“Yes. I’m not going to lie and tell you that I’m not afraid.”

  “You should be. What we’re doing is dangerous.”

  A knowing look spread across her face. “I told you this before. Don’t die on me.”

  “Baby. That’s not going to happen.” Someone was going to lose their life to a bullet but if I was right about who, I wasn’t certain I was ready for the consequences.

  But there was no other choice.

  The Wharf.

  A celebration of the rich and famous in a down-to-earth lifestyle. The mainly outdoor facility catered to celebrations, boats able to dock feet away from the massive site, music and libations flowing at all times of the day and night.

  The crowds were always thick, the noise level intense, and given the denseness of the tables and other facilities, there was also no room for error.

  As we walked in, I quickly scanned the location, searching for any signs of trouble. While the Armenian soldiers were easy to spot in mixed company, the men always dressed in all black, in the city of extremes there was a diverse mixture of people. Anyone of them could be a soldier hiding in plain sight.

  Of course that would mean they were tipped off as to the destination selected.

  The test was nothing more than drawing a line in the sand with blood. I kept my hand on the small of Whitney’s back, guiding her toward the main interior bar. I was itchy to get this over with but not just for the glaring reason of securing the information.

  “There she is,” Whitney said quietly but I heard her three words through the noise.

  I said nothing, remaining behind her, Stavros flanking my side. No one was paying any attention, but we were ready to strike if necessary. Maxim would need to clean up the mess. I chuckled inwardly at the thought. The brutal Russian had a firm hold on almost every member of law enforcement. I had to give him credit. He’d taken Miami by storm after rising to the position of Pakhan.

  Elizabeth noticed us from several feet away, the girl standing out because of her extreme anxiousness. She rushed forward, grabbing Whitney and pulling her into a bearhug. I didn’t hear their words exchanged but at this point it didn’t matter.

  “Stay with her,” I told Stavros, nodding toward the girl.

  “I don’t mind if I do,” he said with his usual playboy charm.

  As the two women exchanged additional words, Elizabeth handing over a large manila envelope, still taped from its passage through the mail, I took a deep breath. I continued scanning the perimeter, my instinct telling me we were being watched.

  It was expected but still disturbing.

  After two or three minutes, I moved beside the women. “Elizabeth. I wish we could take more time, but we have a plane to catch. Did you drive here?”

  “Yes,” she said. “I have my car. What are you going to do with my friend?”

  “He’s not going to hurt me, Elizabeth,” Whitney said. “He’s a good guy.”

  “He’s a mobster, Whitney. He can’t be trusted.”

  Whitney touched her arm. “Yes, he can. He saved my life more than once.”

  Elizabeth seemed confused, eyeing me cautiously.

  Good girl.

  She should be wary of bad men who come into her friend’s life.

  “What now?” she asked.

  “Now, I go back to Philadelphia.” Whitney was firm in her commitment.

  “Forever?”

  “I’ll return when the time is right to deal with my life here. Not for a little while. Don’t tell anyone you saw me. Okay?” There was strain in Whitney’s voice, but she hadn’t wavered in her desires.

  The longing to wrap my arms around her was formidable. She was a strong woman, more so than I’d given her credit for.

  “Stavros will walk you to your car. He’s my brother. You can also trust him.”

  Elizabeth snorted, barely throwing me a glance. “I doubt that but fine. You better call me.”

  “I will,” Whitney promised.

  “Soon.”

  I gave Stavros a nod. After he left, Whitney turned toward me. “What’s really going on? Why did we come here?” When I said nothing at first, her eyes opened wide. “My God. You think your own brother is the one betraying you, not Jonas.”

  “It’s a possibility.”

  “That’s… will he hurt Elizabeth?”

  “No. Your friend is perfectly safe.”

  She continued to clutch the envelope, her fingers turning white from the pressure. “Can I take a few minutes to read what’s in here?”

  “We’ll go out on the dock. If nothing happens, we’ll leave immediately.”

  “I can’t even get a few things?”

  “Too risky. I’ll buy you whatever you need.”

  “You can’t buy me what I need, Phoenix. But you can give me what I require. The truth. Always.”

  “I haven’t lied to you, Whitney. The betrayal is detrimental, and it needs to end.”

  She studied my eyes then looking away, her body trembling. “I hate your life for you. I don’t know how you do it.”

  There was no way of providing any comfort because all I felt was the ugliness of turmoil.

  And uncertainty.

  “Come on. Five minutes.”

  She allowed me to guide her outside, both heading toward the massive docks, trying to find a spot where she could have some privacy. When she noticed one of the event locations blocked off, she moved toward it quickly, easing around the barriers. After following, I leaned against the railing, the location allowing me to keep a close eye on the activities in close proximity.

  Her breathing was ragged as she peeled away the thick tape, finally managing to open the flap. I didn’t look over her shoulder or ask her any questions. She eventually sat down at one of the empty picnic tables, placing a few things on the surface.

  Her only sound was a single exclamation as she placed her hand over her mouth.

  I checked my watch, ready to force our departure. Maybe I’d been wrong all along. A part of me hoped I was.

