Now

Carys

“WHAT THE FUCK WAS that?” Coop asks from the driver’s seat. “Why’d he let us leave with both of them?”

I’m in the back, safe and secure in Evan’s arms, and Anna sits in the front passenger seat. The pounding of my heart has now steadied and I can actually hear myself breathe, but I’m still trembling, and no matter what I do, I can’t make it stop.

“He’s asserting his power, reminding us that he’s in charge and it’s because of him that we got to leave together.” Evan’s tone is sharp, still on edge.

“He’s also toying with us. To him, this is just a game that he’s already won,” Anna adds.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Coop murmurs as he drives us back to HC.

“What happened? How’d you end up here?” Evan asks Anna.

“About five minutes after you guys left, one of Franco’s men came in and took me. He told your mother and Patrick that I was going where you were. Patrick followed us.”

That explains why I saw Tripp outside the warehouse. Ry went with Tripp and they are meeting us back at HC.

Evan pulls his phone out and has a quick conversation with Tommie. It’s not pretty, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he blamed her for what happened. It’s when he tells her to get someone on Greg that I’m pummeled with the reminder of what he did. As if I’ve been hit with a bat, my chest heaves and aches from the knowledge that he was using me.

It doesn’t change that we were never meant to be together, or that I should have never dragged it out as long as I did. The betrayal stings, and I wonder why he would do it, what he had to gain.

“Guys, can you just drop this?” Anna pleads as she turns to face Coop, glancing back at Evan and me. She waited until her brother was off the phone to make her case. Pulling me tighter to him, Evan peers at his sister with a puzzled look.

“Franco’s not playing. Carys, I’m so sorry that you had to go through this because of me.”

“It’s not your fault,” I say, leaning forward with Evan to grab her hand and squeeze, trying to impart that we’re here for her.

This is our first time meeting each other. Until now, Evan has been our connection, telling each of us about the other.

She’s exactly as Evan described her, pretty and reserved. I can see Evan and his father in her, but I’m guessing she must look more like her mother. She’s small and delicate, whereas Evan is broad and formidable.

“Don’t mess your life up for me. Just let him have me.” Her tone is stilted but strong.

“Shut it,” the men say in unison as Anna rears back, her eyes narrowing.

“Not going to happen,” Evan says. “We’re going to figure this out.”

Once in the large conference room at HC, Coop heads straight for the liquor. I willingly accept a glass of whiskey—anything to calm my nerves. I’m still shaky.

“Let me see,” Evan says, crouching in front of my chair and taking my chin in his fingers.

My belly flips and my breath catches in my throat at the tenderness in his eyes. Worry lines his forehead, his concern for me palpable. Placing the first aid kit on the table, he leans in and the heat from his body seeps into me, comforting and warm. He gently tilts my chin from side to side to inspect my skin.

“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me. I think he just wanted to scare me.”

My fingers lightly skim along his forehead, attempting to smooth out his worry and because I want to touch him.

“Fucker,” he growls, softly pecking me on the lips as he stands. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’ve got everything I need.”

Grabbing his hand, I turn it over, palm up, and lightly kiss his salty, rough skin. He hisses and I catch the flash of heat in his eyes.

“Sweetness,” he says, his tone low, heavy with a slight warning. “Later.”

I smile, despite everything that’s happened. He makes me so happy. Just being with him fills me with warmth and joy. With his full attention on me, I peruse his body, my eyes landing on his crotch and confirming what I thought—he’s aroused. Lifting my eyes to meet his, I see his gaze is fixed on me as I wink and exhale a small sigh.

My heart swells when his crooked, charming smile forms on his lips and his eyes twinkle with a guarantee of the pleasure that’s to come.

§

Evan

TURNING, I FORCE MYSELF to walk away from Carys, to walk away before I strip her down and fuck her senseless on the table in front of everyone. My burning need for her threatens to combust and take me with it. Coming close to losing her had me walking a tightrope of terror, and I anticipated falling at any moment.

Now that it’s over and she’s safe, I want nothing more than to be with her, but I can’t. We’ve got business to tend to. First up is making sure Anna is okay. She’s staring out the office window, her back to all of us.

Quietly coming up behind her, I carefully rest my hands on her shoulders. Tipping her head back, she gives me a faint smile.

“You okay?”

“Sure,” she murmurs, looking back out at the fading sunset. “Evan, I don’t want to cause any trouble.”

Squeezing her shoulders, I tip my head down and whisper for only her to hear, “You’re not trouble. You’re my sister and I love you. I will do anything to help you. We all will.”

Anna’s breath stalls and she trembles at my words. I said it quietly because I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, not because I didn’t want the others to hear. I do love her. She’s my flesh and blood, and I won’t let Franco Mari get her, no matter what.

Turning, she peers up at me, tears welling in her eyes, her small smile wobbly but genuine.

