It’s surreal to walk through the doors of Falco once again. As nervous as I am, it’s also akin to coming home. The familiar surroundings comfort me as I step off the elevator on Lee’s floor. I’ve barely rounded the corner when a blur of movement has me freezing in place. Kara pulls me into an excited embrace, literally rocking me on my feet. “Oh, my God! I couldn’t believe it when Uncle Lee said you were coming back. You have no idea how much we’ve all missed you.” She pulls back, dropping her hands to intertwine with mine. Her eyes are sparkling, and she looks the picture of health, which makes me so happy for her. “He’s been such an ass without you. We’ve gone through so many temps that they’ve stopped taking our calls. He got rid of the last one for stapling papers in the wrong corner. They were absolutely terrified of him. They kept leaving, and then I’d have to come fill in again because no one at Falco wanted to.”

“I’m so sorry, Kara,” I say sincerely. I can well imagine how difficult her uncle has been. And I hate that she’s had to bear the brunt of my departure.

“Oh, who cares?” She shrugs off my apology. “You’re here now, so that’s all that matters. I’m sure you’ll have him tamed again in no time.” We both laugh for a moment at the absurdity of her statement. Lee is and will always be Lee. And no amount of trying will ever tame the beast.

“How have you been?” I ask, genuinely interested in the woman I grew fond of while working here.

“I’m great.” She literally glows, and I feel a momentary twinge of envy, which is absurd. After battling cancer, she deserves to be happy. “Aidan is ready to get married sooner rather than later, so I’m expecting him to abduct me any day and fly us to Las Vegas. The only thing stopping him is trying to explain it to our parents afterward.”

“I’m so glad things are going well,” I say sincerely. Fanning myself, I add, “And Aidan… you’re one lucky lady. He’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“You have no idea.” She wiggles her brows suggestively. “I almost want to hate the man for looking so good, but as long as I’m the one benefiting from it, then I’ll just have to suck it up.”

Before I can respond, a door opens, and Lee steps out of his office, trailed by his brother, Peter. I’ve always liked Pete—as everyone calls him. He’s the nice Jacks brother—at least outwardly—but I’m not fooled. I have no doubt he can be as ruthless as Lee, but he’s more civilized about it. After all, he’s married and has two kids. I’ve been to some gatherings at his home before, and it’s straight-up suburbia. Pete’s wife, Charlotte, is hysterical. She watches a lot of reality television and tends to lapse into ghetto speak at times. She is also obsessed with the internet and finding out the dirt on all her neighbors. Sure, maybe it’s a bit nosy to those concerned, but it’s certainly funny to the rest of us. “Liza!” Pete’s deep voice booms out as he pushes by Lee to reach my side. He pulls me into an affectionate hug that I return without reservation. “Damn, it’s good to see you. I’m happy you’ve decided you can put up with my brother again. The place certainly hasn’t been the same without you. I barely get anything done every day for listening to Lee complain about his latest temp. Plus, I’m afraid that Kara may kill him any day for dragging her back to fill in when he runs yet another one off.”

Lee stands to the side with his arms folded over his chest. His expression is blank as he stares at me. Is he surprised I showed up? Surely not. Who in their right mind ever turns down an order from him? “Wait… what?” I turn to look at Kara, only catching the last part of her whispered words.

She puts an arm around me and murmurs, “I said I couldn’t believe it when Mom told me you quit on Lee during a meeting. And called him a blind fool, or something like that.” She laughs on the last part, but I hear the genuine note of admiration in her voice and feel like shit over it. I’m not the brave person she thinks I am. Nor is that the way that I left. Apparently, someone has embellished the truth along the way, but it does paint me in a better light.

“It wasn’t quite like that,” I offer. “But I guess the result was the same. I want to thank you for calling me. It meant a lot that you were thinking of me and missed me here at Falco.” Kara had reached out to me on more than one occasion, but eventually, I stopped taking the calls, because what else could I say? The truth sure wasn’t an option, and I didn’t want to keep lying to someone who I had come to consider a friend.