  A few seconds later, she lifted her head. “Everything you hoped you’d find is in his envelope. Some items are personal, letters that I’d refused to open. He didn’t take your money, Phoenix. But he knew who did. On the day he died, there are notations he’d planned on talking to Elena about what he’d discovered. I have no doubt he was murdered because of what he’d found. My father was trying to be a hero to impress me. He took the information to keep someone else from doing so. Here. Look for yourself.”

  I moved closer, staring at the papers in her outstretched hand. When I slowly peeled it away from her fingers, she glanced away, her breathing still labored.

  As I read the documentation, a wave of icy water coursed through my veins.

  Stavros had been right all along. I’d been used as a puppet by someone I trusted and cared for.

  And not who I’d thought.

  Before I had a chance to react, the roar of a boat moving in drew my attention. The second I lifted my gaze, the glint off metal captured my attention in the sunlight.

  I had seconds to react, grabbing Whitney and shoving her to the ground before a round of gunfire sprayed over us.

  “Stay down,” I told her, immediately yanking my weapon into my hand.

  “What’s happening?”

  “Betrayal. Do not move from this spot.” I didn’t have time to ensure that she would follow my command. I rushed closer, firing off several shots, the boat immediately roaring in an arc. While the loud music kept the sound to a minimum, it was only a matter of time before chaos set in.

  As the boat swung around, I took the opportunity to grab Whitney by the arm, yanking her against me. “We’re leaving.”

  “Wait. The envelope. What about Elizabeth?”

  “She’ll be fine. Stavros will protect her with his life.”

  “What if he kills her instead?”

  I almost laughed. “He won’t. We can trust him.”

  The irony wouldn’t leave any time soon.

  She gathered everything together, holding it against her chest as I rushed us into the crowd. The soldiers on the boat were only one wave of the attack. As I dragged her toward the front entrance, I noticed at least four Armenians searching the crowd for our location.

  “Fuck,” I hissed, yanking out my phone as I pulled her into the hallway leading to the bathroom. Maxim’s number was on speed dial. “Where the hell are you?”

  “Traffic,” the Russian growled. “Almost there.”

  “We’re under attack.”

  “Just like you anticipated. Don’t worry. I have a surprise.”

  There was no time to ask what the hell he was talking about. I guided her toward the kitchen, pushing my way inside. “We’re going out the service entrance. If I say drop, you drop.”

  “I will.”

  I shoved her through several cooks, finding the door seconds later. Stavros knew what to do but he could be surrounded. Only I knew he wasn’t the target. His life might be spared in order to gun me down.

  As the sunlight and heat blasted our exit, I was momentarily blinded. There was no time to waste. “Go. Go!”

  The light breeze pushed across my face, the sunlight continuing to be an issue. I kept her close to my body, sensing men approaching from two sides. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Stavros racing in our direction, his weapon in his hand.

  Whitney clung to me, molding her body against mine as I weaved my way through the parking lot. I’d hedged my bets, risking everything that was precious to me in order to discover the truth.

  I only hoped one of the men who’d taken a blood oath years before would uphold his pledge of support in a crisis.

  I’d never been a believer in destiny, challenging the concept every step of my life. My father had said early on that the lives of his children weren’t carved in stone but molded with the use of intelligence in the face of opposition and danger.

  However, this was a defining moment that I’d never wanted to face, a crushing blow to everything I’d believed in for so long.

  As enemy soldiers encircled our location, I shoved Whitney behind a vehicle. Her eyes were imploring, slicing through me as she uncovered my soul. Did she know she’d captured my heart? “I love you, Whitney. No matter what happens, I hope that’s something you’ll remember.”

  “What are you saying?” She wrapped her fingers around my arm, clawing into me as if never wanting to let me go.

  “Don’t worry, my omorfiá. I’ll always be with you.” After pressing my lips against hers, I heard Stavros cry in fury, the sound of gunfire erupting all around me. For so long I’d tried shutting down all my emotions for the fear of caring too much, but I was painfully aware that was no longer possible.

  Now I felt everything.

  Every electric pulse shredding the darkness inside.

  Every touch of her fingers against my skin.

  The breathless whisper of her kiss.

  The hunger igniting every ember.

  And I wanted more of everything.

  The words of my father the day he’d buried his brother one rainy afternoon rushed into the forefront of my mind.

  “Life is like an unfinished story, no beginning or end. Death isn’t the last word but the beautiful start to an adventure.”

  With one last longing look, I rose to my full height, prepared to face my destiny.

  CHAPTER 24

  Whitney

  The realization that I’d almost lost him, the man I loved, had left a tremendous ache in my heart. The horrific sound of gunfire continued to echo in my ears, my mouth dry from the terror that had been paralyzing for what had seemed like hours, yet the battle had lasted less than two minutes.

  According to Phoenix.

  The eerie silence after hearing several vehicles screeching to a stop had been as terrifying, maybe more so since I’d had no clue what was happening. Only when Phoenix had dropped to his knees, cradling me in my arms had I taken a single breath, whispering that everything was going to be okay.

  How? How would it ever be okay?

