We stepped inside the door of his Tuscan estate, and Giovanni appeared out of the shadows to serve him. “Sir, I—”

“It can wait until tomorrow.” Cato ignored his most loyal servant and guided me to the staircase. The trip back to the house had been spent in quiet tension, his hand squeezing my thigh and his eyes staring deeply into mine. He didn’t kiss me, as if he was waiting for the right moment to drop his restraint.

Giovanni disappeared again, obeying Cato’s orders.

He unexpectedly scooped his arms underneath my body then lifted me to his chest. Like I weighed nothing and he could move a mountain, he carried me up the three flights of stairs to his bedroom on the top floor.

I circled my arms around his neck, and I stared at his handsome expression, the pretty color of his eyes and the way they contrasted against the hardness of his jaw. If any other man pulled a stunt like he did, I would kick him in the crotch and storm off. No man had the right to control my life, to sabotage my evening just because he didn’t like it. There were so many things I disliked about Cato—and his arrogance was at the top of the list. But he was the sexiest man on the planet, with those good looks and perfectly chiseled body. His power and wealth weren’t necessary to make him irresistible because he already was. If he weren’t so attractive and confident, this would be a million times harder. I could sleep with someone I disliked—if he were this beautiful.

He carried me into his bedroom without effort and then set me down on his enormous bed, the bed where he often had several women at once. Sweaty and kinky sex happened here on a nightly basis. The women were willing to do anything, dirty things I would never compromise on. So, would fucking me be enough? Or would he be finished with me in the morning? There was only one way to find out.

He kneeled on the floor in front of me and held my gaze as he slipped off each of my heels. He handled me delicately, his fingers gently rubbing against the softness of my skin. His blue eyes were focused on my face, like it was impossible to pull his gaze away for even a moment.

I liked seeing Cato beneath me, a strong man on his knees to assist me. When he wasn’t being an arrogant prick, he was a sexy gentleman. I studied him as he took his time with the straps before both my heels were off. Then I watched him press a kiss to the inside of my ankle.

I closed my eyes automatically, loving the way those soft lips felt against my skin.

He did the same to the other foot before he trailed kisses up my legs and to the inside of my knees. He kept going, moving higher and higher until he was between my thighs.

My breathing escalated, and I slowly lay back on the bed as he tilted me backward. My eyes closed for long periods of time as I waited for that mouth to reach the area that ached the most. Maybe I disliked Cato Marino, but there was no doubt I wanted him—bad.

He kept moving until his lips pressed against my black thong. He kissed me gently, my dress bunched up to my hips. He kissed me a little harder for the friction then took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of my arousal through my lacy thong.

He pulled back then raised his head level with mine, a look of arousal on his face so intense he seemed angry. He gripped my hips with his hands, and he stared at me without fear, as if he was struggling not to fuck me so hard he might break the bed.

I’d been the focus of a man’s desire before, but a man had never looked at me the way Cato did now. This was just sex, a conquest he was obsessed with completing, but it still made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. It was more fulfilling than making love to a man I cared about. It was more fulfilling than a booty call with a man who could make me come. I was prey to this man—and it was the first time I enjoyed feeling that way.

He rose to his full height then pulled his t-shirt over his head. Like last time, he was nothing but man, nothing but pure sex. His strong pecs led to the valley of rivers and grooves in his abdomen. Near his hips were two thick veins that led up from the top of his jeans. He was in perfect physical shape, with the strength to kill a man with his bare knuckles.

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. My panties felt wetter by the second, and any uncertainty I had about what I was doing was gone. My thighs ached to open, and my pussy screamed to feel every inch of him inside me. This started off as a task, but now it was the only thing in the world I wanted to do.

He undid his belt then took care of his jeans, pushing them down along with his boxers.

