He was right.

  “Agreed. Any thoughts?”

  “Jonas. It must be.” Said a little too quickly, I had a feeling he was glossing over whatever he’d been mulling over for days. “I know that’s what you’re thinking.”

  He didn’t want to know what I was thinking.

  “The quicker we get to Miami, the sooner we’ll have answers.”

  He slowly turned his head, the darkness unable to hide the fact he was searching for answers in my eyes, maybe hoping for some brotherly wisdom. At this point, I didn’t have any. “I’ll meet you at the airport in less than an hour.”

  “Good. We can’t fuck this up, Stavros. If you’re going to be my underboss, then I need your support.”

  He lowered his head out of respect. “You’ll have it.”

  What was the saying about keeping your friends close but your enemies closer? That’s exactly what I was doing.

  Whitney

  I found Phoenix sitting in a lone chair in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window in his office. A half empty bottle of whiskey was placed on a table, the cap still off. The darkness was even more oppressive than it had been before, my mind a blur as to what he might be facing.

  No, not just him. My insistence at going with him weighed heavily on his mind. I’d seen it in his eyes. As I moved closer, his breathing changed, his chest rising and falling from exertion. I slid my hands across his shoulders, immediately starting to massage his tense muscles. He didn’t try to stop me, nor did he say a word.

  The silence between us was deafening, my pulse racing. I started to hum for no other reason than I needed the noise to breach the awkwardness. It was worse than when I’d believed him to be my enemy.

  Phoenix sipped on his drink, and I could swear he hadn’t blinked since I’d walked into the room. Finally, his muscles started to relax, his breathing returning to normal.

  And I continued humming.

  “You should be sleeping,” he said in such a hushed voice that I wasn’t certain he’d spoken at all.

  “I couldn’t sleep because you weren’t there.” I stopped what I was doing, taking the glass from his hand, placing it on the table. Then I slowly moved in front of him, easing onto his lap.

  He peered up at me, aimlessly brushing his fingers on my back. “What were you humming?”

  “Something my mother used to hum when I was little and couldn’t sleep. She’d stay by my bed for a full hour, stroking my hair. I’d concentrate on her voice and all the boogeymen would finally leave, realizing they couldn’t terrify me any longer.”

  As he’d done before, he pulled my palm against his lips, planting several kisses. “I’m worried, baby. I don’t want to lose you.” He continued fingering my hand, returning his stare to the window.

  I lifted his chin, forcing him to look into my eyes. “Then don’t allow that to happen.”

  Huffing, he took several deep breaths. “If only it were that easy. I’m risking everything by what I’m doing.”

  “Meaning what?”

  “I have a bad feeling your father was used in a vicious game.”

  “By whom?”

  “I don’t want to say anything at this point. The timing isn’t right but if I’m correct, it will destroy people I care about.”

  “You still think it’s Jonas.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think. I won’t jump to conclusions until I know for certain.”

  “When you read whatever my father sent me.”

  “Yes.” He lifted his head, trying to smile to give me comfort.

  “What if it doesn’t provide what you need?”

  “There are other methods of flushing out a rat. However, they’re not nearly as effective.”

  “Violence.”

  He chuckled. “The method is called personal interrogation, but it will need to be done. And I will find the person responsible one way or the other.” He reached around me, grabbing his glass. As he brought it to his lips, he hesitated then gulped the rest. “You need to go to bed.”

  “Don’t do this to yourself, Phoenix. Don’t put such a heavy burden on your shoulders.”

  “As the leader of this family now, it’s what I must do.”

  “Admirable but allow me to take some of the burden.”

  “And how will you do that?”

  “Talk to me. Trust me. Confide in me,” I told him as I cupped his face.

  “As I’ve said before, I do trust you. I just need time to process.”

  I knew there was no way of getting the brooding man to talk. Not now. “I meant what I said earlier. I love you. Maybe I shouldn’t but I do.”

  “You’re my shining star. When this is over, we’ll head to Europe. Greece. Italy. France.”

  “I wouldn’t mind spending time right here with you. No soldiers. No weapons. No staff. Can we do that?”

  “Hmmm… Maybe. If you’re a good girl.”

  I got off his lap and held out my hand. “Take me to bed, Mr. Diamondis.”

  He acted as if he wasn’t going to move. Then he stood, all six foot five of him and lifted me off my feet instead, cradling me against his chest.

  “No, my omorfiá. I’m going to make love to you for the rest of the night.”

  Phoenix

  I tossed back the rest of my bourbon, the liquid churning in my stomach like toxic waste. The tension inside the jet was palpable, more so than usual. I didn’t like what we were headed into, the not knowing what to expect. While I’d put in a call to Maxim, I hadn’t been looking for assurances that the city was quiet. Then again, maybe I had been.

  I’d only brought two soldiers with me, determined not to leave the family or my businesses without required protection. It was entirely possible our arrival wouldn’t be noted, but I’d place a solid bet on the fact the game I was playing was tempting the responsible party.

