“Then let’s make certain they don’t become a problem,” Constantine stated as he looked from one man to the other.

  “What about the information you’re desperate to find?” Maxim asked.

  “I don’t know yet. I may take a trip to your fair city myself.”

  “The woman? She doesn’t know anything?” Brogan leaned over the table, eyeing me carefully.

  “No.” But was I so certain? I hated to think she was lying to me in order to protect the memory of a father she claimed to hate, but I had to remind myself that blood was thicker than water.

  “The Armenians have always been an issue in New York,” Gabriel added. “However, the Don in Brooklyn owes me a favor given I spared his worthless life. I’ll have a long chat with him.”

  I lifted my glass, satisfied that our alliance would help. “To the Brotherhood.”

  “Hear, hear.” Dante grinned.

  Even as we toasted, another bad feeling began to swell in the back of my mind.

  Constantine took a swig of his drink, returning his glass to the table. “Onto another area of business that I wanted to mention while we were all together.”

  “Have you ever noticed how formal he’s become?” Brogan asked, laughing.

  “Was he like this in college?” Dante piped in.

  “Too much so. It was like he was the king and we were his subjects.”

  While everyone laughed at Brogan’s statement, I sensed it was an irritant to Constantine. He was all about organization, planning for the future. Now that he was a family man, I’d sensed a change in his attitude.

  “We aren’t getting any younger. The alliance has proven to be successful.” He kept his tone even, but there was more emotion in him than usual.

  “Speak for yourself, old man.” Diego patted him on the back.

  “I’m being serious,” Constantine continued. “Some of us have children, others perhaps soon.” He grinned at me as if telling the future.

  I scoffed, glancing toward the river. I wasn’t ready to jump into being a father just yet. “What are you suggesting?”

  “We establish a fund.”

  “For?” Maxim asked.

  Constantine sighed, glancing away as if still thinking about what he wanted to see happen. “Our legacy. There may be a time that brute strength won’t solve our issues. We need to allow those we care about to handle business in whatever way is necessary. I suggest we make regular contributions, eventually investing in real estate, stocks, whatever we decide is prudent.”

  “Like a regular corporation.” Dante said, already fascinated by the idea.

  “That’s not bad,” Gabriel said as he sat back in his chair. “We’ll have little lords running around soon enough. We can protect them in a different way.”

  Lords. Their legacy would be to become the Lords of Corruption. Oddly enough, I liked the thought. “That’s a good idea, even if I have no plans on becoming a father any time soon.”

  Constantine wagged his finger. “Never say never, my friend. One day you’re married. The next she’s pregnant. Suddenly, you’re worried about college funds. Trust me. It’ll happen.”

  “He’s right,” Maxim said.

  “Do you have news?” I had to ask.

  “Savannah is pregnant. We found out yesterday.” He smiled broader than I’d seen him do before.

  “That’s fantastic. Congratulations!” Constantine said first.

  As the group provided the savage Russian with words of encouragement, I sat back and thought about Whitney. The light to my darkness. The good to my evil. What would happen if we had children?

  The thought was daunting.

  It was also beautiful.

  Just like the woman who’d stolen my heart.

  Death.

  How many times had I thought about that deep dark world over the past few days? Enough to create a raw hatred of it in my mind. A hospital was a clear reminder of the fact life was short, more so for anyone condemned to a life born in blood and violence.

  As I strode down the long corridor, I was struck by the number of medical professionals combing the hallways, heading to the next crisis on their list of doomsday activities. I couldn’t imagine facing death every day, although some would say that was a core product of my world.

  Except there was a difference. Doctors used their abilities, years of training to save lives. All I had to do was pull a trigger to end one. The thought wasn’t far from my mind on a humid day in Philly.

  The city of freedom.

  Only I’d never felt so constrained in my life.

  As I headed into Nico’s room, the sheer number of instruments used to keep my brother alive weighed heavily on my mind. He’d almost lost his life to save mine.

  I hadn’t brought flowers or some ridiculous balloon to try to cheer him up. I’d come by myself, longing to feel the energy he’d always projected, his lust for life taken for granted. Instead, I felt dead air, as if he’d given up, succumbing to more than just his injuries.

  His life had been fated to follow a certain path from the day he was born. Some might consider him royalty, but I knew differently. As the third son born in a powerful empire, he would never achieve the position of Don, never aspire to the level of greatness afforded the single man in control of a powerful empire. Until today, I never considered that his world was bleak, the choices he had so limited they were suffocating.

  I moved toward his bedside, staring down at him as if I could provide the answers he needed. I wasn’t God. There was little I could do to alter his future, with a few exceptions. As I shifted my gaze toward the apparatuses monitoring his blood pressure and oxygen flow, a tightness developed in my chest.

  He’d almost died because of my need for revenge.

  The ache inside of me left a dense feeling in my chest, the weight nearly crushing. After a few seconds of studying his ashen face, I walked toward the window, staring down at the parking lot. Even the view was an ugly reminder that no one could escape the inevitable horror of death.

  I didn’t bother looking at my watch as minutes went by, but I could swear I heard every second as they ticked a hard drum of reality.