I stared at his long dick, my eyes focused and wide. Dicks were nothing special, nothing to get particularly aroused by, but damn, it was the most beautiful dick I’d ever seen. He wasn’t just long, but also thick. His crown was prominent, and even his balls were beautiful. Perfectly manicured for a fuck or a suck, it was the kind of dick I would be happy to choke on. “Jesus Christ…” I couldn’t take my eyes off the monster cock that stood so erect and proud. My tongue ached to feel the vein along the shaft, and my belly yearned for a taste of him. Sucking dick wasn’t one of my fetishes, but when one looked like that, I’d be happy to hit my gag reflex over and over. “That is one beautiful dick.” My eyes finally flicked back up to his.

Flames burned in his eyes, not from anger, but from ecstasy. Now he looked like he wanted to fuck me even harder, to slam his dick so deep inside me it made me explode. His hands reached up my thighs until he gripped the lace of my panties. Then he slowly pulled them down until they were free of my ankles. His eyes locked on to my pussy, staring at it with the same obsession I felt for his cock.

He lowered himself to his knees again then pressed his mouth right between my legs. He immediately smothered my clit with his tongue and kissed it harder than he’d kissed my mouth. He inhaled deeply then blew his warm breath across my most sensitive area. He ate my pussy like he was starving and there was nothing else on the menu he wanted more.

I screamed right away, just because it felt so unbelievably good. My head rolled back, and I looked at the ceiling as my vision began to blur. Men had eaten me out before, but not at this caliber. I fisted his hair with my fingers, and I wondered if leaving his place that night had been a mistake. Even with another woman there, the sex still would have been incredible.

He sucked my clit a little harder before he pulled away. He opened his nightstand and pulled out a foil packet before he came back to me on the bed.

I was about to come when his mouth was pleasing me, so having his enormous girth inside me was exactly what I wanted. But now all I could think about was that cock inside my mouth. I’d never wanted to give head so much, to explore something so big. “Wait.” I rose to my feet and unzipped the back of my dress so it could fall to the floor. I wasn’t wearing a bra, so now I was completely naked.

Cato’s eyes went to my tits.

“I really—” I lowered myself to my knees in front of him “—really want to suck your dick first.” I ignored the man who possessed the dick and gripped his muscular thighs. He had tanned skin everywhere, along with packed muscles underneath. He was such a pretty man that even his feet were sexy. I flattened my tongue and opened my mouth wide before I pressed him inside me. Then I moaned. As a woman, I appreciated every single inch of his perfection. I appreciated his length and his thickness. I appreciated the way he tasted, the way he could keep his hardness with no effort. His dick was perfect and deserved to be worshiped.

Cato’s expression hardened as he stared down at me. He watched me move his length deep inside my mouth before I slowly pulled it out. Getting head was enjoyable regardless, but he probably got off on how much I wanted to do it, how much I wanted his dick against my tongue. He fisted the back of my hair, and his deep breaths slowly escalated the longer I went to town on his length.

I never imagined I would be so thrilled to be on my knees. Just thirty minutes ago, I thought he was an arrogant pig. I’d seen him make out with random women in bars, one right after another. But now that I was enjoying this man, I couldn’t judge him. Even without his fortune, he was the most desirable man on the planet. Those women probably didn’t even want him for his money. They just wanted this—a night with a real man.

My tongue coated more saliva onto his length, and I pushed him as deep as I could. I only made it halfway because he wasn’t just long but wide. Giving head was about making your partner feel good, but right now, my actions were completely selfish. I was sucking his dick because I enjoyed every second of it. In fact, I felt the same burn between my legs that I felt when his mouth was pressed to my clit. I was so aroused by his dick that I felt an explosion on the horizon. Just his dick turned me on more than sex with any other guy had. My fingers moved between my legs, and I rubbed myself as I continued to suck him off, knowing I was about to explode with a dick in my mouth.

Cato inhaled a deep breath between his teeth before he yanked on the back of my hair. “No.”

His dick left my mouth, but I pressed a kiss to the crown, my eyes on him.

“Up.”

My sight was blurry from arousal, and I had to rely on his powerful legs to make my way back to my feet.

“On your back.” He grabbed the condom then proceeded to put it on. He rolled it down his length to the base, keeping a large pocket at the end to hold the come he would release for me.

