I WALKED BAREFOOT down a rose-lined path, inching nearer and nearer to the end. Sunshine brighter than I’d ever witnessed surrounded me and warmed my blood. Birds with feathers the color of spring sang and danced around me, but instead of a happy, musical lilt, they screamed at me to turn back. Flee.

I wanted to.

But Angel’s promise of beauty and pleasure pulled me closer to my doom.

“When you retreat inside your head, you let down your guard, and I can see everything you’re thinking.” He trailed a wet finger across my forehead, smoothing the frown lines before pulling away.

“What am I thinking?” I challenged. I was sitting in his lap, my back to his chest as we soaked our tired bones in the white marble tub. I committed to memory the hand painted walls, marble floors, and the skylight above us because no matter what Angel threatened, this was temporary.

“You’re thinking marriage to me is all you’ve ever wanted after all.” I chanced a peek over my shoulder. His smile was quick and full of charm, but I wasn’t so easily fooled. Not anymore.

“Not even close.” I pinched his cheek and shook his face. “But you’re cute when you dream.”

He snatched his face away and quickly captured my fingers between his teeth. I yelped and scrambled away. Water sloshed over the rim of the tub and onto the marble. The predatory light in his eyes as I settled on the opposite side was a warning. I could catch you whenever I want. My fingers where he bit me throbbed. I glared. He smiled.

“You should keep your mouth to yourself.”

The cocky bastard slid lower until he was lounging with one leg planted and his toes brushing my hip. I almost jerked away, but I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

“But it’s my favorite way to make you come.”

My clit pulsed, and I wanted his teeth sinking into my thigh just before his tongue lapped up proof that I wanted him. My two-timing cunt always gave away my secrets.

“The water is getting cold,” I said dismissively.

After an uncomfortable moment of staring he rose from the tub, dripping with lavender soap and water. It was glorious and gaudy, and it made me want to use my tongue to trace every path the water took until he was completely dry.

If he noticed my staring, he didn’t let on as he helped me out and handed me a towel.

Back in the bedroom, he dug through my bag and handed me a pair of my jeans and a shirt before dressing himself in dark jeans and white Henley. I followed him with his hand on the small of my waist down the wide hall until we reached the same room I had found this morning.

I could hear Caylen’s laugh on the other side of the door and didn’t wait for permission or for Angel to open the door. I pushed inside and felt Angel’s hovering as he stood behind me.

Lucas and Z, crouching on their haunches in the middle of the room, hadn’t seemed to notice us. Their attention was too focused on my son standing between them as he nibbled and drooled on his fist. “Come on, little man.” Caylen grinned at Z. “You can say it.”

My head cocked, wondering exactly what he wanted him to say.

“Say Daddy,” Lucas gently demanded a moment later.

Angel swore though it sounded as if it were covering up a laugh.

Z frowned. “Do you think he won’t say it because he knows we’re not his father?”

I’d had enough. “What the fuck is going on here?”

Lucas and Z rose to their full height. Z tossed me an apologetic look while Lucas grinned and shrugged. Caylen noticed me and wobbled toward me as fast as his baby legs would allow.

“Mama.”

“Oh, sure,” Lucas drawled. “That he will say.”

“Mama’s boy,” Z coughed. I picked my son up and glared at Angel’s idiotic friends.

“What the hell is your problem? Why would you do that?”

“We thought we might help.”

“His father doesn’t even want him.” Their gazes lifted over my head and their smiles brightened.

“Well, we figured with the marriage and all—” My growl was more than enough to keep Z from finishing that sentence.

“Stay away from my son.” I turned to leave and glared at their leader when he didn’t move. Wordlessly, he stepped aside. I met his gaze as I passed him, but his expression was unreadable, so I fixed my attention on Caylen.

“Did those bad men try to confuse you?”

He giggled and waved at them over my shoulder.

I was seething as their laughter followed me down the hall. This place was easy to get lost in, and with Angel’s family in residence, I didn’t want to chance running into any of them.

Especially his cousin.

According to Angel, he was greedy and desperate, and if what he told me about his family was true, then it was enough for me to believe him.

The library was the easiest to find, so I figured it was as good a hiding place as any. Caylen started to become restless without Lucas and Z to entertain him, so I skimmed the unending sea of spines until I found what I was looking for. Reading to him before his nap felt too normal for the situation we were in now. This wasn’t our home, and we weren’t a family, but Angel was committed to pretending.

When Caylen’s eyes finally drifted shut halfway through the story, I laid him on the black love seat with gold trimming and covered him with a soft bronze throw that looked like it was purely for show. 

My gaze was on the fire burning in the fireplace when the door opened. I didn’t bother lifting my gaze from the flames when I said, “I thought you’d be busy playing criminal mastermind with your bonehead playmates.”

A chuckle that wasn’t rich and deep answered me. “I’ve become much too old for playmates, my dear.” Reginald strolled inside with his hands casually resting in the pockets of his burgundy pants. “We haven’t been properly introduced.”

“I think we know enough actually. You’re Angel’s shady cousin, and I’m his unwilling wife.”

I could tell I had said too much when his eyes lit with curiosity. “And what about this marriage makes you unwilling? I noticed my young cousin didn’t shower that delicate finger of your left hand with diamonds.”

Angel had warned me that Reginald couldn’t be trusted, and at the first opportunity, I offered him our secrets on a platter. “Did I say unwilling? I meant devoted.”

“I’m sure you did.” I moved closer to my son with each step he took. “I was mistaken by your display earlier.”

“How so?”