  Now, three hours later, we were finally aboard the jet, waiting to return… home. My new home. With a man I barely knew yet one I couldn’t imagine living without. There’d been police and ambulances, questions thrown at me that I had no idea how to answer, but I’d allowed Phoenix to guide me into providing the right information.

  Just like the information my father had sent me that I continued to clutch in my hand. At least people I didn’t know had come to provide their assistance, men just as powerful in their dress and demeanor.

  So many questions raced through my mind, but I’d left him alone, staring out at the concrete runway instead. A thousand emotions. Our love was unexpected. It was strong, uncontrollable, but I still wasn’t certain if it would be enough.

  I closed my eyes, unable to avoid the guilt for not listening to my father. That would take time, if at all possible, but I also felt a sense of pride in what he’d done, doing his best to protect Elena. He’d treated her like the daughter he’d left behind, his life taken because of his loyalty to her.

  I’d begun to fully understand not only the meaning of the word but also the importance. One of many things I’d taken for granted in my life.

  No more.

  That was a promise I’d made to myself I intended to keep.

  As the voices began to fade, I took a deep breath. Then I felt his presence beside me, and a wave of tingling sensations electrified every cell.

  Phoenix pulled my hand into his, rubbing the rough pads of his fingers back and forth. “There are aspects of my life that will always be as questionable as they will be dangerous. I never sugarcoated it, but the difficulties you’ve faced over the last week would be horrifying for anyone.”

  As usual, the husky inflections in his voice washed over me like a warm blanket, the dark baritone a part of every girl’s fantasies.

  “You didn’t force me, Phoenix. Not really.” I opened my eyes, tilting my head so I could watch his every expression.

  He laughed, although I could tell he didn’t find any of what we’d been through funny in the least. “So you willingly participated in several gun battles?”

  “I knew you’d save me.”

  “It was the only thing on my mind the entire time.”

  “The only thing?” I allowed a teasing sound to appear in my voice.

  He lifted his eyebrows, his expression one of hunger.

  And domination.

  “You know what else. You read it yourself.”

  Yes, I had, but he wasn’t ready to talk about what he’d learned in my father’s written statements, and neither was I. And I’d yet to open a single letter. “Who were those men from before?”

  “Members of an alliance I’m in. The Brotherhood.”

  “I take it they all have the same background as you do?”

  A slight grin crossed his face as he reached for his drink. “If by that you’re asking if they’re dangerous criminals heading notorious organizations? The answer would be yes. Maxim Nikitin runs Miami. Hell, he owns most of it. I couldn’t stand the man at first. Brusque. Arrogant. Conceited.”

  “It sounds like you should be best friends.”

  “You’re aching for punishment. Aren’t you?”

  “Even if I say no, that won’t stop you.”

  “Hmm…” He ran a single finger down my neck, smiling as soon as goosebumps popped across my arms. “You’re right. Gabriel Giordano is in charge of the New York Cosa Nostra. He’s had trouble with the Armenian faction in the Big Apple. Evidently, the Don of that organization owed him a favor. Narek Badalyan is perhaps the most powerful Armenian in the country. I don’t think we’ll have any further issues with Zakaryan in Philly.”

  “What happened to the enemy soldiers? Several were led away. Were they arrested?”

  His eyes twinkled. “Remember what I told you before. Don’t ask questions if you don’t want to hear all the gory details.”

  “Well, I guess when I’m your wife, I have a right to know all those gory details. Spill it.”

  “They weren’t arrested. They were taken to be… dealt with.”

  “You mean killed.”

  “You do understand,” he told me, almost as if he was proud.

  “I’m no fool. I’ve read enough articles on how business in handled in the seedy underworld of organized crime.”

  He acted as if he was offended, which made me laugh. “Some are more brutal and seedier than others, the Armenians as savage as the Russians.”

  “Fascinating. I hope you’ll buck the trend.”

  “Actually, that’s what I will do, but that won’t come quickly or easily.”

  I stared out the window, wondering why we were waiting. Then I realized Stavros hadn’t remained on the plane. “What happened to your brother?”

  By the tight smile crossing his lips, I sensed he could hear the angst in my voice. “He’s remaining behind to continue cleaning up the political mess while also keeping an eye on Elizabeth. While Maxim and Narek’s men are cleaning up any Armenian stragglers, there’s always a chance one or more will try and create another uprising.”

  He was choosing his words carefully. “You mean Stavros likes her. Right?”

  Now he burst into laughter. “It would appear so. He’ll hitch a ride back with Gabriel later in the week. That means we have the plane all to ourselves.”

  “I do like that thought.” When I glanced out the window across the aisle, I noticed an unknown SUV waiting only fifty yards away.

  A sudden faraway look shifted across his face.

  “Why are we still idling? Why is there still a vehicle parked outside?”

  “Because you have another opportunity to walk out that door and Maxim’s soldiers will take you to your condo.”

  The voice of the usually emotionless man was full of glitches.

  “You have a life I interfered with, people you care about, and a job I know you love. I was a selfish prick, Whitney, always taking what I want without hesitation or any regard to the consequences of my actions. Then I realized every time I reminded you of the outcome should you misbehave or not follow the rules that I was being a hypocrite.”