“Why?” she whispers with a bewildered expression.

Her question hurts more than it should. The fact that she asks, questions why a brother would want to protect his sister, makes me sad. She’s never had family. Sure, there was her aunt, but I sense that while the woman loved her, there was no affection shown.

“Because you’re family.”

I enfold her in my arms, drawing her into me. She willingly sinks against my body. The tension leaves her body and she sighs. Casting a glance sideways, I spy Coop with a strange look on his face. He’s been moody ever since Leanne, and the bit of headway I thought I was making has gone to shit since that woman fucked with him.

Ry and Tripp finally arrive with Greg between them. That fucker. He’s gonna wish I never laid eyes on him. With a rub to Anna’s back, I release her and place myself in Greg’s face.

“You better start talking, now. Explain yourself.”

My fists curl at my sides and it takes everything in me not to beat the shit out of him. The warmth of her body is my first indication she’s close, and then she places her hand on my arm. Lifting my forearm, she curls my fingers and entwines them with hers.

Greg’s face is covered in fear and regret. Carys pays him no mind as she pulls me along, distancing us from him.

“You heard him,” Ry snarls. “Talk.”

With a shove, Greg collapses into a chair and Tripp moves in front of him. We circle around him, including Carys. If the fucker wasn’t scared before, he is now.

“Carys…”

“You don’t speak to her, look at her, or even fucking think of her,” I warn through gritted teeth.

With a jagged breath, he worries his hands. “My sister, Elizabeth, went missing nearly three years ago. She was last seen at one of the clubs owned by the Cavallo mob. At the time, I tried to get answers and wound up face to face with some mob guys. Franco was there when I was brought in. He saved me from a beating, only to then make a deal with me. He likes to make deals.”

He looks up at each of us and swallows hard. Ry hits the back of his head and I fume. I’m losing my patience with him.

“Keep going,” Tripp grinds out.

“Franco knew who you were.” Greg looks directly at me. “He wanted to know where you’d disappeared to. So he needed me to become Carys’s friend and find out if she knew where you were. When I wasn’t getting anything, I tried to get out of it. He wouldn’t let me, told me my sister would be dead if I didn’t cooperate.”

Not one to mince words—one, because I don’t care for the asswipe and two, because we don’t have the time—I tell him like it is. “Your sister is likely dead, was already dead when they brought you in.”

Greg hangs his head and exhales a low, angry growl under his breath. Pulling at his hair, he faces us and nods. “I know. I mean, I don’t know for sure, but after a while, I figured he was just playing me and that he wasn’t going to help me. I have to say that my intentions may have begun as a way to get information, but…” He’s staring at Carys.

“You used me,” she seethes.

“Not all of it was a lie. I did fall in love with you. I do love you and I did want to marry you.”

Both Ry and I are on him, each of us taking an arm as we order him to shut up, but Carys is louder.

“Stop,” she interjects. “I don’t want to hear any more.”

Folding her arms around her middle, she walks to where Anna still stands at the window. In some unspoken understanding, Anna takes her hand and holds it. A hint of a smile emerges on Carys’s lips, her gaze softening at my sister. Briefly, warmth spreads through me to witness this moment, but then I’m reminded of Greg and it evaporates.

“I always thought you were a schmuck, and now it makes sense.”

Even though I can empathize with him for wanting to find his sister—I’d likely have done anything to find mine—he fucked with my girl, in more ways than one.

“Boss.” Tommie strolls into the room, quickly assessing the situation before turning her full attention on me. “Greg lured Carys to Franco’s.”

I haven’t had a chance to find out what happened. I was giving Carys time to come down from the rush of it all. I suppose I already knew Greg had played a hand in getting her there, but I didn’t know how. Now that I do, all fucking bets are off.

With one smooth move, my fist pounds into his face with the sheer force of my anger, mainly at myself for leaving her to fall prey to this asshole, but also because he used her. While she may no longer be with him, she did care for him, and I fucking hate that.

I shove him and he falls backward onto the carpet, blood gushing from his nose as I go in for more. Bending down, I get one more smash to his jaw before she places her hand on my shoulder and soothingly whispers in my ear, asking me to stop, telling me he’s not worth it.

My fight dies at the sound of her voice, carelessly flinging him down. Facing her, I worry there’ll be disappointment or anger in her expression, but there’s only love. Tenderly taking my hands, her fingers lightly graze over my abraded knuckles.

“Let’s put something on this,” she suggests, leading me away from the mess on the floor.

As I search for Anna to make sure she’s okay, Tripp catches my eye, indicating he’ll take her home. With a shared look and a nod, we leave.

The thought of being alone with Sweetness is pure bliss. All I want is to lose myself in her and forget about asshole Greg or psycho Franco. I’m going to park that for tomorrow and sink so hard and deep into my woman.