“Well, if the welcome wagon has finished circling, Liza and I have a lot to do.” My spine stiffens when Lee speaks. Kara literally skips to the desk and grabs her purse. She gives me a wave before calling out that we need to have lunch soon. Pete touches my arm on the way out with what looks almost like sympathy in his eyes. For a moment, I consider running, but where is there left to go? Lee knows about my family, so he could certainly find me with ease. At this point, it’s best not to piss him off further. First, I need to find out exactly what he knows—then I’ll find the biggest rock I can and hide under it for the next twenty years until he forgets I exist. Great plan—this will totally work. Even the voice in my head thinks I’m doomed. Great.

I force myself to calmly approach my old desk and stow my purse in the bottom drawer before turning to face the lion. That’s how I’ve always secretly thought of him. The deadly animal, one that can pounce at any moment. A predator you never cross or turn your back on. And I’ve done both. I am so fucked. I should hope my damn cat eats me before Lee tears me in two.

“Good morning, Lee,” I say as I have so many times before. Just act normal. Maybe he’ll go along with it. And weirdly enough, that’s exactly what happens. We spend hours going through correspondence, contracts, and an array of other paperwork piled on his desk. He makes no mention of my father or his visit to my home last night. It’s almost as if I never left Falco. By the afternoon, I’m exhausted, but almost happy to be back in my element, a place where my skills and mind are stretched and challenged. I always felt so alive within these walls—with this man—and today is no exception. Around five, he tosses his glasses aside and rubs the bridge of his nose. I recline back in the chair in front of his desk and sigh. “Well, I think we made a dent in everything,” I say, giving him a rueful smile. “No wonder you got rid of the last temp. Did she do any actual work?”

He rolls his eyes and snorts. “She worked full time at annoying the hell out of me. Oh, and she worked overtime at texting on her damn phone. And her laugh”—he shudders— “sounded like someone torturing a fucking hyena.”

I start giggling as he attempts to imitate her. “How long was she here?” I ask, thinking of the amount of work still left to go through.

“Not long.” He shakes his head. “But things have just progressively backed up as they came and went without accomplishing much. If not for Kara, Falco would have probably ground to a halt. What are they teaching them at the temp agencies? Incompetence? How to turn a computer on and off without knowing how to operate it?”

I take both him and myself by surprise when I murmur softly, “I’m sorry, Lee. Regardless of my reasons, it wasn’t fair to leave you until you had a competently trained replacement. You’ve always been good to me, and I owed you more than that. It was completely unprofessional and well—kind of an asshole move,” I add sheepishly.

He picks up a pen from his desk and begins twirling it in his fingers. I wonder if he knows that it’s one of his few nervous tics. He uses it to stall for time while he thinks. “Thank you for that,” he finally says. “It’s not all on you, though. I have—on occasion—confused the ground rules between us. Something I regret.”

My shoulders slump as disappointment fills me. I should be grateful he’s so cordial, but a part of me had hoped something would change between us. That he’d realize he missed me as more than his assistant. Oh right, that’s so likely now that he knows what a liar you are. Okay, maybe that is asking too much. I should be praying instead that he doesn’t kill me and bury my body underneath my desk so I can never leave Falco again. The absurdity of that thought has me biting my lip to keep from laughing. Wonderful, now I’m hysterical. “I’m sure you do,” I acknowledge, knowing it’s a true statement on his part.

Then he shocks me by getting to his feet and saying, “Let’s go have dinner. I’m starving.”

Wait. What? Talk about mixed signals. Isn’t this blurring the lines? It’s not as if Lee and I have never shared a meal, but they were mostly business dinners. He wasn’t the type to take me out to eat after a hard day at the office. He had plenty of bimbos for that type of thing. Maybe he’s tired of having to cut their food up for them. Okay, I don’t know for sure that all his dates are young with a low IQ, but it makes me feel better to assume I’m at least superior to them in some areas. I certainly have no problem with anything related to eating. “Er… really?” I ask doubtfully, wondering if perhaps he worded his vague order—invitation—wrong.