I moved onto his Alaskan king-size bed and lay my head on one of his pillows. I expected kinkier sex, something not missionary. I didn’t even mind skipping sex as long as his dick was in my mouth. But I was excited to feel his thick length deep inside me. I’d never taken a bigger man, and now I was afraid I would never be able to go back once we were finished.

He climbed on top of me, his heavy weight shifting the mattress as he moved. His enormous cock hung at the ready, pointing at my entrance like he couldn’t wait to be inside me. His arms immediately hooked behind my knees, and he stretched me apart, as if I would need to be open as wide as possible if I was going to take that behemoth between his legs. “Notice anything about my bed?”

My hands clawed at his chest because I was so anxious for sex. I’d never wanted a man to fuck me more. I’d hated him that morning, but now he was my ultimate fantasy. My hands moved into the back of his hair, and I brought his lips to mine for a kiss. “Shut up and fuck me.” I could taste my pussy on his lips, and the sensation only aroused me more.

He kissed me back but only for a few seconds. “You’re the only one in it.”

I rested my face against his and felt my pussy tighten. Unlike everyone else, I got to enjoy him exclusively for the night. I got all his attention, all his affection, and all of his dick. “Good. Because I don’t like to share.” I grabbed his length and pointed his crown at my entrance.

He pressed his dick inside me and ignored the resistance. His cock was way too big for my small size, but he wouldn’t accept the denial. He pushed again until he got past the barrier and met the pool of moisture that was practically dripping between my thighs. Then he sank the rest of the way, sheathing more and more until most of his length was deep inside me.

A cock had never felt so good. “Cato…” My hands left his hair and glided down his back. My nails sliced him with my enthusiasm, but it couldn’t be controlled. Now I was just a woman lost to her hormones, a woman who just wanted to be with a man. “Fuck, you feel good.” If I’d known it would be this good, I would have fucked him in the back of his car on the way here.

He moaned as he started to thrust, his eyes locked on mine as he tapped his headboard against the wall. “Damn, this is good pussy.”

I grabbed his ass and yanked him deeper into me, feeling the climax hit me right away. I didn’t need more than ten thrusts to come apart. I’d been ready for a climax for the last fifteen minutes. It was surprising that I didn’t explode the second he was inside me. “God…” My head relaxed into the pillow, and I watched him continue to thrust into me, continue to give me his enormous dick at the perfect pace. “Yes…yes.” My nails clawed down his arms, and my hips bucked back into him. I bit my bottom lip as I came undone. This man had accomplished something no other man ever could. He made me come so hard, I didn’t think that intensity was possible—and he didn’t even try. Maybe his arrogance was appropriate, after all.

He went still as he kept his entire length inside me. With my legs still pinned back and his eyes glued to mine, he wore the same look of arousal he started with, but now it was accompanied by a hint of torture. “You better not be done. I haven’t even gotten started yet.”

Orgasms later and early in the morning, I lay in bed beside him, listening to his deep, even breathing. He was fast asleep, fully satisfied after making me come for him so many times.

I opened my eyes and spotted the time on the clock.

It was six in the morning.

That was the greatest night of sex I’d ever had, and I could easily lie there forever and just enjoy it. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so well pleased. No man had ever stepped up to the plate and hit a home run like that. Cato Marino wasn’t just the most successful banker in the world—but he was the most successful lover.

I’d enjoyed screwing a criminal mastermind who murdered someone in his driveway, and the sex was so good I forgot just how much danger I was in. My task was to manipulate him and somehow isolate him from the herd of his security detail, but that operation seemed impossible. Last night, the sex was amazing for me, but it was probably average for him. It didn’t matter how wet or eager I was, his threesomes and wild nights would always triumph over anything I could offer.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

Maybe I should give up while I still had the chance.

I pulled back the sheets and carefully slid to the edge of the bed. My plan was to slip out before he woke up. Maybe he didn’t even expect me to spend the night in the first place. He probably would have kicked me out if he wanted me gone, but maybe he’d been too tired. I grabbed my dress from the floor and started to put it on.

