“If you’re always listening, why did it take you so long to find me? I’ve been gone for at least three hours,” I said as I stared straight ahead, being driven to the Cartwright’s main residence.

“Listening constantly would be creepy as well as time consuming. Frankly, I’ve got better shit to do with my time.’

“That doesn’t explain why took you so long to find me.”

“Took us a while to realise you were missing. Nice touch with the trickling tap, by the way.”

I bounced a shoulder. “I know shit.”

“I don’t doubt that. But I heard the way you handled yourself in there. You could’ve told them everything but you didn’t. I’m impressed.”

“I’m no snitch. I’m also not stupid enough to continue a war I know I can’t possibly win.”

“This isn’t a war, Ronnie. If anything, it’s a recruitment.”

“A recruitment? Why the hell would anyone want to recruit me for anything? I’m nothing to nobody—a pain in the arse, remember?”

“I think you have a certain charm. Jazz does too. Actually, the whole family thinks you’re a good fit, even Holland, and she doesn’t really like any of us.”

“What about the twins? Abbot seems to hate me, and I just told Kristian to shove your whole secret society up his arse. Am I really being welcomed back, or is this a lamb-to-the-slaughter type thing?”

He chuckled. “I guess you just have to trust me.”

“Like you trust me?” I took my phone out of my bag and held it up as my evidence.

“We’re the ones with everything to lose. From what I can tell, you have a hell of a lot to gain. Can’t blame us for being careful.”

“None of this makes any sense,” I muttered.

“It will.”

When we returned, the entire family was convened in the formal lounge, sitting around the L-shaped couch—couples flanking the twins—while Jasmine remained standing, resting her forearm on the mantel.

“Welcome home,” she said with a smile when she saw us. Home?

Toby placed his hand on the small of my back and ushered me into the room. Then he left me standing and approached Jasmine, saying something quietly in her ear before he took a seat on the arm of the couch next to Sam.

Jasmine examined her nails while I just stood there, feeling like I was in one of those dreams where you’re standing on a stage and look down only to realise you’re naked and everyone is snickering at you. It was horrible.

“If you’re planning on killing me, just get it over with. No one is going to miss me, anyway.” It had become exceedingly more obvious of late exactly how alone in this world I really was.

“Go and sit with Kristian please,” she said.

My stomach reacted for me, dropping a little because I was still really pissed at him for being such a douchebag. On top of that, nerves jittered beneath my skin. I didn’t understand what their deal was and desperately wanted all the cards placed on the table.

Turning towards the gathered siblings, I moved to the couch, startling a little when I realised Kristian and Abbot were wearing exactly the same thing.

What kind of mind fuckery is this?

Frowning, I looked between them. They were almost a carbon copy of each other. But that was for people who hadn’t spent any time with them. And I’d just spent the past week studying every inch of Kristian’s body and two weeks in his constant company. I was very familiar with him.

“Is this some sort of fucked-up test?” I asked, looking between them. One shrugged, the other licked his lips. Besides the freckle on the chin, there were other subtle differences in their appearances—a softer jawline in one, a tiny bump on the nose of the other, hair that grew differently. But mostly, it was the way they carried themselves that set them apart. I could tell at a glance, even without the simmering heat in Kristian’s gaze.

I stopped in front of Abbot, my bare legs brushing against his bare knees. If they were going to mess with me, I was going to mess with them too. “Am I supposed to sit on his lap?” I turned and asked Jasmine.

“Do whatever you like.”

I turned back and let out my breath as I leaned forward and placed a hand on Abbot’s shoulder. He knew I could tell them apart. I didn’t once think he was Kristian back at the shack before he gave me money. What gives? “Can you move, Abbot? I need to sit beside Kristian?”

A grin curled the edges of Abbot’s mouth while Kristian let out a relieved chuckle. “I fucking told you,” Abbot said, pointing his finger in his twin’s face.

Kristian handed over a hundred dollar note with a shake of his head.

“You bet against me?” I asked, deeply offended.

His gaze swept over my face, softening with each passing moment. “Not against you. Against your actions. I said you’d probably spit in my face, Abs said you’d try to fuck with us. He was right, I was wrong.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “You were almost right, I considered it.”

“Sit down, doll,” Kristian said, taking my hand and pulling me to his side. Despite feeling churlish toward him, electricity simmered beneath the surface of my skin.