“I’m in the mood for Italian, so let’s go to Leo’s. Lucian and Lia have me hooked on that place. And if I show up alone again, the owner will attempt to set me up with his daughter.” With a grimace, he adds, “Trust me, it’s not good. She has buck teeth, hair like Morticia Addams, a nose longer than any I’ve ever seen on a human before, and reeks of garlic. I swear she hugged me the last time I was there, and I had to shower three times to get the smell off me. I tossed my fucking suit in the trash.”

I laugh, captivated once again by his rare display of humor. This day has been so different from what I expected. For Lee, he’s positively mellow—which is atypical. I should probably skip dinner, but I can’t refuse the opportunity to spend some time with him away from the office. After all, he’s sure to broach the subject of my family soon. Although I can’t imagine why he’ll do it in an informal setting rather than here. At least he’s not likely to make a scene in public. I’m not sure Lee cares about his image to that degree, but it makes me feel better to assume that he does. “Let me get my things. I know where Leo’s is, so I can meet you there. That way you won’t have to bring me back for my car.”

“I live here.” Lee shrugs. “It’s not as if it’s out of my way. Besides, I thought we’d walk. It’s not that far from here.”

This is getting stranger by the minute. Lee Jacks walking to dinner? “Um… sure.” I nod. He follows me out to my desk, and I quickly collect my purse, then he waves a hand for me to precede him to the elevator. We’re silent on our descent. Lee calls out to the employees we pass by name and wishes them a good evening as we make our way through the lobby and out onto the sidewalk. We’ve taken a few steps when I stumble over a crack in the pavement, and he reaches out to grab my arm. “Thanks,” I murmur, feeling heat flood my cheeks. Naturally, I embarrass myself. To my surprise, he doesn’t release me. Instead, he moves his hand downward until it’s curled around mine. Holy shit, he’s holding my hand. I’ve officially died and gone to heaven. Maybe he’s giving me one last wish before he adds me to his hit list. Even prisoners on death row get a last meal. Oh crap, is that what this is? The voice in my head is going crazy as we stroll down the street looking like any other normal couple. By the time we reach Leo’s, I’ve imagined every scenario of how the evening will end. Most of them aren’t good. I can’t help but feel that he’s lulling me into a false sense of security before lowering the boom.

Lee opens the door to Leo’s for me, and I take an appreciative sniff. The air is heavy with the scent of herbs and spices. We are inches from the hostess desk when a female voice shrieks, “Lee! So good to see you again. I didn’t know you were coming in tonight. I would have saved a special table for you.” Dear Lord, he wasn’t exaggerating. This must be Leo’s daughter. She does look like Morticia Addams, with a huge nose.

“Zola,” he says smoothly, as he leans down to kiss each of her proffered cheeks. “This was a spur-of-the-moment decision. I hope you can find room for us.”

Zola cuts her eyes at me, then narrows them. Uh oh, someone’s not a happy camper. “And who do we have here?” she asks in a thick Italian accent.

I open my mouth to answer her question, but Lee beats me to it. He slides an arm around my waist and says, “This is Liza.” He finishes the introductions, and the other woman gives me a bland stare. Apparently, there will be no greeting for me.

She leads us to a small table in the back of the crowded room, then hands us our menus after we’re seated. She smiles warmly one last time at Lee but doesn’t bother looking my way. “Wow, she’s so friendly,” I say dryly as I study my menu. “Couldn’t you have told her that I’m your assistant? She’s likely to spit in my food now before it comes out. Maybe I should stick with bread and water.”

Shrugging, Lee says, “Zola isn’t that brave. If word got back to her father, there would be hell to pay. She’ll have to settle for sulking instead.”

Shaking my head, I say dryly, “You know nothing about women, do you?”

He pauses in the process of raising his glass of water, a smirk twisting his lips. “I know how to make them scream. Isn’t that what’s important? I don’t concern myself with the rest.”