  When I heard the rustle of sheets I turned toward him, unable to keep from smiling as he opened his eyes. “The sleeping beauty awakes.”

  Nico huffed then lifted his head, trying to find the source of the voice. “I’m going to venture a guess I’m the ugly duckling at this point.”

  Always the comedian. I returned to his bed, the anger I felt still just below the surface. “You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

  He shifted, slowly pulling one arm from under the covers. The bruises were from earlier IVs, forcing a hard clench to my jaw. “You’re right but I feel like I was hit by a freight train.”

  “You were.”

  He was able to smile, which gave me hope. “How are things?”

  “Things are okay. You need to get your rest.”

  “Yeah. I know.” There was an intense sadness in his eyes and as he glanced away, I wished I could find the right words to ease his pain. But there was nothing that would help him as he endured the realization and final acceptance that he wasn’t cut out for the lifestyle.

  “You should be out of here in a couple days.”

  Five seconds ticked by.

  Then fifteen.

  “Then what? Are you going to banish me?” he asked with such heartache in his voice my throat clenched.

  “You saved my life, brother. That alone secured a place in my regime.” I half expected him to laugh at my statement, his usual banter reminding me that I wasn’t God, no matter how I acted.

  But he said nothing.

  Then when he did, I was thrown by his question.

  “Let me ask you something, brother. Have you ever made a decision you regretted?”

  “More than one.”

  The moment he shifted in bed, trying to ease to a sitting position, I gripped his arm, adjusting his pillows. “It’s the difficult, often futile decisions that create a leader.”

  “You sound like Pops.”

  “Well, he’s very wise.”

  He lifted his head, staring into my eyes. “He has dementia. Doesn’t he?”

  The question caught me off guard. I hadn’t realized anyone else in the family besides our mother had noticed. “Yes.” There was no sugarcoating the demon our father had been plagued with.

  “Yes. It’s getting progressively worse.”

  I was surprised when Nico laughed, although the sound was bitter. “We have a fucked-up family.”

  “No more than most.”

  “You’re fooling yourself if you really believe that.”

  Maybe he was right. “Life is what we make it. Right?”

  The way he stared at me reminded me of when he was a kid, looking up to his older brother for advice. Nico had tagged along like I was his hero. I’d been the typical older brother, acting like he was nothing but a nuisance. Today was one of those days that remembering was painful.

  “Yeah. So I’ve heard. I’m tired, bro.”

  Nodding, I took a deep breath. “Get your rest. You’ll need it.” I offered a smile before turning toward the door.

  “Are you tossing me to the wolves?”

  “You saved my life, Nico. You will always have a place.”

  I waited, as if he had more to say. Then I walked out the door, but not before glancing into the room one more time.

  His stare at the ceiling was hard, cold, and devoid of any emotion.

  CHAPTER 19

  Whitney

  “What do you see in my brother?”

  Elena’s question came out of the blue, cold and brutal, her intonation matching her hard look. She’d said little to me after arriving at the house, waltzing in as if I was the maid instead of the woman her brother had kidnapped, seduced, and asked to marry. The ride in the SUV had been painful in its silence, the only activity her texting on her cellphone the entire time.

  Just like she was doing now.

  While she thought she was being subtle in her actions, I had a feeling who she was texting furiously, blushing half the time after receiving a message.

  She was beautiful, with long, straight dark hair and smoky gray eyes. She was tall by anyone’s standards, at least six feet without her heels.

  I had a feeling she’d come dressed to impress or in my case, to antagonize. It was obvious Phoenix had told her very little about me, including the fact I could stand my own in the middle of a circle of alligators.

  I’d watch her flirt with Jonas, giggling like some schoolgirl when she was at least my age if not a couple of years older.

  I found her amusing, especially when she cursed at everything from the sunlight imposing on her screen to the fact the soldier commandeering our vehicle had been cut off not once but twice.

  While I’d managed to keep from laughing in her face, it was beginning to become difficult.

  “Absolutely nothing.”

  I didn’t bother looking in her direction, saying the words flatly.

  Elena didn’t respond immediately. Then she reached over the table, jerking my arm. “Seriously? Do you know that there isn’t a woman in Philadelphia who doesn’t want him? He is the best-looking man in the city. Are you blind?”

  I guess it was difficult not to show my level of amusement. She narrowed her eyes, obviously issuing curse words in Greek then flagging down the waiter.

  “Please bring us your best bottle of champagne. We have a celebration taking place.”

  She was just as bold and vivacious as her brother, and I could see why Jonas was so taken with her. It was also easy to see under the façade she wore as finely as the expensive clothes she’d selected.

  Yet the mask she was wearing had moments of slipping as they did with Phoenix, allowing me to see glimpses of the real woman.

  “You’re joking,” she said, lifting a single dark eyebrow.

  “Maybe. What’s it to you?” We’d been doing the dance for almost an hour and my face ached from the inability to crack a smile.

  “No wonder he likes you. You’re…”

  “Formidable. A pain in the ass. Hardheaded?”

