Cristiano walked outside, narrowing his eyes. I handed him the letter and accompanying proof, then gripped the railing. As the seconds passed, I concentrated on the sound of my thudding heart as the scent of her continued to linger in my nostrils. Light to darkness. Good to evil.

  I didn’t deserve a second chance, but I would take it.

  Only after righting the wrongs that should have been handled long ago.

  “Shit,” he said quietly.

  “Yeah.”

  “What are you going to do?” I heard the concern in Cristiano’s voice. He’d heard the gory stories, had experienced my battles with what a school psychologist had called PTSD.

  I knew a part of me was dangerous as well as unhinged. You couldn’t put a child through a minefield and not expect him to come out a little crazy. But this was…

  The ache in my gut about my brother swept through me as painfully as it had done all those years ago. “I’m not sure.”

  Hunter moved outside, shaking his head.

  “I appreciate the call.” He slipped his phone into his pocket before turning around to face us. “We have some of the answers. I don’t know whether to believe what I just heard or not.”

  Cristiano snorted. “It couldn’t be any worse than what we just learned. Read this.”

  After a few seconds, Hunter issued a low growl. “Fuck me. I don’t know what to say.”

  “No need,” I said quietly.

  “At least we can be assured what Jarvis learned is factual. And at least we know the truth.”

  Truth.

  Was there such a thing? As an ugly memory surfaced in the front of my mind, I held my breath.

  “Get off her!” I roared as I threw myself at him, pummeling his back and neck with brutal punches.

  He laughed, tossing me aside with ease.

  “Baby! No!” my mother screamed. There was blood, so much blood everywhere. On the carpet and staining the walls. After he’d finished with me, he’d gone after my mother. Goddamn him.

  “You’re nothing but trash. That’s all you’ll ever be.” He laughed, puffing himself up like he did every time he dealt with one of his men. We were nothing to him. Nothing.

  Wham!

  The brutal punch cracked against the side of my face. I was pitched backward into the wall. My vision was instantly blurred, the agony blinding. The taste of blood remained in my mouth, the coppery stench filling my nostrils as much as the hatred filled my soul. “I hate you!”

  The voice that left my lips I no longer recognize, the syllables garbled.

  I crawled forward, my mother’s pitiful cries echoing in my ears. When she reached out for me, the glow of the single desk lamp highlighted the horror that my mother had experienced. She couldn’t leave him. She’d tried, taking her boys with her. He’d dragged us back, beating her so badly she’d spent two weeks in the hospital.

  Tears stained my face. I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t cry ever again. I was no longer a boy. This fuck would answer to me.

  “Get up, you little punk. Take your punishment like a man,” my father jeered, beckoning me with one of his hands.

  I took in as much air as my lungs would allow, willing my aching legs to work. The beating had lasted longer than normal, the thin razor strap digging into my skin. But the agony was nothing in comparison to the rage brimming the surface. I wanted him dead. Dead!

  “Fuck you.” I managed to stumble to my feet, my body swaying. Then I lunged for him, ramming my shoulders into his chest. He tossed me aside, throwing me against the edge of his desk.

  Another bolt of pain exploded in my system, but the anger continued to swell, digging into my muscles and bone.

  I heard the single moan my mother issued, and the thought of vengeance kept me going. I pitched my body toward him again, but he was too fast for me, dodging my attempt. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him pulling out his weapon. Then he fisted my mother’s hair, dragging her to her feet, pressing the barrel of the gun into her mouth. “You want to play hardball, Cain? I have no problem pulling the trigger.”

  This had to end. The pain. The sufferance. The required silence.

  There would be no rescue, no sirens in the distance with help just moments away. My father was too powerful, too influential. He owned the police. He owned just about everybody. And no one would ever dare lift a finger to the monster or fear facing his wrath.

  We were alone.

  My mother’s pleading eyes pulled me to a quiet resolve, and I backed down to save her life.

  But I made a promise that no one would ever hurt us again.

  I kept my gaze towards the sky as the memory faded. We had to protect her, the woman we loved. The real monster was coming, and he would do everything he could to take away the single happiness in my life.

  Just like he’d taken my mother and my brother.

  “What now?” Cristiano asked.

  My brother’s face slowly slipped into my mind as well as the words he’d issued only minutes before he’d been murdered.

  He’d planned on handling the situation, exacting revenge before another drop of blood was shed.

  He’d been too late.

  And I’d been too stupid to see the writing on the wall. I’d allowed the fucker to take control and keep it, using me as his little puppet for twenty fucking years.

  “Now, we go hunting. Just like we used to.”

  Sage

  A vicious game.

  That’s what the years of a charade had been about, a need to condemn the rich and powerful boys who’d made it out of the tragic situation unharmed in any way. I’d learned so much in the last forty-eight hours, the families requiring them to attend Crandall University. It hadn’t been their choice or for that matter something they enjoyed. It was as much a prison as the private schools, some overseas, the boys had attended. Many of the girls as well.