My mouth drops open as his provocative statement stirs something inside me. Lee has never been one to filter his comments, but normally, they aren’t sexual. He’s probably always been afraid I’d lose control and pin him to his desk if he did. “I—um… right,” I manage to squeak out.

Instead of changing the subject, he seems intrigued by my incoherent response. He sets his glass down and asks, “Don’t you agree? Or do you have a different set of priorities where a man is concerned?”

Oh, my God. We are talking about sex, right? My mind races as I attempt a reply that doesn’t make me sound like a blubbering idiot. Or worse yet, someone fresh out of the convent. “Well… I’ve never given it much thought. I mean—it just happens, right? You can’t script those kinds of moments ahead of time.” He doesn’t say anything, simply stares at me as if waiting for more. So I stumble on, thinking I haven’t made myself clear. “Don’t get me wrong, it would be—nice to have a man who knew what he was doing. You know, who could take charge and make me—er… give me—the big finish.”

He appears positively confused now. His brows are raised, and he’s tapping a finger on the table. Finally, he says, “You’re talking about being brought to orgasm? You’ve never been with a man who can make you come?”

You have, you just weren’t physically there. I have no doubt that my face is a flaming shade of red as I think of the many times I’ve gotten myself off while thinking about him. “I don’t really think we need to discuss this,” I protest weakly, desperate to change the subject. “You couldn’t possibly want to know stuff like that.”

He places a hand on my knee, and I almost swallow my tongue. I assume it must have been accidental… then he slides it higher up until it’s only inches away from my now throbbing core. “On the contrary, I’d love nothing better right now,” he purrs.

“Good evening, Mr. Jacks. It’s a pleasure to serve you again.” I nearly jump from my seat when our server picks that moment to approach. I don’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed at the interruption. Lee, however, doesn’t seem fazed at all.

“Thank you, Julian, it’s good to see you.” They have a brief discussion about the wine list, then Lee turns to me. “What would you like, Liza?”

You, always you. Then it hits me that I’m supposed to order. I manage to ask for the spaghetti, which is sure to be a disaster. I’ll probably get it all over myself, but nothing else comes to mind. When the server is gone, a tense silence falls over us. His hand is still on my thigh, and I wonder if he even realizes it. “So… it was nice to see everyone today,” I say lamely, attempting to get the conversation back on more neutral ground. Truthfully, I’m a little sad to leave the sexually charged one behind, but what good could possibly come from it? I’ll go home turned on, and he’ll probably find a willing and available girl and make her scream. Men are such assholes.

To my surprise, he ignores my comment and says, “I’m still waiting for an answer to my earlier question.”

What if he’s talking about something at the office? “And that was?” I ask, then hold my breath in anticipation. Please talk dirty. No, wait, don’t. Shit, I don’t know. As the voices in my head argue it out, I try not to stare at the man who’s once again running his fingers dangerously close to no-recent-man’s land. I need to get laid. Finally, a thought that every part of me agrees with. I wouldn’t be acting like a horny teenage boy if I’d had sex anytime in the last three—make that five years.

He leans closer as he carefully enunciates each word. “Has. A. Man. Ever. Made. You. Come?”

Holy wet panties, Batman. I feel like one of those people you see in movies who have an asthma attack and start clawing at their chest while wheezing for breath. Do you think his partners act like this? Say something clever. Act like you’ve at least seen a naked man. “Of course,” I manage to get out. “Isn’t that the norm? I mean, you guys have one job in the bedroom, and that’s it.” Oh God, did I just say that?

“Trust me, sweetheart, pleasuring a woman isn’t a ‘job.’ And as it appears you’ve discovered, many men don’t know or care about making sure the person they’re with comes… again and again. That’s not the case for me. A woman will always get hers first, even if I don’t get mine. I’m not an inexperienced boy and can go without. I’d just rather not.”

