My mind was spinning as I ran up the stairs. Almost as much as the churning nausea which rolled in my guts. None of them, I couldn’t trust any of them, anyone. Nothing was ever what it seemed.

Whenever I thought I’d figured shit out, an atomic bomb of truth would land at my feet and turn that belief into a veritable wasteland of misconception. Every damn time. I was living in a world of liars, and I was tired of it. Tired of all the bullshit.

Whatever their game was, they could play without me.

Milena called to me as she climbed the stairs. “Olivia.”

Had my sister been colluding with them all along? Was she instrumental in my kidnapping? I wouldn’t put it passed the manipulative bitch, she’d be more than happy to see me gone. And him, that bastard Aaron, what was his role in all this? To keep me sweet? To get close so they could bend me for their own gain?

Not anymore, I was done with him, and his lies.

I grabbed my boots and sat on Aaron’s bed to lace them. My hands shook as I tied the knots. I slipped on my jacket and left the room. Milena stood at the top of the landing blocking the way down. A fake smile twisting her wiry lips.

“Olivia, may I talk to you, please?”

She was trying to be polite, but I could hear the condescension edged on her voice. I scowled. “Talk to yourself. I’m not listening.”

She raised her hands to placate me, softening her tone to where it came across as even more false and patronising. “It’s not what it looks like. Just calm down and I’ll explain.”

“Fuck off, Milena. I don’t want to hear it. I want to leave. Get out of the fucking way.”

She had the nerve to roll her eyes. “Come on, Olivia. You can’t leave.”

“Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do. Get out of the fucking way!” Grabbing her arm, I hauled her from the stairs. She tried to resist, but her heels didn’t give her much in the way of counterbalance. I jogged down as she turned to follow.

“Olivia, will you stop acting like a fucking child?”

There was the bitchy tone I knew all too well. “Fuck you.” I called back over my shoulder. As I approached the foot of the stairs, Marcus and Aaron came out of the kitchen, and blocked my exit to the front door. “Fuck you two, too.”

Marcus folded his arms and watched me intently. There was no scowl, but his expression was serious enough. “Milena’s right. We can’t let you leave.”

I stopped and squared up to him. “So, I am still your fucking prisoner?”

Aaron responded for him, but kept his head low and avoided my eyes. “Not like that, Olivia.”

I glared at him. Annoyed that he wouldn’t even give me the courtesy of eye contact. “Really? Certainly looks that way. Why did I think anything had changed between us? I’m still nothing but a pawn in this fucking game to bring down my father. Am I not?”

He looked up and held my eyes with a solemn expression. “No.”

There was no way I’d fall for his false sincerity. “Convincing. If I’m not just a means to an end, then tell me. Why won’t you let me go? What do you want from me?”

“At this present moment, for you to sit and listen.”

His voice was even, but I could tell he was hiding back his irritation. He was about to go into control mode, and that was the last thing I needed.

I huffed and stormed to the door at the back of the house, flicking the lock as soon as I reached it. As I pulled it open, Aaron came up behind me and slammed it shut. The growl caught in my throat as he spun me around and pushed me back hard against it. A rippling flutter tensed my stomach as he loomed over me and held my throat.

My goddamn traitorous body. The sooner I got away from him, the better.

“Get your attitude in check, princess. Don’t think I’m beyond punishing you.” He came closer and leant into my face. His breath warmed my cheek. “Just because I’ve cut you some slack doesn’t mean I’ll let you take the piss.”

“Let me go.” I struggled against him, but it only tightened his grip.

“You know you can’t leave. Not because Marcus ordered it, and not because we need you for some scheme. But because you want to stay.”

“I don’t want or need this shit.”

He looked me square in the eye and smiled. A cocky, knowing grin. “Tell me. Did you try to storm out because you wanted to go, or because you wanted me to chase you?”

I had to look away from his searching gaze. There was a part of me that recognised a truth in that.

He grabbed my jaw and turned me back to face him. “Answer me.”

I glared back. The intense look in his searching eyes pulled at my heart, flaming my anger with him. “I’m tired of the fucking lies, Aaron. Tired of being a pawn in your games. Tired of being manipulated. I’m not falling for it anymore. I will not let you use me.”

He let out an exasperated breath. “No one is using you, Olivia. If you’d sit and listen to reason, you’d find that out.”

“You mean, sit and listen to a whole new set of lies?”

The irritation still marred his handsome face, but he composed himself before he answered. “I’ve never lied to you.”