  She laughed, the sound finally genuine. “I’d say intelligent, witty, and conniving enough my brother likely didn’t know what hit him. I like you.”

  “I’ll take that as a stamp of approval.”

  As she looked away, studying the crowd outside the terrace of the bistro she’d chosen, I noticed a wave of sadness crossing her face. “I’m very protective of my brother.”

  “Admirable.”

  “Necessary. He won’t do it for himself.”

  “Most men don’t, I suppose.”

  Very slowly she turned her head. “He’s not the brutal asshole you think he is.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you really? Do you know how much he’s suffered by being the firstborn son to a powerful man?”

  “I honestly can’t imagine. But I do know what it’s like to be born to a man who wants nothing to do with you or the woman he supposedly loved.”

  There was no look of pity on her face but one of camaraderie. “You love my brother, yes?”

  Maybe this was the point I needed to ask myself that very question, as if by being away from him I could think more clearly. But as I realized his scent lingered on my skin, his lips painting mine earlier that morning, the answer was easier than I would have thought. “Yes.”

  “Then you have a father, two brothers, and two sisters along with a second mother who will drive you utterly crazy for the rest of your life.”

  As she smiled, she reached her hand across the table. “Two sisters, huh?”

  Elena rolled her eyes. “Alexandra is a handful and always has been. God help the man who falls in love with her.”

  I was able to laugh genuinely even if I was surrounded by four men standing guard as if at any moment a bomb would go off or worse. “I’m sorry about the winery. I had no idea. My father and I rarely spoke.”

  “He was a lovely man, a hard worker. I honestly don’t understand why he betrayed me. There was no indication. Nothing. He worked extra hours and always came in early. I just don’t get it.”

  “He had a gambling problem.”

  As the waiter brought the champagne, I studied the small stores across the street. She’d chosen a part of Philly that was quaint, shops in vibrant colors lining several blocks. Given the extreme warmth, there were racks of merchandise on the sidewalks, crowds of people enjoying the beautiful day. In the distance I could see the water, the light breeze carrying the scent to our table.

  “I didn’t know that about your father, but I find it very hard to believe.”

  “That’s what Phoenix told me.”

  “Maybe that’s what Theodore wanted everyone to believe.” She lifted her champagne glass, her eyes never leaving me.

  “Instead of what? My mother is dead so that’s not part of the equation.”

  “All I’m saying is that I honestly think I would have known. I’m not a stupid businesswoman, Whitney. I check people’s backgrounds thoroughly.”

  I shook my head as I reached for the flute. “Maybe it started after you hired him.”

  “What my brother doesn’t know because he doesn’t ask is that I do regular checks on my employees. I was trying to avoid an incident like what occurred.”

  “So, he didn’t have an offshore account?”

  Elena laughed, looking at me as if I was out of my mind. “No. I paid him well, but he spent little, keeping everything in a single savings account.”

  “Wait a minute. I didn’t find any evidence that he had any money whatsoever to his name. I thought he’d squandered it all.”

  “Have you ever considered the fact that maybe he was saving it for you?”

  “God. Don’t make me feel any guiltier than I do because I never allowed myself to get to know him.”

  She brushed her hand through her hair, studying me intently. “I’m sorry about his death. Whether or not you were close, he was still your father. I can’t imagine what I’ll do when Daddy dies. He’s been our rock. Maybe it’s not too late to get to know him even though he’s gone.”

  I thought about his house, the fact I wanted to sell it. With my phone lost, I had no idea whether or not a buyer had been found. Maybe a small part of me didn’t want to sell it.

  “Just to clear the record. If I knew where my father had sent the information to help you, I’d hand it over. It means nothing to me. How much money did he steal? I will pay you back. That much I can do.”

  “That’s very sweet, but the money meant nothing. I didn’t work so hard to make the winery something special because I wanted to be rich. I have a trust fund worth millions. I wanted something I could call my own, not because my father handed it to me or the husband I’d be forced into marrying controlled a Fortune 100 company. Completely mine. I trusted few people but that list included your father. He gave me advice, listened to me when I was at the point of throwing the towel in. He was there to encourage me. In a lifetime of being forced to keep friends at arm’s length, I was able to consider him one of those people I could count on.”

  That didn’t sound like my father at all. Then again, how would I know? “I wish I could offer some perfect reason why he betrayed your trust.”

  “What did he say to you? Anything that might shed some light?”

  I thought about the question. The truth was that I’d blocked out some of his incessant chatter. I’d disregarded him and had since the first time he’d contacted me. “That he’d sent me something important and that I’d know what to do with it. I don’t know what that means.” There’d been more to the conversation, but I’d blocked it out, unable to remember anything.

  Elena sighed, drumming her fingers on the table. “Sometimes when we’re forced to deal with a situation we don’t want to, our brain plays tricks on us, unable to remember details. Maybe something will come to you.”

  “I hope so. Again, I’m sorry, but maybe you didn’t know him as well as you think you did.”

  “Do we really know anyone?” She shifted her gaze toward Jonas, the tic every time she did probably not one anybody else would notice.