“Did I say you could leave?” His masculine voice filled the bedroom, not raspy like it should have been since he’d been sleeping for hours. He didn’t move from his position in bed, the sheets bunched around his waist.

My attitude fired up at the insinuation. “No. But I didn’t ask.” This man might be incredible between the sheets, but he was still an asshole at the end of the day. That big beautiful dick wouldn’t change that.

“Get back here.” He didn’t open his eyes, as if he just expected me to listen.

I wasn’t the kind of woman to listen. Not now and not ever. I zipped the dress.

He sprang out of bed quickly and came right toward me, over 200 pounds of hostile muscle. It was dark in his bedroom because all the curtains were closed, but he didn’t struggle to find me at the foot of his bed. He snatched me by the back of the hair and threw me onto the bed, my face hitting the sheets and my ass rising in the air. His hand gripped the back of my neck, and he pinned me down with his weight. “Lesson learned. Never make me ask you twice.” He grabbed a condom from his nightstand, rolled it on, and then he fucked me like an animal, keeping my face pressed against his sheets while his enormous dick slammed into me over and over.

My initial impulse was to fight him, but once that cock stretched me wide, I did nothing in retaliation—except enjoy it.

He grabbed both of my wrists and pinned them against my back as he kept his hold on my neck. His thrusts were deep and hard, not sensual and gentle like they were last night. He seemed more angry than lustful, like my disobedience infuriated him and turned him on at the same time.

“Fuck you, asshole.” I bit my lip as my face pressed into the mattress, feeling that perfect cock hit me in the right spot over and over. I despised him as a human being, but I loved being taken like this, screwed in a way I’d never been before.

“I am fucking you, baby.” He gripped the back of my hair and forced me up, arching my back and treating me like a horse being controlled by reins. “And I will fuck you as long as I want.” His hand moved to my neck, and he squeezed me hard as he slammed into me, his grip almost choking me.

I closed my eyes and bit my bottom lip, feeling my body betray me instantly. He hadn’t been inside me for long, and I wasn’t even aroused before he threw himself at me. Now my cunt was soaking wet, and it was tightening on him with every passing second.

“So fucking tight.” He leaned over me and pressed his chest against my back, his lips near my ear. “Come, baby. I know you want to.”

I wanted to fight the feeling because I was a proud woman, but when he felt so good between my legs, that seemed impossible. It didn’t matter how arrogant he was. It didn’t matter if he was a pompous asshole. He made me come better than any other man. “God…”

“Say my name.”

In the throes of passion, I couldn’t hesitate. “Cato.”

“Good, baby,” he breathed against my ear as he kept fucking me, kept driving his huge cock deep inside me.

My face moved into the mattress as I finished, the sheets swallowing my final moans.

He held his weight on top of me and finished with a masculine groan, his satisfaction audible in his deep voice. He hovered for a moment as he enjoyed every single second before the feeling wore off. Then he pulled his softening dick out of me and walked to the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower.”

I listened to the door shut behind him then heard the water run a second later. I stayed in the same position as my heart rate began to slow. That was the kind of morning sex I’d never had in my entire life. It was the perfect way to start a morning, even if my lover was a pompous and controlling asshole.

Now that he was gone, I picked up my dress and got ready. I didn’t know if he wanted me to stay or not, but I should leave as soon as possible. Cato Marino was a serious opponent that I couldn’t overpower, and now I feared my talents wouldn’t be enough. Even if I could lure him into trusting me, that only put me in more danger. Because the second he realized I was fooling him…he would shoot me in the head in his driveway.

After working at the gallery all day, I went home to my place outside of Florence. There was a black car in the driveway, and the front door was unlocked. Someone else would immediately call the cops, but I knew exactly who’d broken in to my home and trespassed on my property.

“A phone call would suffice.” I shut the door behind me and stepped into the house, knowing I would come face-to-face with Damien in just a few seconds.