I laughed. “Please. The first one that comes to mind, the tracker.”

He closed his eyes and pressed his lips together. “That was different.”

“Yeah, so different, it’s the same. You may as well let me go because I won’t believe anything you say. Whatever plan you’ve concocted. I’m not going to be a part of it.”

He sighed. “There’s no plan for you. We’re trying to keep you safe.”

“Let me go and I’ll take care of myself, thanks.”

He glanced to the side as he chewed his lip, thinking of another tact. Then he stood back and folded his arms. His stern stare was unforgiving. It made me more nervous than his up close and personal intimidations.

“Alright, fine. You want honesty?”

I wasn’t sure I did now he was offering it, but I had to answer. “Yes.”

“Running away will not help your situation. Your father is gunning for all of us, and you and I both know, he has the means to find you wherever you are. What do you think he’d do when he found you? He showed no mercy to your mother. How do you think you’d fair?”

That was a low blow. He didn’t need to bring my mother into this. I already knew what kind of twisted psychopath my father was, and what he was capable of doing. “I’ve dealt with my father’s rage for years. He wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Even though you’ve betrayed him? Are you sure?”

I wasn’t. “Yes.”

“So, you want to take your chances on your own against him? What will you do?”

“I’ll leave.”

“Then, you’ll always be looking over your shoulder. Are you sure you want to live your life like that?”

I laughed. “It’d be no different from now.”

“You can’t rest until your father’s gone.”

My eyes found the floor. “I’ve always known that.”

He lifted my chin as his thumb traced my jaw. His soft, comforting touch seeped into the little cracks of my resolve.

“Then, why don’t you stay here? Where you have a chance of surviving if he were to find you, and where you might find a chance to be free, for good. All we’re asking is that you listen. I’m not trying to sway you, or manipulate you. I’m just giving you the facts.”

Not trying to sway me, my arse. Damn him, and his voice of reason.

“I don’t know what they’re going to tell you. I only found out about Milena today, too. You don’t trust them, but you can at least hear them out. Then you can make a choice. Is that too much to ask?”

I swallowed back my pride. “I guess not.”

He stepped forward and cupped my face in both hands. The warmth radiated from his eyes, but held an edge of sadness. “You don’t trust me, fine. All I can do about that is keep you safe. Hope you see the truth, eventually.”

He leant in to whisper in my ear, and his hot breath tickled my neck. It felt good to have him close.

“Everything I do now is for us, not them. You’re my priority. I can’t let you leave as I can’t keep you safe. Hell, I can’t let you leave as I can’t be without you.”

His lips traced over my cheek until they found mine. I folded to his kiss. It didn’t matter how much I questioned him. At that moment I was lost to anything but the tender feel of his lips.

He pulled away and held my eyes. A playful smile curling his mouth. “So, stop being a petulant brat, come sit down, and listen.”

Searching his beaten up face, a knot tightened around my heart. He made me feel wanted and safe, but he wasn’t the first man to do that. Jack told me he’d protect me from the world. That he’d take me away from my father, and this wretched business. He played that card, too.

I was a fool for believing it.

As much as I wanted Aaron, it felt too much like history repeating. There was no way I’d let that happen again. I closed my eyes and tried to clear the confusion. I needed to figure out my next step, but I couldn’t do that objectively with him so near. He clouded my mind.

“Are you ready?”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He took my hand and led me back down the hall. I didn’t want to face my sister, or Marcus. They’d heard almost everything. It was embarrassing they’d seen me lose the plot. Then be so easily swayed.

Milena stood at the foot of the stairs with a condescending look. “I hope you’ve calmed down now. We don’t need…”

Aaron held up his hand and cut her off mid-sentence. “Milena, make a cup of coffee. Black, no sugar.”

She screwed her lips tight as she scowled. Then rolled her eyes and huffed before heading into the kitchen. Marcus was still by the front door, arms folded as he leant against the wall. An eyebrow raised as he gave Aaron a cocky half-smile. He didn’t say a word as we walked into the large living room.

Dropping my hand, he gestured towards the armchair. “Sit.”

I glared at him. Frustration still bit at my thoughts, but I did as he asked. Marcus followed us in and made his way to the sofa opposite. Aaron took the seat by the door. I shuffled uncomfortably as they watched me, feeling like an interrogation was about to begin. We sat in silence before Milena came in and handed me the coffee. Then took a seat on the sofa next to Marcus.