  In fact, I’d risk my life on it.

  “You’re tense,” Whitney said without bothering to turn her head in my direction.

  “No more than usual.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “You have a way of seeing right through me. Don’t you, omorfiá?”

  “You’re not that complex, you know.” She tilted her head toward me, her smile waning almost immediately. “You brother doesn’t like me very much.”

  I shifted my gaze toward one of the front seats. Stavros sat stoically, saying little more than a few words since we got on the jet almost two hours before. “Both my brothers are very emotional.”

  “And you’re not?”

  “You learn to hide your emotions.”

  “So you’ve told me.”

  “I’m curious, my beauty. What do you know about your father and why he left?”

  She tensed but shifted in her seat, curling her legs under her. “Honestly? Not very much. My mother told me little about what happened except he shocked her by telling her one day he was leaving.”

  “You know there’s always more to every story.”

  “You’re telling me this?” she challenged. “I know that. I bugged my mother for years, but I finally stopped trying. It was obvious the loss was too painful.”

  I had a feeling Theodore had been into shady activity his entire life. Maybe her mother had also wanted to protect her.

  “How did he return to your life?” I asked.

  “He came to my mother’s funeral. He didn’t ask if it was okay, didn’t prepare me for his arrival. I saw an older man sitting alone. He had tears in his eyes. I was gullible, walking up to him and inquiring if he was an old friend. I’ll never forget the way he looked at me. There was so much agony in his eyes, guilt covering his features. I snapped at him. Right there inside the church, screaming for him to get out. I was so overwrought I had no idea what I was saying.” She closed her eyes, shaking her head slowly. “He wrote me letters. Old-fashioned letters. Just like he did with my mom. She never opened them. Not one of them. But she kept them. Isn’t that strange?”

  “There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t need to find answers to the nagging doubts that keep us from moving into the future.”

  “The noose hanging around your throat is about what happened to Carrie. Or maybe why.”

  “Maybe it is. I’m well aware that nothing can bring her back, but there’s more going on with this than I’d figured out yet, but I will.”

  “Then what? The person betraying you?”

  I took a deep breath. “Often it cuts the deepest. I will hunt the fucker down.”

  She reached for my hand, squeezing my fingers. “Even if you find him, Phoenix, violence isn’t going to alter the recent events. Killing him for her won’t change what happened on any level.”

  “It’s a man alright. Spoken from a woman who agreed to marry a monster.”

  Her laugh was exactly what I needed. “Said from a woman who’s been able to see right through you. By the way, don’t underestimate a woman’s power.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. What you don’t understand is that often retaliation is solely for the purpose of keeping face. My father took a hit after Thanos’ betrayal, our empire almost crumbling. I swore to protect my family against anyone daring to defy me.”

  “Power and money aren’t everything.”

  “They are important, capable of extending my life and those of the people I care about.”

  “How tragic. Here’s something for you to think about. As my mother told me more than once, you can’t take money or precious things with you when you die. But you can take the love of your family.”

  I took her chin between my fingers, drinking in her perfume. “Both you and your mother were and are very wise women.”

  “Sometimes I wonder.”

  As I pulled her face closer, rubbing my finger back and forth across her cheek, she wrapped her fingers around my shirt. “Do you trust me, Whitney?”

  “With my life.”

  “Then you’ll need to trust the decisions I make. They won’t be easy for you to accept but are necessary.”

  “No, it won’t be easy, and I might not be able to understand the reasons why you do what you do, but that doesn’t change the man who walked through fire to save my life.”

  The vibration of my phone in my pocket pushed a snarl to the surface of my mouth. “And I’ll do it again. And again. Whatever it takes to keep you safe.” As I pulled the phone out of my pocket, she turned away. “Gregory. I hope you’re calling with good news.”

  He cursed under his breath. “I just received an interesting call. It’s almost ten at night.”

  “And that was?”

  “Every single charge against your sister has been dropped. What the fuck did you do, Phoenix? Did you threaten the prosecutor?”

  Chuckling, I noticed Stavros had moved to a closer seat. “I’m not in the habit of threatening those who can prove to be useful, Gregory. I simply make promises. However, in this case, I did nothing.”

  “You’re not a good liar but whatever you did, Elena is in the clear. I suggest you keep that operation clean from now on.”

  “Taken under advisement. Have you let my sister know about her good fortune?”

  “I thought you’d want to know first.”

  “You were right,” I told him. “But don’t wait until morning to call her.” I didn’t wait for his reply. “Elena’s case was dropped.”

  “How did you manage that?” Stavros asked.

  I glanced at him, thinking about what Constantine had suggested. “The Brotherhood.”

  He’d never openly criticized my involvement with the alliance, but in private he’d made certain I knew his thoughts. He shifted his gaze toward Whitney, knowing better than to disrespect me in front of her as well. Then what he said next surprised the hell out of me.

  “Maybe one day you’ll tell me about this Brotherhood.”

  “Yeah. Maybe one day I will.”

  CHAPTER 23

  “Family is not an important thing, it is everything.”