“I’d rather see your pretty face, sweetheart.” Even when Damien was being civil, he sounded evil. He was a creepy goon, a vulture just waiting for me to be murdered so he could pick me apart.

I stepped into the kitchen and spotted him at my dining table. He’d helped himself to a glass of wine and had his feet resting on the other chair. He’d made himself at home—even though I would kill him if I ever got the opportunity. “Yes?” I snatched the bottle of wine off the table and poured myself a glass. “Does the little bitch have a message?”

His smile remained plastered on his face, but his eyes displayed a slight look of annoyance. He was second-in-command to Micah—and he didn’t like it one bit. He was the man who did the dirty work, much like a janitor in a school. “You’re the little bitch in this situation.”

“I disagree.” I took a drink then licked my lips. “What do you want, Damien? I’m busy.”

“You aren’t busy enough because we don’t have Cato.”

“You expect me to take down the richest man in Italy in a few weeks?” I stood at the counter with the glass in my hand, tilting my head slightly as I examined him. “Something you and Micah can’t even do? Don’t be ridiculous.”

He pulled a knife from his pocket and set it on the table in front of him. It was a subtle warning, a threat to slit my throat if I became difficult. “Between you and me, I want you to fail. Then you’ll be all mine. I’ll fuck you in the ass with this blade pressed right against that beautiful artery in your neck.”

Regardless of the danger, it was unacceptable to give in to fear. I refused to be afraid, to let this twisted man get under my skin. The second I did, he would have the upper hand. I sipped my wine like he hadn’t just threatened to rape and murder me. “I’d chop off your dick before you ever got the chance.”

His grin widened, because he was a sick son of a bitch that got off on this stuff. “I wonder if your cunt is as sweet as that mouth of yours.”

“You’ll never know.”

His smile dropped, just for an instant. “Are you going to make this happen or not?”

I’d slept with Cato, but I was no closer to accomplishing anything. That man was far more terrifying than Damien ever could hope to be. Not only was Cato cold, but he was controlling and domineering. He didn’t give second chances to anyone. The second he figured out my plan, I would be executed liked a prisoner of war. “You’re asking me to accomplish the impossible.”

“Then we won’t bother keeping your father alive.”

No matter how many times I reminded myself that my father deserved his fate, knowing he was locked up broke my heart. I wanted my father to be free, not tortured by Micah. He probably knew I was trying to save him, and that just made him feel worse. “I can give you all the information I have about Cato. That’s still worth something.”

“What information? Access to bank accounts? Security measures? Codes into his residence?”

“Well…no.”

“Then what?” he asked, laughing slightly. “What valuable information do you have?”

In that moment, I understood I knew nothing. The man was a quiet enigma who hardly spoke. His thoughts were a mystery. The only part of him I was acquainted with was his dick. I knew that pretty well.

Damien looked away and sipped his wine. “You have nothing to offer.”

“You’re giving me nothing to work with.”

“You have a pussy, don’t you? Look at you. How hard is it to get this guy pussy-whipped?”

I was the one who was dick-whipped. Cato was the most amazing hunk I’d ever been with. I was just another woman in a very long line of beautiful women to him. “This guy is too smart for that. There’s no way he could become so successful by ever being stupid. You picked the wrong guy to cross. I saw him execute someone right in his driveway. You should pick a different target.”

Damien shook his head. “It’s gotta be him.”

“Why?”

“Because if we take him down, we’ll own everything—and not just the drug trade.”

“You’re forgetting his brother.” Bates was clearly just as shrewd as Cato.

“He’ll be easy to take down once we have Cato.”

I’d been out of the game for a long time, but I knew Damien was oversimplifying this task.

“Are you going to deliver or not? I should know now. It costs money to keep feeding your father. And if I can start fucking you now, I’ll stop wasting my time with this wine.” He pushed the glass away and looked me up and down.

I didn’t have a trick up my sleeve or any idea how I was going to accomplish this. Cato was too smart to fall for something so dumb. I let him conquer me in bed, but it seemed like he’d gotten me under his thumb instead of the other way around. But the thought of my father reminded me what I was fighting for. “Give me more time.”

