Nothing. She can’t mean anything to him. She may be another victim of his ruthless fucking mind as well.
Studying the house, I swallow the fact that my parents’ expectations were probably so low that their humble ambitions had them living in a home only a fraction of this size. At this point, my brother and I could buy this mansion hundreds of times over without losing an ounce of sleep. Tobias put us in the position to make it possible. If he hadn’t taken the risks he has—and still is in France—where the fuck would we be?
Light years behind where we are now. And still, neither of us has a real place we call home to this day.
In the few seconds that pass with these thoughts, I can feel Cecelia’s slight hesitation to exit my car, as if she can sense what I’m feeling.
She knows.
Ignoring the second time the whisper crosses my psyche in the last twenty-four hours, I catch her eyes back on me after she exits the car and thanks Tyler. In the brief exchange, remorse again threatens, this time twice as strong as the rest of my known facts about Cecelia flit in.
Like me, she was neglected and sometimes left to fend for herself due to her mother’s indulgent taste for variety in bed and bouts with alcoholism. Like me, Cecelia was also stuck raising an adult. A commonality that has me breaking our connection as Tyler bids her a saccharine-filled goodnight.
Even he’s not immune to her.
The ink loses again.
And fuck both Sean and Tyler for it.
The ink exists because of her father.
Fuck them both for forgetting it.
I’m sure as hell not going to.
Tipping point approaching, I jerk my chin to Tyler. The second he closes his passenger door, I press the gas, fury boiling through me as I catch sight of Cecelia in the rearview, staring, still fucking staring.
“Easy, man,” Tyler says as if he’s speaking to a rabid canine. “I get that you’re pissed off.”
“You get nothing,” I snap, taking the hard right onto the main road. “What’s pathetic is you and Sean both think you have a personal stake in this, but right now, I’m paying the price because, in truth, you fucking don’t.”
“That’s not fair, man, and fuck you for saying it. You know—”
“Do yourself a favor and save your speech.”
In my peripheral, I see him tense in his seat as I start to drive like I fuck.
“Damnit, Dom, you’re not the only one in the fucking car!”
He continues as I floor the gas while he tries to reason with me.
“I know she wasn’t part of the plan, and you’ve been put in a fucked-up position, but this isn’t the way to handle it.”
He’s reaching, and he knows it. Because of Sean, I’m being forced to entertain the daughter of the man who fucking murdered my parents for knowing he was a thief. Pulling back up to the garage, I brake hard, skidding my Camaro to a stop as the gravel kicks back on the body. With a glance toward the building, what’s been festering since the moment I laid eyes on Cecelia starts to overflow. Tyler challenges me on that front as I turn to him in a state of rage. “You’re going to make me say it?”
“You’re too fucking smart for this, Dom.”
“It’s apparent you’re not,” I clip. “Get the fuck out.”
“I’m not leaving you like this. Just park, hand me the keys, and talk to me.”
“I’m not asking.”
“He didn’t know, Dom.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Sean sounds from behind Tyler, alarm in his tone, no doubt for her.
Glancing over Tyler’s shoulder, I lock eyes with the person closest to me and see red. If I don’t leave right fucking now, the damage may be irreparable between us. Sean seems to glimpse it in my expression when Tyler finally exits my car. Sean starts at a dead run, calling my name as I race out of the parking lot.
In the next minute, I go black. It’s only when I lose control of the wheel—spinning out in the middle of the road—that I come to, taking control enough to pull over. Stumbling out the driver’s door, I find myself in a freshly cropped field as my chest heaves. Staring up at the starless sky above, I pinpoint what set me off.
Sympathizing with my enemy’s daughter.
I might have demanded to take her home tonight to further our progress, but Sean brought her in. This has forced me to recognize her as something other than a target.
Seconds or minutes later, I hear the approach and repeat of his Nova and turn in time to see him exit, headlights illuminating him as he reaches back and fists off his shirt.
As he stalks toward me, expression grim, I catch the resignation in his eyes.
He fucking knew and ignored it.
“Body shots only,” he clips, just as I throw everything into my first swing.
“Renegade” blares from my window upstairs as I press from the bench in our side yard. Sean joined me minutes ago, wordlessly feeling me out as he started pull-ups. Within a few lifts, I spot the knuckle-sized bruises on his ribs that have already faded to a pale yellow. Regret snakes its way in because I’ve never lashed out like that, even if we’ve bruised each other in the past. Those were testosterone-driven scrimmages between punk kids. This time it’s different, and I can sense the toll it’s taking when I catch his weary expression. I go to speak, and he shakes his head. “Don’t. We’re good, brother.”
Neither of us believes that, but my reply is cut off by the clang of the gate as Tyler enters the yard approaching the two of us. “We’ve got problems. Fatty got arrested.”
Sean drops from the bar as I pause mid-press before pushing up the rest of the way.
“On what charge?” Sean asks, fishing out a cigarette.
“Solicitation of a prostitute,” Tyler supplies, disgusted.
Sean gawks. “Pussy? Are you serious? Was he in our fucking van?”
“No,” Tyler jerks his head. “So, it’s still our secret.”
Sean cups the back of his neck, eyeing me. “Thank fuck.”
“He wants a meeting,” Tyler adds.
“Of course he does,” Sean snaps. “What’s our other problem?”
He looks between Sean and me. “You know what it is.”
Sean’s posture stiffens in preparation. “We’ve already worked this out.”
Tyler divides his glare between us. “I did not serve one too many consecutive years in the fucking Marines for the haircut,” he barks at me before turning his venom on Sean. “And I damn sure am not going to sacrifice everything we worked for so you can get your dick wet.”
Sean shakes his head. “She’s not a threat to us, and you know it. I’m being careful. We’ve gone over this. It’s not like I’m going to mark her, but it sure feels like you’re pissing in circles right now.”
Tyler presses in. Apparently, he’s just as on edge as Sean and I are. He’s bulked up recently, in more ways than one. He’s more authoritative now, whereas he used to let a hell of a lot more roll off his shoulders. We’ve all got our own agendas in carrying out our tasks, and Fatty getting arrested is one fucking complication too many just mere weeks in. Tyler relays as much. “You’re asking too much of me on this one. This is going to backfire. And when it happens—”