I pick up my wine glass and take a big gulp—and then another. “Is it hot in here?” My voice sounds high and squeaks as I fan myself with my other hand. I’m in danger of going up in flames. Am I too young to have hot flashes? Maybe I’m in early menopause. I feel Lee’s intense gaze on me as I attempt to gather my composure. Damn him. He’s always known how to find peoples’ weaknesses and move in for the kill. But why is he bothering with me? He’s probably laughing inside at how easily he’s shaken me. Somehow, that thought gives me a surge of strength, and I lift my head to glare at him. “How do you know that you actually get women off like that? Considering most of your… dates are paid by the hour, they’re not likely to do anything other than scream your name like a porn star. You do realize that women can fake that, right?” I clear my throat, before channeling my inner When Harry Met Sally. “Ohhh Leeee, oh my God! Yes! Yes! Yes!” I add a few more moans before flopping back in my seat as if I’ve just had the orgasm of my life. Then I pick up a piece of garlic bread from the basket in the middle of the table and take a bite as if I didn’t just pretend to come in front of my boss.

I hear a sound that shocks the hell out of me. Lee is laughing—and it’s not the usual cynical laughter. It’s a full-on booming sound of genuine humor. I stare at him as his shoulders shake. When he catches his breath, he says, “That was both the hottest and funniest thing I’ve heard lately.” He doesn’t appear in the least insulted, quite the opposite. Then he turns the tables on me. “You’ll say those very words to me one day soon, amore mio, and it won’t be an act. Your fingers will be curled into the sheets as sweat drenches your body. My face will be buried between your legs, and you’ll be coming so fucking hard that you’ll be on the verge of passing out.” His voice lowers as he adds, “And that, sweet Liza, will only be the beginning.”

Medic! Someone call 911; I think I’m having a heart attack. Wait, on second thought, the discomfort is well below that area. I wonder if anyone has ever been caught masturbating in the bathroom at Leo’s? The thought of being caught in the act by Zola is enough to give me some measure of self-control. No. Scratch that. What if I caught Zola in the act after serving Lee? I think I’d vomit. Our food arrives, and I’m given a temporary reprieve. I half expect the verbal foreplay to continue after that, but it doesn’t. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. Lee returns to the safe topic of business, and soon, I’m relaxed from the wine and the familiar conversation. When I can eat no more, I push my plate away. “That was wonderful.”

Lee seems distracted now, and he simply nods before signaling for Julian to bring the check. All too soon we’re walking toward the door. Zola manages to give Lee a goodbye embrace that stops just short of a lap dance before turning to glare at me. “I trust your meal was satisfactory,” she says stiffly.

Lee wraps an arm around my waist and answers for me. “We both enjoyed it very much, Zola. Give my compliments to your father.”

“Of course.” She gives me a simpering smile but doesn’t bother to look my way again. “Until next time,” she adds, and I hear the double meaning behind the words. This is Lee Jacks’s world. We’re all just dancing around his feet, begging for crumbs of affection from him. It’s not as if I haven’t known this for some time. And in the scheme of things, I’d rather see Zola throw herself at him than one of his bed buddies. After all, I’m certain he’s never slept with her and isn’t likely to.

“Thanks for dinner,” I say softly as we step outside. Once again, he shocks me by taking my hand as we walk toward Falco. The man is either stoned or on some new medication. I wonder if he’ll share?

He shrugs. “I have a feeling we’ll be spending a lot of time together soon.”

I laugh. “Is this your way of saying that we’ll be working overtime until we’re caught up?”

He doesn’t reply. Instead, he takes his cell phone from his jacket pocket with his other hand and presses a button. I hear a voice on the other end before Lee says, “Denny, I’ll need you to take Ms. Malone home. Move the car around front please. We’re almost there.”

I pull against his hold, and he immediately stops. “I don’t need a ride, Lee. You know that.”

He sighs, and I hear the fatigue in his voice as he says, “Honey, you had wine with your meal. There’s no way I’m letting you drive. Please don’t argue with me. You know it’s the responsible thing to do.”