Marcus gestured at Milena then over at me. “You’re here for a reason.”

She bit her lip as she thought about her words. Then her sharp, grey eyes pierced into mine. “Marcus asked me here today to talk to you. He figured—after yesterday—you’d be better off knowing the truth, and would be more receptive to hearing it from me. As you’ve no doubt gathered, Marcus and I are working together to bring down our father, and have been for some time.”

I shook my head as I stared back. “How long?”

Her severe face was deadpan straight. “Two years.”

I scoffed. “Two years? I didn’t think you could keep a secret that long.”

She smiled. “Evidently, I can. It’d also be fair to say you didn’t have a fucking clue.”

I cursed myself for not seeing it; I was supposed to be the perceptive one. “Why would I suspect anything? Plotting to bring down your own family, and business wouldn’t be high on my list of things to look out for.”

She raised one sculpted eyebrow. “We’re not planning on taking out the Syndicate. We’re just taking it away from him.”

“Why?”

“Do you really need to ask that?”

“Evidently, I do.”

“I would have thought you’d be jumping at the chance to take him out. After all, he treats you a hell of a lot worse than he treats me.”

“Yeah, but I’m not the one who has been colluding with his enemy for the past couple of years. Which means that’s far from the reason.”

She sighed. “I’m older than you, Olivia. By eight years. I remember our mother’s disappearance all too vividly, and I worked it out not long after. I’ve been waiting for this chance for a long time.”

“You’ve known about her all along and you never told me?” It hurt. I was more betrayed by her withholding that than I was about her working with Marcus. She was a heartless bitch, so, I thought she’d have wanted to tell me.

“What would you have done with that information? It would’ve only made things worse.”

“You could’ve told me.”

She clasped her hands together and leant forward as she rested her elbows on her knees. “No, I couldn’t. How much does it hurt finding out? Now, imagine feeling that all these years and being powerless to do anything about it. Unable to escape from the man who did that to her. I couldn’t let you go through that.”

I laughed. “So, you were protecting me?”

She raised her hands to her chin and cocked her head to the side. “You’re my sister. It’s in the job description.”

“That’s never mattered to you before.”

She gave me her fake smile. “It’s always mattered, Olivia. A lot more than you’ll ever know.”

Now, I knew she was putting on a show. Anyone else would’ve seen it as sisterly concern, but she didn’t possess any of that. “Why do I find that so hard to believe?”

She sat up and glared at me, her piercing grey eyes narrowed. “Maybe because you’re too wrapped up in your own self-pity to see anything other than being a victim?”

I huffed. “Maybe you’re stuck too far up your own arse to see anything but good in the shit you create?”

“Alright.” Marcus raised his hands in the air. “That’s enough love from you two. Can we keep this civil and on topic, please?”

Milena shook her head and flicked a manicured hand in my direction. “Blame Olivia. She always has to be difficult.”

“How about you don’t rise to the bait?”

She glared at him. “Easier said than done. You can see what she’s like.”

My head swam with so much frustration it was hard to grasp my thoughts. “Will you shut the fuck up?”

They all turned to look at me, but kept quiet. Taking a breath, I closed my eyes and tried to clear the swarm of thoughts and emotions. Attempting to refocus and grab a handle on the situation.

Marcus would take down my father, regardless. It was now my call to decide if I’d stand with him or not. Milena may be happy to join forces, but I still didn’t trust him. I knew about his underhand tactics with Darryl, and that didn’t sit well with me.

My father was a lot worse, granted. I’d never forgive him for what he did to my mother, but he was still my father. As much as I hated him, could I live with myself if I was instrumental in his demise?

But then, Aaron was right. I’d never be free from him while he was alive.

Could I put my freedom over his life? I was unsure, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to get out of this situation. I had to play along with them for now. Until I figured out if I could make that choice. Then, I’d either stand with Marcus, or go against him.

First, I needed to know what he was planning to do.

Opening my eyes, I looked across at Marcus. “Alright. What’s your plan?”

He cocked his head to the side. “Are you with us?”

“Would my answer make any difference? I know Milena is in on it. You’re not going to let me leave.”

His jaw clenched as he stared at me, but his eyes were solemn and serious. “It makes a difference to me.”

I glanced away before looking back at him with the same sincere stare. “Do I want my father dead? No. Do I want him to pay for what he’s done? Yes. I’m with you as far as that.”