Why does his touch need to feel like that?

It was like heat against ice, a breeze against hot skin, instantly changing my temperature and providing relief at the same time. I closed my eyes. “I’m still pissed at you,” I said, pulling my hand free.

He grinned and placed his arm on the back of the couch, meaning that in order to sit, I was forced to be within his embrace. I huffed out my breath. So fucking sure of himself. He knows exactly what he does to me, and I hate that I don’t stand a chance against him.

“Sit please,” Jasmine said with a clap of her hands. “We’ve got a lot to get through. Needless to say, this information does not leave this room.” She hit a button on the side of the mantel, causing the windows to change from clear to opaque and the lights to dim. A whirring sound caused me to search for its source, finding a screen lowering from the ceiling. Are we watching a movie?

“Relax,” Kristian whispered near my ear, the warmth of his breath feathering my skin. “This is what you wanted.”

I turned and met his eyes. “Are you sure about that?”

His eyes smiled for him. “Positive.”

“We’ll start from the top for new members and the lesser informed,” Jasmine said, looking at me then Holland as she stepped in front of the screen. In her hand, she held a small device that when clicked, made a photo of four men appear. “Meet our local drug lords. Heroin is their game.” She lifted the device in her hand and a small blue dot appeared on the forehead of a solid-looking man with receding brown hair and a Tom Selleck moustache. “Robert Conway. He’s the main man behind the curtain. He controls almost eighty percent of the drug’s production in the country. And will do anything to keep it that way. He’s rarely seen in public, but when he is, he’s flanked by his personal security.” She moved the pointer along the photo as she continued. “Yani Verboten, the man to his left, is ex-SAS, and Thomas James on his right is a thug for hire, trained pretty heavily in both weapons and hand-to-hand combat. The man in front, Bruno, is no longer of consequence.”

I raised my hand.

“Yes, Veronica?”

“Why?”

“We killed him,” she stated simply.

They killed him. “Oh.”

“Do you have a problem with that?”

“He was a drug dealer, right?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Then, no. Not really.”

Jasmine smiled. “Good. Moving on.” She turned her attention back to the screen. “Previously, Nathaniel was supplying these men with only a fraction of their raw product. Even so, since a fire decimated that crop, we’re paying them for what they consider loss of revenue, and frankly, it’s bleeding us dry. These men need to go. Their organisation needs to go with them. I think we’re all in agreement there.”

I raised my hand again.

“Yes?” Jasmine asked. Was that a twitch in her eye?

“Do you kill a lot of people?”

“Only if they keep interrupting when I’m talking,” Jasmine said, that pleasant smile still fixed upon her face.

My mouth made an O shape then I pressed my lips together and did the locked-lips gesture.

Kristian chuckled and leaned in. “Relax, doll. We’re thieves. Not killers. This is just a necessary evil to repair some old damage.”

“So, you don’t get rid of people who know too much?”

“We’re careful who knows what, but if that person poses a threat, yeah, that’s a real possibility. The family always comes first.”

“I see. And how many girls came before me? What did you do to them?”

An amused burst of air left his nose. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever brought home. And you have nothing to worry about. You’re mine. No one’s gonna touch you.”

You’re mine.

Mine.

Most girls longed for three little words. All I needed was two.

You’re. Mine.

Fuck. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Then I reached over and slipped my hand in his.

Mine.

Someone wants me. I could forgive this man anything as long as I was his.

God, I was a pushover with this guy.

Lifting our joined hands, Kristian pressed a kiss to my knuckles then rested both hands against his thigh. I leaned a little closer then turned my focus back to what Jasmine was saying.

“The problem we face is that it can’t look like us. If we can find something on Conway, someone he’s pissed off, or owes something to, then maybe we can use that to our advantage. I’m open to suggestions, but this is what we have so far.” She clicked through a few slides, verbally detailing ideas. I was a little off balance due to the fact I was sitting in the middle of an organised crime meeting talking about plans to kill people. But other than that, I was doing OK because of all the handholding and whatnot. I got the gist of most of the ideas, which all had their pros and cons. First and least favourite was replanting the poppy field to re-establish supply. It would take some time, but it would release everyone from the monetary strain and feed more income into the family. The catch there? We’d be right back where they started, beholden to Conway and his crew.