An objection is on the tip of my tongue, but he’s right. I’m certainly not drunk, but my reflexes are not what they should be after a few glasses of wine. Plus, his use of yet another endearment has me incapable of putting up a fight. Instead, I’m close to melting in a puddle of sappiness. Before I do something insane like call him my little Jacky Wacky, I shall go—quickly. I bite my lip to keep from giggling as I picture his face should I utter a pet name for him. It would almost be worth it just to witness his reaction. After all, it’s not a hardship to ride in a Rolls Royce. Even with my family’s wealth, I’ve never owned a flashy car. My father didn’t believe in spoiling his offspring. I’m still making payments on my Honda CRV. I have a sneaking suspicion Jacey couldn’t say the same for her Mercedes, but I’m fine with that. I don’t want all the strings that go along with extravagant gifts, and with my father, nothing is ever free. “Sure, I’ll call a cab in the morning,” I say as I see Lee’s car up ahead.

“I’ll pick you up around eight tomorrow,” he says impatiently. That’s the Lee I’ve come to know. Always in charge of every little detail. I can only imagine how impossible he’d be to live with. He’d probably have his wife line up next to the bed each morning and evening for a military inspection.

Rolling my eyes, I say, “You’re so anal. You know that, right?”

He stops so suddenly that I slam into his side. He catches me easily before pulling me closer. Then his mouth drops to my ear and the feel of his breath against my sensitive lobe has shivers racing down my spine. “I had no idea that you were into that, amore, but thanks so much for letting me know.”

Blinking up at him, I manage only, “Wh-what?”

He shifts until he’s looking down at me. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, it’s very mainstream now. And although it’s not something I do every day, I’d certainly be happy to accommodate you.”

I’m completely lost. I haven’t a clue what he’s talking about, but the gleam in his eyes and the seductive stance of his body lets me know that it’s sexual in nature. I consider running for his car without further comment, but once again, I’m too damn curious for my own good. So, I ask, “Um… what exactly are we discussing here? I’ve missed something.”

He waves his driver away and opens the backdoor of the car for me himself. He motions for me to get in, and I reluctantly comply. I’ve barely settled against the buttery soft leather when he lowers himself and murmurs, “You indicated that you wanted to try anal. That’s what I was referring to.” He straightens back to his full height on the sidewalk while I stare at him with my mouth hanging open. Before I can protest, he shuts the door and claps his hand on the roof.

I shake my head as the car pulls into the late evening traffic. This has quite possibly been the weirdest night of my life, and that’s saying a lot. The man I just left looks like Lee, but that’s where the similarities end. My boss isn’t the type to use endearments so freely, or to do something romantic like hold my hand, and he certainly wouldn’t be discussing anal sex with me. Not that I doubt he’s experienced in that area, but other than a few minor blips along the way, he’s never so openly blurred the lines with me before. So why now? He indicated last night that he knew about my family, yet instead of being hostile, he’s gone in a different direction. He’s playing games with you. But why? What could he possibly hope to gain from this? Lee doesn’t take backroads to his destination. And that same logic applies to those who cross him. There’s more in play here than I’m seeing. If I were smart, I’d go home, pack my bags, and leave the country. But I’m so fucking tired of being afraid all the time. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in two years. Deceiving Lee was compounded by feeling disloyal to my family for loving him. There was no way to win. I knew and accepted that. My only solace is understanding that the collateral damage will be limited to me. Because I’m finished trying to destroy Lee. I’m not sure I would have ever gone through with it even if I had found a smoking gun in his hands.

Now it’s just a new mess and seems hopeless to me. Again. When it’s finally over, I’ll be lucky if either side allows me to walk away.

LEE

I’m in a particularly shitty mood as I stalk through my home. I’m also on my second glass of bourbon and a third isn’t far behind. Why in the fuck is it so damn difficult to find out who she really is? I’ve never given much thought to the abilities of Hunter Wrenn, but if I had, I certainly wouldn’t have expected him capable of crafting such an ironclad cover. Truthfully, it shouldn’t have held past the first inspection, but it did, and according to Lucian, it’s still firmly in place.

