley is staying here then?” she asked, trying not to look so pleased but the glimmer in her eyes was giving her away.

  I nodded. “She has to. I can’t protect her properly if she is anywhere else.”

  Mom pressed her lips together as she studied me. Leave it to my mom to think of this as a matchmaking situation. “Okay, well, if us going to some private island is helpful to you and Oakley will be here with you and Sarah, then I guess it won’t be that difficult. Assuming it is a nice island.”

  “It’s five-star resort quality,” I assured her.

  Her small shoulders lifted and fell dramatically, but the gleam in her eye was saying something else entirely. Whatever got her to get on that plane. If Oakley and me being under the same roof did that, then fine.

  “Does Oakley know about what you do?” Mom asked then, concern pinching her brow.

  I nodded. “Yes. She’s been in the thick of it for the past twenty-four hours. I’d say, at this point, she knows more about it than you.”

  Mom seemed relieved. “And she’s okay with it?”

  I had no fucking idea. She had been forced to deal with it. This hadn’t been a choice.

  “Yes. I think so.”

  Mom’s smile returned. “Very good then,” she replied and started to untie her apron. “I’ll go let Porter know we are off to a mini vacation on a private island,” she told me with a small curl on her lips before walking off. Now that my mom and Porter were handled, I needed to figure out what the fuck I was going to do with Oakley.

  Thirty-Two

  Oakley

  “What was the best thing that happened to you today?” Sarah asked, smiling at me from across the table as she picked up her garlic bread.

  I finished chewing the lasagna in my mouth and swallowed before replying, “That one is easy. Getting to see you.”

  She shook her head. “That’s too broad. You know the rules. It has to be more specific.”

  I laughed since I was the one who had made the rules to this little game. “Okay, then making dinner with you.”

  She seemed pleased with that, then swung her gaze to Wilder. “All right, it’s your turn, Dad. Best thing that happened to you today?”

  Wilder put his beer down and appeared to be in deep thought. “Eating a piece of that coconut cake.”

  “Dad! You were supposed to say something about me,” she scolded him.

  He lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “We can’t let your ego get too big. This house can only hold so much.”

  She burst into a fit of giggles. I felt Wilder’s gaze on me, and I lifted my eyes to meet it. This entire evening had been strange. Wonderful but different. I was afraid to enjoy it too much, but then afraid not to soak it in while I had the chance.

  “This is the best thing that happened to me today,” Sarah said.

  “What? Eating?” Wilder teased her.

  She shook her head at him and rolled her eyes. “No, silly. Eating dinner with both of you. I’ve never gotten to be with both of you at the same time. It’s perfect.”

  Oh, Sarah, don’t say that. You’re going to slowly kill me.

  Neither Wilder nor I had a comment for that. What did we say? I wanted to tell her I would stay and never leave. That we could do this all the time. But Wilder’s mixed signals made me think once I was safe, things would return to the way they had been.

  “Can we watch a Christmas movie when we finish eating?” Sarah asked.

  “I’ll clean up the kitchen while you and Oakley go get started on a movie. It’s been a long day, and Oakley will probably want to go to bed earlier than usual.”

  Not necessarily, but I wasn’t going to argue with him. This was his house and his rules.

  “But you’re staying for a lot of days. Right?” Sarah asked me, needing reassurance that she wasn’t missing anything if we went to bed early.