Don’t fall for it. Don’t do it. Fight him.

  The inner dialog barely did enough to keep me from falling off the ledge, but I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t fall under his spell again.

  “That will depend entirely on you, my beauty.”

  I’d loved when he’d called me that before, but now it felt dirty. When he brushed his knuckle across my cheek, I reared back.

  Sighing, he fisted his hand, taking a deep breath before turning away. “I’m certain you’re hungry. Take some time to shower and dress. I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready. If you feel up to it, I’ll show you around your new home.”

  My new home. The words weren’t said possessively but I knew that’s what he meant.

  He’d captured a fragile bird in a net, stroking her wings until the creature had trusted him. Now she’d be in a beautiful, gilded cage until he was finished with her.

  As he walked out of the room, stopping long enough to glance over his shoulder, I was forced to face the fact the connection we shared would never be broken.

  And in those fleeting moments, my body betrayed me as it had before. My heart began to sing.

  Phoenix

  The weight of the situation was attached with a thick strand of rope around my neck, heavy to the point I had difficulty breathing. Carrying her into my house and easing her into one of my beds, a place only one other person had ever been invited, had been damning. Or maybe cathartic. Either way, she served as a reminder of the past, a true beacon of hope in the darkness wrapped around my life. She was also a significant weakness, not just to be used by my enemies but by those considered close to the fold.

  I found Jonas inside my office, pacing the floor impatiently. He looked up as I entered, annoyed from the wait as well as the cryptic call I’d made to him while on the flight.

  “What the hell are you doing?” he demanded.

  He was the only man in my employ that could get away with such disrespect. We’d been friends for far too long, often an issue when it came to challenging my decisions.

  The afternoon sun streamed in through the bank of windows, highlighting the pool that I hadn’t enjoyed for almost two years. I’d had my share of casual events, family parties where everyone enjoyed the infrastructure, but I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken a swim. The thought brought a chuckle to my lips. Whitney had gotten so far under my skin I was questioning almost every aspect of my life. That didn’t bode well for what the family would likely face.

  “You wouldn’t have arrived for hours, Jonas. In that timeframe, the men Zakaryan hired would have been crawling all over the city with a single intent in mind. My extermination.”

  “So you brought our business, our weakness into the forefront with someone else?”

  He knew perfectly well that I was a member of the Brotherhood. Although I’d offered few specifics, he was informed as to how the alliance worked. For him to continue berating me was blasphemous. I moved in front of him, giving him a hard stare. This would be my one verbal warning.

  “You were told she was returning with me. It would seem during my short absence that you believed yourself to be the leader? Should I remind you of your place?” He knew me well enough to realize he’d just crossed a line. The glare in his eyes slowly started to fade and he purposely looked away and down out of respect.

  The man was as brutal as I was, trustworthy above all others, yet his taste for achievement had tainted him over the years.

  Or perhaps I’d been too lenient.

  “I meant no disrespect, but Zakaryan is looking for any avenue of undermining your authority.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh as I walked toward the bar. It had been a difficult twenty-four hours, exhaustion starting to settle in. After watching Whitney for over an hour in the dark, I’d spent time in my office poring over financials of the various businesses, ensuring there was no blip in income or in services. The quickest, easiest way to begin the undermining process Jonas was talking about was to start from the bottom. Laying doubt. Offering protection. Stealing business. I’d yet to see such occurrences, but it was only a matter of time.

  “And I’m in the planning stages of ensuring that doesn’t happen.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  I poured a whiskey before answering him. “A strike where it will provide the most internal carnage.”

  He eyed me carefully. “You want to hit them in their own territory.”

  “Absolutely. But I don’t want loss of innocent life. Property I couldn’t care less about but no civilians.”

  Jonas nodded. “It would seem your time spent with your… guest has softened you.”

  Maybe he was right. Up to this point, I wouldn’t ordinarily care except I’d gone out of my way to ensure women and children were never involved. “We are not savages, Jonas. We are men fighting to maintain our place in history.”

  I always made him laugh when I said something so outrageous. Today was no exception. “At least you’ve kept your sense of humor.”

  “And news on the train?”

  “Twenty dead, dozens injured. The Feds are calling it an act of terror. So far, no finger pointing but it’s only a matter of time.”

  “That was a risk Zakaryan took, not me. I used another identity when booking the passage. We shall see if the Feds can weed through the dockets finding anything leading them to this organization.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Excellent. You’re very cunning.”

  I took a sip of my drink. “Yes. Cunning indeed. Find a location for a strike. Continue to monitor Elena.”

  “Oh, I think you know I will.”

  His affection for my sister was understandable. It was also growing. That could become a problem within the family as my father was determined to marry her off to gain more power. A truly barbaric activity.

  “There will be a family meeting tomorrow. Then I’ll finalize plans on how to handle Zakaryan. Make certain you glean as much information from the informants as possible. I want to know if there is a single incident of unusual activity.”

  “I’ll keep you informed. What about your guest?”