  —Michael J. Fox

  Phoenix

  Family.

  How many times had I touted that my family meant everything to me? How often had I acted in violence against those who’d dared cross a member of my family?

  More times than I could count.

  I’d sacrificed.

  Shed blood.

  Caused destruction.

  Leveled enemies.

  Was it for love or out of a sense of conviction?

  I fisted my hand, bringing it to my face as I pondered why it hadn’t allowed my own life to take a backseat because of family. Pride? Respect?

  Loyalty.

  The sense of family was stronger today, mostly because of the woman sitting next to me. Whitney had awakened more than just the sadistic beast inside. She’d empowered me to challenge every belief I’d had. My gut told me that today’s events would be more than just eye opening. It would be another awakening to the true treachery of the business I was in. How I handled the fallout would shape the future of my family and the regime.

  The weight was crushing.

  I’d always believed that if something was too easy to achieve then there was likely a sharp edge ready to puncture the balloon of fiction surrounding it. My instinct told me everything was about to come to a head. I’d played a hand that was risky as fuck, but I had to flush out who was behind the betrayal in the first place. If what Whitney had told me was true about what her father had said, then he was the one who’d been used as a pawn.

  If he’d found the evidence against the traitor and was discovered, allowing him to take the fall was perfect as a lead in for what the treacherous son of a bitch had planned.

  The sun streamed in through the windows, the day glorious. Even the ocean seemed brighter than normal, the various shades of turquoise a reminder that I hadn’t taken any time off in years.

  After this nightmare was over, I had plans on taking Whitney to Greece. To hell with extended family. Maybe some of her rebellious nature was rubbing off on me.

  As the plane made its final approach into Miami, I yanked out a fresh magazine of ammunition, replacing the one in my weapon. Whitney watched me without saying a word.

  Would she ever grow accustomed to my life? That remained to be seen, but I’d do everything in my power to ensure she was well taken care of.

  “When should I contact Elizabeth?” she asked. I was surprised by her lack of emotion, her tone colder than I was used to hearing.

  “When we land.”

  “Where should I tell her to go?”

  I’d yet to make that determination. “I’ll decide before you call her.” I left my seat, heading for Stavros. “Your job is to protect the woman who found the package.”

  “A civilian?” He seemed surprised.

  “A friend Whitney called.”

  He threw her another look then sighed. “This is going to get messy.”

  “Likely.”

  “That’s what you want. Isn’t it? You’re drawing the person responsible out into the open.”

  “It’s better to unearth the rocks myself, Stavros. Even if the cut is the deepest.” It was something our father used to say. If he remembered, I wasn’t certain, but it had special meaning on this night.

  It was a little after one in the afternoon, the flight taking longer than expected given the few storms we’d run into. The daylight wasn’t ideal for dispensing punishment or for a bloody massacre. What it could do was prevent one.

  If I played my cards right. If what I suspected would happen, the attack would come down swift and hard.

  Only I had no intentions of being on the receiving end. Yet as the plane taxied down, I felt an intense pain in my gut. I wasn’t just risking my life, but Whitney’s as well. But in truth, I would rather have her by my side where I could protect her than sitting in a gilded cage where anyone could get to her.

  I hated the distrust, the questions about loyalty swirling in my mind.

  And most of all, I loathed the ugliness regarding the person I suspected had turned against me. It weighed like a huge boulder that would follow me around long after the situation was rectified. No number of bullets fired or blood spilled in the streets would do that.

  But several deaths could be necessary.

  The irony of what I’d soon be facing kept bile in the back of my throat.

  “Where the hell are we going?” Stavros asked as the jet rolled toward a gate.

  “Where do you suggest, playboy? You’ve been to Miami several times in your days of sun and fun. Isn’t that what you called your disappearing acts?”

  He didn’t seem surprised I was chiding him, but his eyes flashed with fury. Then he laughed. “You’re a conniving son of a bitch. I suggest a public place where the assholes would be fools to attempt any disruption.”

  “Then name the place.”

  He thought about it for a second, a wry grin crossing his face. “The Wharf.”

  I knew the location, Maxim taking the Brotherhood there on one occasion. It was still risky, but the public location near the water could prove to be helpful. “Done.”

  His smile grew and he pulled out his weapon, checking that everything was in order.

  “I have a couple phone calls to make.”

  “I’ll check to ensure there’s no issue back in Philly.”

  “You do that.” I was surprised at his eagerness. Perhaps he wanted to make amends for his less than stellar behavior. As I returned to where Whitney was seated, she tipped her head, her eyes filled with concern. “Contact your friend. Ask her to meet us at The Wharf in one hour.”

  “The restaurant and bar by the water?”

  “That’s the place. Tell her to wait by the interior bar. You’ll text her when we arrive.”

  “What if there’s trouble?”

  Bending over, I cupped her face. “Then I’ll deal with it. You’ll need to place your full trust in that I know what I’m doing. Under no circumstances are you to venture off by yourself. Do you understand me?”