The next idea was to ask them for an exit figure, then liquidate Cartwright assets to meet it. It turned out they had an absolute fuck load, which when liquid, was in the many millions. Obviously, that idea was met with grumbles about needing to work twice as hard to rebuild. No one wanted to go backwards. My personal favourite was hiring contract killers to go in there and decimate the lot of them. It’d bring a shitload of media attention and was certainly the most risky, but it would get the job done, and if all the breadcrumbs were swept up, we’d be free.

We?

A few hours ago I was hell-bent on leaving Kristian and the insanity he called family. Since when did I start thinking like I was one of them?

Since they gave you what you wanted and treated you like you belong. I knew the answer right away. All I’d ever wanted was to belong. I’d told Jasmine as much earlier. Now, here I was, being given exactly what I’d wanted. Could I trust it?

“If anyone has a better idea, I’m all ears,” Jasmine said to the room. “I want this dealt with as soon as possible. We’re pulling off too many high-risk jobs to meet payments, and I’m not willing to have another family member go to prison during my lifetime for these rat bastards.”

“Our father is in for life,” Kristian whispered, filling me in. “Job gone bad. Someone died.”

I nodded, that probably sucked. I had had zero relationship with my dad, so I didn’t really understand the loss. But if they’d been as close to him as they were with Jasmine, I imagined his incarceration was quite the blow.

Jasmine looked my way and waited. “Is there something you can think of, Veronica?” Why was she singling me out? Was this another test? Something I needed to do to prove my worth? I furrowed my brow and dug deep, wanting desperately to impress.

“Uh…maybe.”

“Then tell us. There are no stupid ideas when brainstorming.” Her smile was encouraging, but I’d seen it slip into indifference to know it wouldn’t take much to lose her favour. Still, I could think of one other option.

“Have you heard of the smuggler around here? His name is Brendan Grey, lives on this big property farther inland. It’s basically this den of pleasure—drugs, whores, gambling. Anything you want, this guy can get it, or he already sells it.”

“We know the name. What about him?” Sam asked, his long legs crossed at the ankles.

“Well, maybe we start a rumour that Grey is planning to take over the heroin supply now that Conway’s running low. Maybe even put the idea in Grey’s head and he’ll do it for real—start a turf war where any deaths that come after that are blamed on either side. If we’re lucky, Grey will take out all these guys for us. I met him a while back, and he’s very keen on killing anyone who gets in his way. If it works, you’ll get what you want, and it won’t cost a thing besides some well-placed word of mouth.”

Jasmine’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “How long do you expect this plan would take to come to fruition?”

“I…” Suddenly, I felt very stupid for suggesting such a long shot. “You know what? I think the contract killer idea is the best one. A group of mercenaries—bang, bang, they’re all gone. Ignore me.”

Kristian gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Don’t backpedal. Your idea is crazy enough that it could actually work.”

“Kristian’s right,” Jasmine said. “I think this is worth pursuing, at least as a backup, even as a cover story. We know enough people to start talking about whispers we’re ‘hearing’.” She used air quotes. “Anything about conflict spreads like wildfire. Do you know anyone in Grey’s camp?”

“I know someone who can get to him.”

She nodded. “Then make contact and tell them all about Conway’s lack of product to get the ball rolling. Meanwhile, we’ll look into this mercenary business. Toby, Nate. I want you both on that.” They both bobbed their head in understanding, with Toby giving Nate a sidelong, slightly wary glance.

“What if they realise the rumour came from us?” Alesha asked. “If Grey’s side turns around and says it’s bullshit, it could get traced back this way. Or, Conway hits back hard and takes out Grey, putting us in an even tougher position than we’re in now.”

Way to poke holes in my scheme, Alesha. I was pretty sure she would pull apart any plan I suggested. She’d been the only Cartwright to refuse direct eye contact or conversation with me so far. Seemed she still harboured ill feeling towards me since our first meeting, which was kind of shit, because I was the one who got fucked over while she got all of this.

“Grey has more than just a few goons,” I said, glancing between her and Jasmine.

“So has Conway,” Alesha put in.

“Well, I’ve never heard of Conway before today, so I have to defer to you on the size of his operation. But I have seen Grey’s outfit, and at any given time, he has at least twenty guys around him, not three like Conway. And those guys are packing some serious heat. Plus, I’m pretty sure the guy I used to run with, Dazza, is working for him now. He was real eager to take something to his new boss. If I go to him tomorrow, apologising for putting ash in all his”—I held my hand up and gestured toward my entire face—“face holes, then offer him some information out of ‘guilt’”—it was my turn to use finger quotes—“then he’ll get the ball rolling for us. I really can’t imagine a man like Grey passing up this kind of opportunity. In fact, I’d be surprised if he wasn’t already looking into it. We can just help bring that information public.”