  They had a network, which my father hadn’t been a part of. Instead, he’d been hired by one or another syndicate or corporate mogul to trim the fat so a golden path could be provided for their children. It was fascinating, although I’d seen pain in Cain’s eyes in particular as he’d spoken of his family. Whatever he’d endured as a child had been horrific.

  I’d seen it before, kids who were abused never able to get over the trauma completely. His father had pushed him hard into becoming the head of the Cross Empire. I sensed it hadn’t been what Cain had wanted.

  Cain had read the letter, and I sensed my father’s words had changed him. At least one of the men I loved more than anything had the same answers that I’d been seeking.

  They weren’t pretty, the ugliness surrounding the reasons why something that would likely never be answered to anyone’s satisfaction. But they were the truths that might be able to set him free.

  He was darker than before, not allowing me to know what he had planned. What the three of them had planned.

  They’d removed the whiteboard, had stopped bothering to check the computer or make any phone calls, but their not-so-subtle meetings held in privacy had allowed me to feel the urgency of ending the charade as soon as possible.

  Today was the day.

  We’d shared in our passion and need, growing even closer. Sadly, it felt like we’d been living on borrowed time. I was sick inside, more so than I’d been during the entire time since learning my real identity. I missed my parents, but at least I knew they were safe. Would I ever feel safe again?

  I stood pacing the floor in the living room of the gorgeous estate where we’d spent so many incredible hours, barely able to look out the window.

  There were six guards watching out for me, walking the grounds. I’d seen them from the doors and windows, their weapons in plain sight. It terrified me.

  My thoughts turned to the brother who’d been the reason for the destruction of so many lives. It was almost surreal that the plan had been many years in the making.

  The pain of losing both his brother and his mother had been horrible enough. While my father, the Iceman, had been paid to end Dayton’s life, he hadn’t initiated the assassination. I couldn’t imagine what Cain was going through.

  My thoughts returned to the three men. While we’d teased about forever, buying several houses and even having a huge family together, I had no idea what would happen once this was over. I wasn’t unlike every other girl who either believed they were princesses and one day their prince would arrive or who fell hopelessly in love with a rogue of sorts. A man who held life in the palm of his hand.

  Maybe I could buy into the concept of true love. At least my mother had set an excellent example. Unconventional? Absolutely, but that I didn’t mind. What worried me was that I wouldn’t be enough.

  “Stop being silly.” Saying the words out loud didn’t make me feel any better.

  A rumble of thunder drew my attention to the French doors. I could see a bolt of lightning in the distance, a storm approaching. I realized now why I hated storms with such a passion. But as the gray clouds turned darker, ominous shadows playing tricks with the light on the water, I was pulled into a horrific vacuum of fear. There was no reason why. I was safer than almost anyone I knew with so many guards prepared to lay down their lives for me.

  What I feared the most was never seeing the men who loved me again. I knew they’d also protect me at the cost of their lives if necessary. A slow-burning agony continued to drive through my system, every muscle aching from extreme tension.

  I had my phone in one hand, holding it close just in case, even if I didn’t expect them to call. It was a lifeline, a safety mechanism.

  So, I continued pacing, trying to calm my breathing. I heard a slight knock on the door and jumped, a yelp escaping my throat.

  “Whoa, Ms. Sadler. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  I glanced at the man who’d entered, realizing I didn’t remember him. Maybe I hadn’t been paying close enough attention to those ordered to protect me.

  “It’s okay. The storm is making me jumpy.”

  “Yeah, I can understand. I just wanted to check to see if you needed anything.”

  “I’m sorry. What’s your name?”

  “Marty. I’m one of Cain’s men.”

  “Oh, okay. No, I’m fine. I think I’m going to make a drink. Would you like one?”

  He didn’t answer right away, allowing what appeared to be a heated gaze to fall to my feet. I was instantly uncomfortable, but I chastised myself for being ridiculous.

  “I’m on duty. Maybe I’ll take one later after this is finished.”

  This. Even the way he said the single word seemed odd. I moved towards the bar, rolling my finger across the screen on my phone, noticing I’d accidentally scrolled to the text Hunter had sent me when I’d left for San Diego. Just reading the words again offered some comfort.

  As I pulled down a glass, I realized he was standing in the same spot staring at me. For some reason it annoyed the hell out of me. I poured a glass of wine, then tipped my head towards him, keeping my rockstar practiced smile on my face. “Did you need anything else, Marty?”

  I backed away from the bar, moving towards the set of French doors. Another rumble of thunder sounded closer. I quickly looked outside, unable to see any of the guards.

  “No. Not right now. Soon.”

  Another tremor of fear drifted into my system. The wind was getting stronger, the sense of foreboding worse. As another flash of lightning powered closer to the estate, the sky took on an eerie blue color. Then I noticed something odd. I opened the door and within seconds, Marty was directly behind me.

  “You don’t want to do that, Sage.”

  Sage.

  He’d called me Sage. I immediately moved outside and tossed the glass in his face. But he was too quick, grabbing my arm and yanking me backward into the house.

  But not before I noticed one of the guards. He’d been shot.

  After being pitched over the back of the couch, I struggled to stand, shocked the phone was still in my hand. Without hesitation, I typed in four letters.