  I shifted my gaze to my open office door, my chest tightening. Seeing her so vulnerable, all the fire ripped away because of decisions I’d made in my life had taken a significant toll, one I wouldn’t admit to anyone. It was brutal enough to realize the beast in me could care about someone again.

  The electricity had sparked as always, but her determination to destroy me was evident in her eyes. That would make for a tumultuous few days. “To be determined.”

  “Are you planning on going to Miami?”

  “Potentially, but first and foremost, we handle the necessary business here.”

  “Understood. I’ll call you if anything comes up.” I sensed his hesitation in leaving, as if he’d planned on offering up some advice on relationships. No one in our world was good at that, including the members of the Brotherhood. The women they loved, the families they’d created would always be in harm’s way. There was no amount of security, no systems that could be set in stone to stop what was usually inevitable.

  Heartache and devastation.

  The monster in me wanted no part of it but the man wasn’t listening.

  With the ticking of time parading in front of me, the need to possess her grew stronger. She’d called herself a fool for daring to allow me into her life. Maybe I was the chump to have believed I could easily toss her aside.

  He thought better of interrupting my train of thought, leaving without saying another word. Fortunately, I knew I could count on him to provide what I needed. I pulled my phone from my pocket, searching for Maxim’s number. At least he could get a handle on whether Zakaryan had hired mercenaries or sent soldiers to the southern city. I knew him well enough to know he wouldn’t mind crushing a few in the process.

  The savage Russian did enjoy violence.

  He answered on the second ring, the private number given to a select few. “The Greek. I had a feeling you’d be calling me.”

  “Constantine gave you a heads up.”

  “Yes, as he so enjoys doing as leader of our illustrious organization.” He was more jovial than usual, a trait only discovered after his change of heart regarding women. While I wouldn’t call him going soft, the rough edges had been smoothed out with the woman’s love.

  I was heading down the rabbit hole again, thinking of Whitney as anything but an end to a means. “Any sign of activity in your part of the world?”

  “There’s always activity, Phoenix. Miami is ripe with snakes, but nothing more unusual than any other day. What specifically are you looking for?”

  “I need an address searched. Is that possible?”

  “All things are possible for the right amount of money.” He laughed, another change in his hard demeanor. “I owe you a favor. What are my men looking for?”

  “A package sent from California.”

  “Easy enough. And if it’s found?”

  Snickering, I moved toward the window, staring out at the pool. As Whitney walked outside in bare feet, clutching sandals in her fingers, my breath was suddenly captured, taken to a tomb. The woman always took my breath away. “Bring it with you to the party in a few days.”

  “Ah, yes. The quarterly meeting. You trust me with the information?”

  “I trust no one. You’re a smart man, more intelligent than most. You know exactly what I’ll do if you betray me.”

  “Interested in moving into Florida, my Greek friend?”

  “Well, the weather is much nicer.”

  We could both laugh given our blood oath, but my gut was twisted as to what lengths Zakaryan would go in order to obtain the stolen merchandise.

  “I’ll keep that in mind when I select my weapon to travel with. I heard it’s a woman.”

  “New always travels fast in the Brotherhood.”

  “Especially if the Greek god might leave the great state of bachelorhood.”

  Whitney was doing little more than studying her surroundings. Maybe she was planning an escape. I hadn’t lied to her, although I’d failed to mention the extensive security system including cameras in dozens of locations. If she tried, she’d learn that some consequences were more painful than others.

  “That’s not going to happen. Have your men be on the lookout. Zakaryan hired thugs to slaughter innocent people. He’ll do anything to get what he wants.”

  “You underestimate me, my friend. If the bastard tries, he’ll face an impenetrable force.”

  “I knew I could count on you.” There was no need for any additional pleasantries. We weren’t good friends, even if over the years we’d gotten tighter as a group. While our alliance was no longer the best kept secret in the country, the fact others knew of our existence gave us additional power.

  There would be a need to use it at some point. For now, I was content in eliminating the enemy at hand, keeping peace in my territory.

  After that?

  The question lingered in my mind as I shoved my phone into my pocket, still watching her from the window. I’d seen the look in her eyes after finding me in her room.

  Bottomless fear.

  Danger.

  Distrust.

  Lust.

  The combination was dangerous for both of us.

  In the worst way.

  CHAPTER 14

  Whitney

  Mortal sin.

  My mother had used those words, throwing them at me whenever I’d done something wrong, or she’d known I was thinking about stretching my boundaries. She’d had a sixth sense that had always floored me. Maybe that’s why ultimately, I’d become a good girl.

  Now I was challenging the definition and the notion.

  Everything I’d done over the last few days had been disastrous.

  But it was everything I’d ever wanted.

  Standing in this spot, a place of beauty and serenity, I was struck by how much at peace I was the second I’d walked outside. I was surrounded by lushness, a portrait of the rich and famous, or in his case notorious. Yet I gathered a sense of loneliness, the space never used. There was no reason for me to feel a sense of sadness. Why should I care if he was a lonely man?