“Okay, that’s good. Because I’m not planning on killing him.” He sighed and paused, hesitant to begin. “We’ve been gradually switching the Syndicate. Taking all the contacts, paying them off, blackmailing them, offering them better deals. Whatever it took to get them on my side. It’s not been fucking cheap. But when I give the word, Gian’s empire will transfer to my control.”

Milena cleared her throat. “Whose?”

He rolled his eyes. “Our control.” He looked back at me. “And yours, if you want it? I have no desire to take your inheritance.”

“I don’t want it. Never have.” I scowled at my sister. “You do though. Is this why you want him taken out? So you can swan around in your business suits and bark out the orders?”

She gave me a sly grin. It made my skin creep. “I’ve told you why. Gaining control would just be one of the many added benefits. In my hands, the business will really start to grow.”

I huffed. “The logical next step. This is what all that shit was about when we met with Aaron at the club. You wanted to see if I’d be open to working with Marcus.”

She nodded. “The answer to that was a resounding no.”

“So, you had me kidnapped instead.”

“That was my idea,” Marcus answered. “It was the only way to get you out of the way and keep you safe. That didn’t quite work out as planned.” He smirked at Aaron, who merely rolled his eyes and looked away.

“Okay. You’ve bought or killed off his contacts. You’ve got the businesses. What now? Why not just take it?”

He smiled. “Because that isn’t enough. I want his legitimates and I want his assets. For that, I need him.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“I was hoping your disappearance would lead him to attack my warehouse in Forest Hill. There I could take out his men and get him where I wanted him.”

Laughing, I rubbed my forehead with my hand. “I knew it.”

Marcus had an irritated scowl on his face. It would’ve been nice to rub it in more, but I didn’t think it wise to antagonise him too much.

I kissed my teeth. “You’ve two mistakes right there. One, I’m not that important to him. Two, he’s not one to take an aggressive stance unless absolutely necessary. He won’t attack Forest Hill. That’s not his style. It’s too obvious. Too clumsy. He won’t make a move unless he’s sure he’s got the advantage.”

He shook his head and creased his nose. “Gian was always one to attack first.”

I nodded. “Was. How long has it been since you’ve known him? He’s a lot more cautious now, with a lot more to lose. His business is his life.”

“That’s why I want it.”

Milena chimed in. “You’re wrong. He’ll go for Forest Hill if he’s got a big enough incentive.”

I chuckled. “No, he won’t. You don’t know shit. Tactics have never been your strong point. There was a reason you were pushed towards the business side, and it wasn’t your pretty face. He forced the brutality onto me.”

“Alright,” Marcus began. “What do you suggest?”

I sighed. “If you want him. You have to go get him.”

“Where? His house?”

Milena’s jaw dropped. “No, that’s my house. I don’t want you shooting it up.”

I shook my head. “It wouldn’t be a good place anyway, especially not now. He’ll be expecting it. It’s too risky. Too many civilians around in a quiet neighbourhood.”

“Where then?” Marcus’ tone was insistent.

I bit my lip as I struggled to say it out loud. I knew the perfect place. It’d give Marcus exactly what he was looking for, but it’d also give me the option to stop him, if I needed to. Once I said it, however, there was no going back. I drew a breath and steeled myself for the choice I’d have to make real soon. “You’ve got Wallis in your pocket, I take it?”

Marcus looked away as he thought about the name. “You mean Rob Wallis?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s on the books.”

“Wallis has got an old boxing club in Camden. Goes there most Tuesdays to play poker. So does my father.”

Milena huffed. “Why would you know about this and I wouldn’t?”

“Because I’ve been there a few times. It’s got quite a large basement for… blood-sports. That’s where I’d get him.”

I’d known Wallis for a long time. He’d side with me if necessary.

Marcus narrowed his eyes and studied me. “Are you sure about this?”

I threw a dismissive hand at him. “You can check the details yourself. You don’t need me. My father doesn’t keep much of a schedule, but that’s one place he does like to go. It’s a bit of a boys club.”

Marcus nodded then stood and made his way to the door. He would get straight on to Wallis.

Just before he walked out, I called to him. “Marcus.”

“What?”

“There’s one thing I don’t get. It’s been twenty-two years since my mother passed. Why are you going after my father now? Why not twenty years ago?”

He took a breath and rubbed his face before looking back at me. A soft smile rose that didn’t reach the hint of sadness in his eyes. “I had to wait for the right time.”

“That’s not an answer. Why?”

He shook his head then turned and left the room.