Despite my irritation, I’m intrigued. This is bigger than I originally thought. It had to be, or none of this would have been necessary. I’m not a man prone to games. I’m far too impatient for that. So my first instinct is to go to Wrenn’s home and demand some fucking answers. And if that doesn’t work, kicking his ass would be next. The thoughts of the second option fill me with so much adrenaline that I have a hard time controlling the beast inside me. If I give the monster free rein, no one in the vicinity will be left standing. I may not be that man often anymore, but there’s no escaping the fact that I’ll always think of ways to solve problems that most normal people never will. I’m wired differently. It’s neither good nor bad to me—simply a fact.

The only thing stopping me from getting my answers in any way necessary is her—Liza. This hold she has on me is truly puzzling, which angers me even further. I’m not in complete denial. I do have feelings for her beyond a mere sexual attraction. And that’s something I’ve never allowed myself. The last woman I let under my skin turned out to be the insane cunt who abused my daughter.

Maria Adams.

She’s rotting in jail now, and if I have my way—and I usually do—she’ll never live in the outside world again. That she didn’t end up face down in a river like her asshole husband is something I regret. Maria’s life might be hell now, but does she deserve to even draw a breath after what she did?

How can a mother not only inflict pain upon her own flesh, but allow and encourage another to do the same? She is beyond evil. She should have been put down like a rabid dog. Instead, I forced her to turn herself into the authorities for her role in my daughter’s brutal attack by her stepfather, Jim Dawson. Had Victor or Draco still been alive, I would have been overruled. Any insult or attack upon a member of our family demanded retribution. If the person wronged is unable to carry it out, then another steps in. Anyone who says there is no honor among thieves is dead wrong. In fact, we live by a strict code. Because without it, such a volatile group will quickly fall into chaos.

I met Maria in the middle of a busy street. Both distracted, we crashed into each other. I’d been irritated at first—until I saw the sexy blonde with the endless legs in front of me. As I apologized, she blushed prettily before admitting she hadn’t been paying attention to where she’d been going either. She’d just broken up with her boyfriend and was distraught—supposedly. The flirty smile on her face should have been my first warning, but I’d fallen victim to a hot girl with big tits. Oldest story in the book.

And then she committed her second sin against me. The bitch kept me from my baby girl. Seeing her so many years later, when I went to confront her about Lia, she’d barely resembled the girl I once knew. Thin, pale, and frail looking, I doubt I would have recognized her on the street had I walked past her. Her beautiful blond hair, which had easily been her best feature, was gone, and dark hair hung limply down her back. She had the look of someone who’d long used and abused drugs. I had been completely taken with her for months before Victor wanted me to oversee one of his business ventures in South Carolina. I had even pondered taking her with me, but where I was going was no place for a woman. Victor wanted my head in the game. There had been no room in my life then for a long-term relationship, and it would have ended eventually. I’d noticed her conniving side—that she tried to hide— but I’d put it down to a simple survival instinct. Then. Now, I knew differently.

Sometimes, the atrocities people commit are so evil that death is simply too good for them. Death as an escape from punishment when there should be one. She will suffer for many more years before meeting an untimely end. Retribution. She’ll plead for the Lord’s divine intervention with one breath, then curse His very existence with the next. Maria isn’t capable of loving anyone other than herself. She is a cruel, sadistic, cowardly shrew who deserves to be buried in a hole six feet under. She isn’t, though, because of my need for revenge.

I’ve second-guessed my decision countless times—which I rarely ever do. Of course, leniency is not something I practice. To me, that goes together with being a spineless pussy. You’re either the alpha in life or the bitch.

My thoughts circle back to Liza and our dinner. Even I don’t understand what I was playing at. Talking dirty had come naturally because I was almost always in the mood to fuck when she was around. But holding her hand to and from the restaurant? What the hell had that been about? It had literally happened before I knew what I was doing. I could kid myself all I wanted and pretend it was part of the game, but it hadn’t been planned. None of it had. Bringing her back to Falco was the only thing I’d been certain about. Truthfully, I figured I’d know what in the hell I was dealing with by now and could go from there. But it appears I’ll be flying blind for a while longer.