  I’d felt him watching me from a window, his electric aura easily felt through the thick panes of glass. After he’d left, I’d realized just how far he’d gone in his efforts to ensure his safety. The windows were thick, likely bulletproof. I’d seen at least two cameras, which meant there were several more. And I’d noticed two men with weapons strapped to their sides.

  He’d ordered some employee to purchase a few items of clothing, all exactly in my size. Exactly what I’d choose. The powerful man continued to surprise me.

  I sensed his presence, the allure of destruction and domination trailing behind him everywhere he went. Every nerve ending sparked to life, the swirl of nervousness tumbling in my stomach. When he flanked my side, he said nothing. He wasn’t even looking in my direction, but he was taking in everything I was doing.

  A predator ready to strike.

  There was no mistaking his charm or the way it made me feel, even if I longed to feel disgust instead. After two minutes had passed, I couldn’t stand the silence.

  “I realized you’re the one living inside a gilded cage,” I told him.

  He didn’t as much as glance in my direction. “At least I have the freedom of determining what is important in my life.”

  “What is? I’m curious. You told me in the beginning that family meant everything to you. Is that really the truth?”

  His exhale reminded me that he was a haunted man. “Very much so. When I witnessed the destruction of Elena’s winery, the aftereffects of the police searching for what would never exist on her property, all I could think of was hunting the people responsible.”

  “I’m sorry that happened. I doubt that’s what my father intended by stealing information from you.”

  “Maybe not, Whitney. In truth, it’s my belief your father’s weakness was used in a vile game of its own. He had no business getting involved with the kind of people he did.”

  “I can’t speak for him.”

  “And I’m not asking you to. If he mailed you the information, it will be found at your condominium and brought to me.”

  I turned to face him, just as indignant as before. “You sent soldiers to break into my condo?”

  “It’s necessary.” When he shifted toward me, his large frame looming over mine, I reacted on frustration and the utter lack of control. I lifted my arm to strike him across the face but he caught my wrist mere inches from his face. Instantly, flames licked at my skin, searing every muscle and tendon, the transference of electricity evident by the predacious look in his eyes. “Violence doesn’t solve everything, my beauty.”

  His statement made my throat tickle with laughter. I jerked my hand free, fisting my fingers. “I thought it did in your world.”

  “Not always. I’m a businessman first.”

  “And second?”

  “A protector.”

  When his features softened, some of the anger melted away. I didn’t doubt he’d lay down his life to protect me. The thought was profound. “Like I told you, I doubt he sent it there.”

  “Then where?”

  “I honestly don’t know. I kept everything from him.”

  “But he knew you lived in Miami?”

  I had to think about the question. “Yes, I’m certain he did.”

  “Then anything is possible given the internet, addresses easily found. I assure you those involved in searching for what I need won’t destroy what you’ve worked hard to achieve.”

  “I’ll take you at your word.”

  “As I said, I’ll never lie to you. I do keep my promises.”

  I wanted to believe him.

  More than anything.

  “What is this really about?” I asked him. “I know you don’t want this enemy of yours to get his hands on the information, but it’s very personal for you.”

  “For one thing, my sister’s reputation is on the line and quite possibly her freedom. The police believe she extorted money from her own company. And they’re trying to pin a money laundering charge on her as well.”

  The pain in his eyes was real. “She has nothing to do with your business, does she?”

  “No. She refused. The winery is her one true love and joy.”

  Something my father must have known. The ache inside returned, the need to help Phoenix a strangely invigorating feeling.

  “Is there any news on the wreck?” I needed to ask but was fearful of the answer.

  “Twenty people killed, at least a dozen with serious injuries.”

  “All because of my father.” I looked away, hating the man even more. But if I’d only listened to him, maybe the outcome would be entirely different. Guilt tore through me, the kind that would never fully leave. “My fault.”

  “Nothing is your fault.” He pulled my chin toward him, forcing me to look into his eyes. “But you need to be honest with me.”

  “I have been, Phoenix. If I had listened to him and learned anything, I’d be happy to rid myself of it. If it’s about the money, tell me how much and I’ll pay you back one day.”

  He chuckled as if what I’d said was the funniest thing in the world. “I couldn’t care less about the money. Neither does my sister. Now, come. I want to show you something, but you should wear your sandals.”

  If I’d wanted even a small part of me to refuse, it wasn’t happening. Around him, seeing his lust for life from a different point of view, I was eager, excited.

  A completely hot mess.

  After I slid on my shoes, he led me away from the pool area into the backyard. Perhaps I was expecting him to parade me around in a fancy car, detailing his significant wealth. The fact we were walking to our destination had me intrigued. What could he possibly show me that would alter my thoughts?

  Only a few minutes later I found out as he guided me into a grove of fruit trees, their foliage thick and green. “Apples.” A moment of giddiness swept through my system. I raced toward one of the trees, stretching on my tiptoes to try to grab one of the largest apples on the tree. When I couldn’t reach it, I jumped, laughing as soon as I did so.