I hadn’t spoken to Cato since I’d slipped out of his house a few days ago. Maybe he was pissed I left. Maybe he didn’t care. I had no idea. Sleeping with him might have brought us closer together, but more than likely, it had turned me into another conquest he could forget about.

If that was the case, I was screwed.

When I got off work at the gallery, I walked to the grocery store to pick up a few things to make dinner. I usually made a few meals and then brought the leftovers to work to save money—and to keep the inches off my waistline. Walking to the store was good too, since I usually sat around at the gallery all day.

I was in the canned food section when someone appeared beside me, a tall man with midnight-black hair. He was in jeans and a black t-shirt, his head tilted down like he was trying to hide his face. He came close to me, too close for someone just browsing.

“Why don’t you back up, buddy?” I pivoted my body toward him and kept my basket between us just in case I needed to hit him with it.

He turned my way slightly, an enormous grin on his face.

I recognized that grin. “Landon?”

He kept scanning the cans of beans on the rack. “Keep your voice down.”

The shock hadn’t worn off, and the warmest feeling spread throughout my chest. Hot summer days with freshly mowed grass came to mind, along with the small bikes we would leave in the roundabout. I thought of fresh cookies out of the oven at Christmas time, thought of all the times he would hide my dolls and force me to search for them. “I don’t care.” I set the basket on the ground then moved into his side for a hug. I buried my face into his chest, and I smelled his cologne, immediately recognizing it. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

Landon didn’t push me off, but he hardly gave me a pat on the back. “Pull yourself together, Siena. People are looking for me, and I know people are watching you. So get off.”

I pulled away reluctantly, heartbroken I couldn’t give my brother a proper hug. We’d never been particularly close, but blood was blood. With Father gone, he was all I had left in the world. “I’m sorry… I’m just so happy to see you.”

He grabbed a can off the rack and pretended to read the label. “I know what happened to Father, and I know what Micah and Damien are expecting you to do. You need to forget about it. Take off and run.”

That was the last thing I expected Landon to say. “And leave Father to his fate?”

“I’ll figure it out,” he whispered. “It’s not your problem, Siena. You didn’t want anything to do with this life, and you shouldn’t have to get your hands dirty now. I’m sorry you got involved in the first place.”

Even if I wanted to run, I couldn’t. There was nowhere to go. “Can we meet somewhere? You know, so I can actually look at you when I talk to you? So I can actually hug you?”

He put the can back on the shelf and sighed, his height towering over mine. “Where? We can’t meet at your house.”

“A bar,” I suggested. “Somewhere in the back.”

“Alright. I’ll meet you at Baron’s at ten.” He walked away without another word.

I wanted to watch him go, but I focused on looking straight ahead. Just when my world had become so bleak and dark, a ray of sunshine popped through. My brother was on the run because the business had been dismantled, and I was working for the enemies that took everything from us. But at least if we had each other…we had something.

Landon was already there when I walked inside. A glass of booze sat in front of him, and judging by his track record, it was probably his third or fourth glass.

I sat across from him at the table in the back, my eyes taking him in with a slight film. My brother and I had drifted apart over the last few years, and now that I was looking at him, I couldn’t understand why I’d allowed that to happen.

He showed a cold stare, the same one my father wore most of the time. Landon’s fingers rested around his glass, and he glanced around us every few minutes, checking for unfriendly eyes. His beard was gone, and his green eyes were bright despite his obvious sadness. “Don’t fuck with Cato Marino. That guy is a monster.”

Yes, I’d seen it firsthand. “I know.” Cato was cold as ice and so pragmatic he didn’t seem human. All he cared about was sex, booze, and money. Without a heart, he didn’t hesitate before he ended someone’s life forever. He traveled in a huge caravan everywhere he went because he knew the world was full of his enemies.

“If he suspects you, he’ll wring your neck.”

“I know that too.”