Liza had been on edge at the office, that much was obvious. She’d been waiting for me to confront her about what I eluded to knowing. Fuck, that had been the only amusing part of the day. She flashed one wary look after another, and I pretended not to notice any of them. Another week of this behavior, and she’ll confess on her own. She might be up to her neck in something, but she isn’t a hardened criminal. Whatever she got herself mixed up in, there is a reason she felt it absolutely necessary. If I know nothing else, I firmly believe that. I also believe that the guilt of it is eating her alive. What have you done, amore? How do I break you? She may not know specifics, but she’s been with me for long enough to realize I’m a dangerous man. So the likelihood of her breaking is slim to none. And it’s going to be damn difficult to threaten Wrenn when I don’t know what in the hell he is to her. So that only leaves two options. Well, three if you want to get technical. I can build on the whole romantic bullshit I started unwittingly tonight. Or there’s the opposite direction of attempting to scare the hell out of her until she cracks—which doesn’t appeal to me nearly as much as it should. Or I can pick apart everything Wrenn owns until I get to the fucking truth.

The last option appeals the most to my dark mood, but in doing that, I’ll be limited to playing only that hand with Liza. Because she’s likely to bolt when he alerts her. So I circle back to the safest course of action for now. Surprisingly, I feel a sense of unease at the thought of pretending to be Prince Charming. It’s so far out of my element that I may need to google it to know where to start. I’ve fucked more women in my lifetime than I can count, but I’ve never deliberately set out to get one to fall for me. Fuck, I’ve tried to avoid that. Don’t get me wrong. I love women. I’ll even go so far as to say that innumerable women are our superiors in many ways. Their capacity to give, nurture, and multitask is awe-inspiring. And even though my mother was a less-than-stellar example, I’ve never harbored a grudge. Nor can I allow my opinion of Maria to taint my view. There are plenty of bad people in the world. If you’re lucky, you avoid the worst ones, and if you’re not, then you deliver your own brand of justice and move the fuck on. But it appears that I’ll have to delay my verdict on Liza until I’ve unraveled the mystery surrounding her involvement with Wrenn.

Just thinking of them together again has me longing to throw my glass through the window or do something childish like punch a fucking wall. I long ago learned to control such impulses because they accomplish nothing and hurt like hell. Okay, so occasionally I give in and blow off some steam, but not often. I hate giving my brother the satisfaction of laughing at me when I’m forced to have the drywall patched in my office again. Pete gets way too much pleasure from my bouts of temper. Bastard.

Back to the issue at hand: how to alter my relationship with Liza without her becoming suspicious. If I suddenly appear with flowers tomorrow, she’s likely to run screaming, and I wouldn’t blame her. We both know I’m not that type of man. With a sigh of resignation, I set my glass down and pick up my phone from a nearby coffee table. I pull up his contact information and wince before typing a text message to him.

Before I can set my phone aside, it chimes.

I like the fact that no questions are asked. He knows that any invitation from me that doesn’t involve my daughter and granddaughter is usually something important. No doubt he’ll laugh his ass off when he discovers the purpose of the meeting. Hopefully, he has enough survival instincts to wait until I’m gone before he does it, though. Shaking my head in disgust, I fix myself another drink. Has it really come to this? I’m asking the arrogant Lucian Quinn for advice on women? Fuck me. Google might have been a better way to go, after all. At least it wasn’t likely to tell every damn person at Quinn Software about my dating woes. You’ll pay for this, my beautiful Liza. For the first time in hours, I smile. I might be out of my element, but what man doesn’t relish the thrill of the hunt? The goal might be different this time, but the rules of the game remain the same: winner takes all. I will fuck the woman who tried to fuck with me. I don’t lose—ever.