“I like this plan a lot.” Jasmine grinned as she looked at me. “She is so smart, Kristian. Wonderful choice. Make sure you help her do that, OK?”

Kristian nodded and smiled my way, his fingers brushing lightly against the back of my neck. “Great work, doll. Told you this was what you wanted.” He leaned a little closer, his lips brushing my ear. “And for the record, I never called you a bimbo. I happen to think you’re fuckin’ perfect.”

I turned and looked into his eyes, trying to find the truth in his words. Perfect? No one had ever called me that before.

“I thought I was a shit liar.”

He grinned. “You are. But that’s part of your perfection. I know what’s real with you. And what’s fake.”

Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips together for a moment, the hurtful words I spat at him earlier revisiting me. “I said a lot of really shitty things to you today.”

“Nothing I didn’t deserve.”

“I went too far,” I started before he silenced me with his lips against mine.

“It’s OK. You were scared.”

“You think I was scared?”

He nodded.

“Of what?”

Taking a deep breath, he tucked my hair behind my ear. “Of what this is.”

I sucked in my breath as his words rang true. I was scared. I was scared of falling too far, of becoming too reliant, of needing someone more than I needed myself. That was why I ran. Out of fear.

But then this family of misfits dragged me back. It was all so ridiculously fucked up, and I probably deserved a spot in a mental institution for thinking this, but today ended up being the best day of my life.

Why? Because I felt useful, I felt wanted, and most of all, they didn’t let me go. No one had ever brought me back before. They’d always been glad I’d left. Because of that, I wanted to stay.

I want to belong.

“Can I ask a question?” Holland yelled over the ruckus while everyone talked excitedly about plans. The room quieted as we waited for her to lower her hand and speak. “Do they have to get married now too?” She looked over to where Kristian and I were huddled together, and my eyes went wide. Married?

Jasmine laughed. “I don’t know that we have time for a wedding right now. But, yes, I think you should make her a Cartwright, Kristian. The family is a lifetime commitment.”

“Whoa. Back up a bit,” I said, holding up my hands in front of me. “Married? Don’t I get a say in this?”

Pretty much everyone in the room gave me this look that said ‘Sorry, luv’ as they shook their heads like it was no big deal. Meanwhile, I wanted to vomit.

I think I finally hit my threshold of crazy.

“It’s tradition,” Alesha said with a smile. “When you catch the eye of a brother and learn about the business, you have to become legally bound to the family. It means you can’t be subpoenaed to stand trial if the shit ever hits the fan—you know, that whole ‘spouses don’t need to testify’ thing.”

I looked at Kristian, blood pumping in my ears as I processed what was going on. I just have to accept this?

“Am I at least going to be asked?”

Then he got down to one knee in front of me, and grinned the most dazzling grin I’d ever seen on his face. I was already a puddle of anticipation, and I wasn’t even sure I wanted this. “Veronica Sutton, will you do me the honour of becoming my criminally minded wife?”

I couldn’t explain my reaction even if I tried. Blame it on the fact that I never thought any man would propose to me, and the fact I’d had the craziest of crazy days, but when he met my eyes and I saw legitimate hope inside his, tears formed in my eyes and I nodded my head.

He really does want me.

“Yes,” I whispered, sniffling. “I’ll marry you. Let’s do terrible things together.”

A joy-filled laugh bounced out of his chest. “I don’t have a ring, but I do have this.” He pulled one of the twine bracelets from his wrist. It was blue and had small shells woven into it. Then his family cheered as he tied it around my wrist before he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me like the fool I was.

But, I was a happy fool. I’d always dreamt of belonging. I thought I hated the Cartwright family because of their strong-arm tactics toward me over the last year. But since the wedding, my view of them had shifted. They loved each other. Gave a fuck. And I wanted that for myself. Like Kristian, I was ready for my life to change. I was tired of surviving. I wanted to live. Maybe with Kristian’s offer of marriage, and their offer to join the family, everything I ever wanted would finally come to fruition. Maybe it was my turn to get some good in life.