He glanced around the bar before he looked at me, the hostility in his eyes. “Then you need to leave. Grab your things and take off.” He reached inside his blazer and pulled out a thick envelope stuffed with cash. He set it on the table between us. “That should be more than enough for whatever you need.”

It was sweet my brother wanted to take care of me, but I didn’t need his support. I pushed the money back toward him. “I don’t need it. But thank you.”

A sigh escaped his lips. “Now isn’t the time to be stubborn.”

“I’m not being stubborn. I’m not leaving Father behind. He doesn’t deserve my loyalty, but I can’t just leave him like that.”

Landon bowed his head slightly and looked into his glass. “You have absolutely no chance of tricking Cato. You’re just going to get yourself killed.”

“And if I get killed, so be it.”

Landon’s eyes narrowed in hostility, like that was the worst thing I could have said. “I don’t want this. Father doesn’t want this.”

“But we’re family—and we’re in this together.”

He ran his hand through his short black hair, his jaw still clenched with ferocity. We always bumped heads because we were equally stubborn. Landon wanted to be the alpha, but I’d been the alpha since the day I was born. I’d never been the push-over type. Instead of wearing a pretty dress and keeping my mouth shut at a party, I was the one who spoke the loudest. He respected me for it, but during times like these, he also hated me for it. “It’s a suicide mission. Cato is at the top of the food chain for a reason. You think you’re going to outsmart him?”

“I don’t know what I think right now. I’m feeling him out.”

Landon didn’t directly ask about my relationship with Cato. He knew I was sleeping with him to get what I wanted, but that was such an awkward subject that he didn’t want to open it for discussion. “Father didn’t make the sacrifices he should have made for our family. It doesn’t make sense for you to make any now.”

“I agree. But if I can make this work, I can get Father back and we can start over. Maybe we can move to France and open a wine shop or something. At least we’ll be together…” I hadn’t felt whole ever since our mother passed away and our family disbanded. There had always been a piece of my heart missing, a void no one could ever fill.

He gave me a look full of pity. “Even if we could rescue Father, that’s unlikely. They’ll hunt us down until we’re all annihilated. That’s why I’m telling you this plan is stupid. Even if you save Father, what then?”

“And you can really sleep at night letting him die?” I challenged, refusing to believe my brother would be that much of a coward.

He held my gaze but didn’t answer.

“I’m not leaving Father behind. I admit my plan with Cato isn’t the best—”

“He will kill you.” Landon squeezed his glass with his fingertips. “Siena, you don’t know this world the way I do. You don’t understand what these men are capable of. Just because you’re a beautiful woman doesn’t mean he won’t torture and kill you. It doesn’t mean he won’t give you the greatest agony before he finally puts a bullet in your brain. You have a strong confidence that gives you an unrealistic belief that you can accomplish anything. Siena, it doesn’t matter how good you fuck him, he will see right through you. He’s the smartest, most cunning man in the world. I say you drop this approach and we figure something else out.”

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. Any time I was in that fortress, I knew I was outnumbered. Anytime I was alone with Cato, I knew he could do whatever he wanted to me. “What other option do we have?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“Even if I wanted to walk away, I’m working for him now.”

“Then finish the job and disappear.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Then resign. Get someone else to replace you.”

“Don’t you think that would draw more suspicion?” I asked. “Not to mention, piss him off? I already slept with him, so the damage is done.”

If Landon was uncomfortable, he didn’t show it. “And what is his attitude toward you?”

I shrugged. “We haven’t spoken.”

Landon took a long drink from his glass. “Then your plan failed. He’s the same womanizer he was before. No surprise there.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“So maybe you can get out of this unscathed. Just finish the job and leave. Keep Damien on the hook. Maybe we can figure out a different plan in the meantime.”

“What kind of plan?” I asked. “They have hundreds of men working for them. What do we have?” Our business, our reputation, and our money had been stripped away from us. Now we were both victims without protection. Our men had abandoned us, and now we were just two lone wolves.

He shrugged. “We have each other—it’s a start.”