  Help

  Then I heard a deep, ominous voice. “Hello, Sage. I thought it about time that we met.”

  CHAPTER 27

  Cain

  Anger.

  How long had I suffered with its effects, the damning emotion biting into me every chance it had. I’d remained enraged my entire life, forfeiting so much of what others would call happiness because of my hatred. Sadly, I’d used the energy on the wrong people.

  The thought of betrayal entered my mind once again. I’d killed men for less without blinking. I’d stood over them as the last seconds of their lives had played out, limbs torn apart, some gutted by my knife.

  Yet not one of the kills had provided me with satisfaction or peace.

  The sky looked like it was going to open up at any moment, bolts of lightning crisscrossing the sky. The ugly weather was fitting.

  Especially for my sour mood.

  “I love her.” My sudden exclamation brought pointed eyes. “We can’t lose her.”

  “I don’t plan on it,” Hunter said. “I never did.”

  “I thought that was apparent.” Cristiano shifted in his seat.

  “It had to be said. She belongs to us. Period.”

  “The big he-man makes a proclamation.” There was anger in Hunter’s voice.

  Sighing as my father’s estate came into view, for the first time in my life, I felt remorse. “We will do everything in our power to make her happy.”

  “Yes, we will.” Hunter’s words were said in reverence.

  As Brock pulled in through the gates, a feeling of recoil settled in my stomach. I’d spent the last day preparing myself mentally. I wasn’t entirely certain that was possible.

  “Are you certain about this?” Cristiano asked.

  “Yes. It needs to be done.”

  “He has loyal soldiers.”

  I stared out the window, wondering where they all were. “Then we kill every one of them.”

  “Whew,” Hunter said from the passenger seat.

  “If you don’t want to be a part of this, then stay in the fucking vehicle.”

  Hunter tipped his head over his shoulder. “Fuck no, asshole. Your father put us through shit as well. Hiring another hitman to track us down. Hell, what did that bastard do, hold the guy’s hand down and stick a hot poker against the top of his hand?”

  Cristiano snorted. “Your father is a sick man.”

  “Yeah, well now you see where I get it from,” I threw out.

  “Then that wasn’t good enough,” Hunter continued. “Then the bastard had to hire a woman to keep tabs on Sage. What the hell did he think he was going to do?”

  “Keep her as his own,” I told them. “What better way than to have his cake and eat it to.”

  “I’ll repeat it. Your father is a freaking psychopath,” Cristiano huffed.

  Brock pulled the vehicle to the front of house, killing the engine. This wasn’t a planned visit, although I’d had Marty check to ensure that my father was at home. With the man’s car in the driveway, it appeared the information was correct.

  “Did you put a hold on the man responsible for working with my father?” I asked him before I climbed out.

  “Fuck yeah, boss. He keeps insisting he has no clue what we’re talking about,” Brock said.

  “They all say that shit,” Hunter reminded him.

  “Yeah, I know, but Harry is a good guy. I know him pretty well. Just shocks the fuck out of me. Sorry, boss. I meant no disrespect.”

  “Don’t worry, Brock. My father won’t mind sharing the details, including who worked with him.” I moved onto the aggregate driveway, taking a glaring look at the home I’d grown up in. I hadn’t returned since college. Any time that I’d met with my father had been in a separate location. Maybe the fucker continued to hold resentment that I’d forced him to retire at gunpoint. What did it matter? He had my brother murdered in front of me on purpose.

  Because my brother had dared try and stop the horror that I’d grown up in.

  I yanked my Glock into my hand, glaring at the windows on the third floor. My father had often remained staring out, knowing the second when I came home. That’s when the beatings began.

  Why he hated me so much I wasn’t certain, but that also no longer mattered. I was my father’s son. Blood for blood. It was his time to die.

  The other soldiers we’d brought with us remained closer. I wasn’t intending on making much of a surprise entrance. That was impossible given his tight security. However, I doubted he’d be expecting that I’d put a bullet between his eyes so soon.

  He’d played the game well, a master manipulator. With the clues he’d left, it appeared that one of the Elite members that I’d gone to school with had been behind the charade. Jonas. I hadn’t talked with the guy since he’d been kicked out of school.

  Finding out he’d landed in prison after his father had squandered the family’s wealth was unexpected. Sadly, additional fodder for my father’s vicious intentions.

  The front door was unlocked, and I stormed inside, instantly noticing the quiet inside the house. As the soldiers piled in, I took a deep breath. What I found was nothing but bad memories.

  And silence.

  Then I knew something was terribly wrong.

  “Brock. Go check the grounds. I need to know how many soldiers are on the premises. And make contact with Marty. Make certain the house is locked down tight.”

  “Of course, boss.”

  We moved through the lower level. There was no sign of my father. I took the stairs two at a time, bounding into one room after the other.

  Then the third floor, heading into the master suite that I swore I’d never enter again.

  What the fuck?

  “What the hell is going on?” Cristiano barked as he found me coming down the stairs.

  “He’s not here.”

  Hunter rushed toward us, holding out his phone. “The fucker knew we were coming.”

  The single word would forever remain etched in my mind.

  Help