“I didn’t peg you for the type to be trained.”

“You think loyalty makes me a pet?”

“I think blind loyalty makes you a fool.”

“And what exactly makes me blind?”

“My cousin is young, and at times, a bit too merciful, but he is also clever.”

“What makes him clever?”

“His ability to make anyone believe what he wants.” He studied me. “I assume he’s told you not to trust me.”

“I’m curious why it matters to you if I trust you or not. We’re perfect strangers.”

“With a common problem,” he added. He took my silence as an invitation to continue. “When I take back what belongs to me, I don’t want there to be any hard feelings. In fact, I have a proposition for you.”

“You’re right. He did tell me not to trust you, and even if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t.” I lifted my sleeping child from the couch. “I’m not interested in a proposition. I’ll be going now.”

I was rooted to the spot, however, when I realized Reginald stood between escape and me. Would he try to stop me from leaving?

“What a beautiful child you’ve made with my dutiful cousin.”

“Angel isn’t his father.”

He didn’t look surprised by my admission. He looked pleased. “That’s too bad. Your bastard child will never be his son in the way that matters.”

I considered taking the iron poker by the fireplace and running it through him. “And what way is that?”

“He can never be his heir.”

Was it the thought of Angel never accepting Caylen that made the knot in my stomach tighter or fear that, heir or not, if I stayed with Angel, this life would one day consume Caylen as it did Angel? “I would never let that happen,” I vowed aloud.

Reginald’s lips pinched. “Then I assume he hasn’t explained your duties.”

“I don’t care,” I snapped even as that knot tightened again. My duty was to my son. Fuck everyone else. Including Angel.

“It is said that when a lion takes over a pride and wishes to breed with a lioness, he will kill her cub to force her into heat.”

Reginald’s poison spread, curdling my blood and stealing my breath. “He wouldn’t hurt him.”

“One day, you may give him no choice. Your refusal to give him an heir will force his hand.”

“Angel knows killing my son won’t make me give him one he can use.”

“Don’t be so naive, girl, or you’ll soon discover how ruthless my cousin can be.”

My naïveté was the very reason men like Reginald and Victor continued to underestimate me. Instead of crumbling under its weight, I used it as a shield until the right moment to strike.

“I think I’ll take my chances.”

 

* * *

 

“!” Caylen clapped his hands and chased unsteadily after a red leaf blowing in the autumn wind. We found solace in the garden after Caylen’s nap and my run-in with Reginald. So many rooms in this beautiful guarded home and none of them felt safe.

“Not so fast,” I called when he almost stumbled.

He toddled around a bend of bushes and quickly disappeared from sight. I sped to catch up at the same time I heard the unmistakable sound of leaves being crushed. We had ventured deep into the garden because Caylen found everything fascinating, and now I was regretting that decision when it became apparent we weren’t alone. When I spun around to see who was following me, I was met with thin air. Still, I searched the area, and when I didn’t see anyone, I turned back and rushed down the path. I grew desperate, and my heart pounded faster each second he remained out of sight.

“Caylen?”

I was screaming his name by the time I rounded the third bend and came to a screeching halt when I found him. At the end of the path just before the last bend, I found him sitting on the stone path and crouched next to him was Andrew. His smile felt like acid on my tongue. I rushed forward drawing their attention. In Caylen’s fist were pieces of the golden leaf he had chased. The brittle leaves must have crumbled when he caught it, which explained the fresh tears on his cheeks.

“Something seems to have upset the little guy,” Andrew greeted when I stood in front of them. I didn’t hesitate to lift Caylen from the ground and back away. “Whoa,” he pleaded when he sensed my panic.

“Stay away from us,” I warned when he followed.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Then why were you following us?”

He stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I wasn’t.”

“Bullshit. I heard you.”

“I wasn’t following you. I swear. Your son found me not the other way around.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Look.” He gestured with his head since his hands were still shoved deep in the pocket of his jeans. I stopped moving and forced my attention off the path near a low hedge where a gray stone bench was positioned. Lying on the flat surface was a well-worn book.

Reluctantly, my gaze returned to him, and I hoped my embarrassment didn’t show on my cheeks. “Sorry.”

He chuckled as he bounced on the tips of his toes. “Want to tell me why you’re on edge?”

“I told you. Someone was following me.”

His condescending smile stretched. “This is a big place on a very large property. There are servants and people who work the grounds all over this place. They know how to work and stay hidden, so I assure you we’re never alone.”

“Look, I said I’m sorry.”

“And I accept your apology.” His smile only grew, but it didn’t feel harmless.

“Whatever.” I turned to leave when his voice stopped me.

“Please don’t leave on my account. I didn’t mean to upset you, and I’m sure if my cousin knew I had scared you, it wouldn’t end well for me.”

Against my better judgment, I didn’t leave. I turned and set Caylen on his feet, but captured his hand when he tried to move back to his crumbled leaves. He didn’t seem bothered by Andrew’s presence, so I told myself I didn’t need to be.

“Why would Angel hurt you? You’re his family.”

His eyebrows rose. “We aren’t the typical kind of family.”

“What kind of family are you?”

He seemed to mull it over. “Competitive.”

“You mean deadly. I know what your family is all about, so to answer your question, that is why I’m on edge.”

Andrew simply sighed and lowered his long thin frame on the bench. “I was named after my grandfather. He was a gentle man. My father loved him, but he didn’t respect him. We’re not all monsters, you know.” He picked up the book as his gaze met mine. “But my cousin? He’s the scariest of us all.”

“Are you trying to turn me against him?”

“No.” He smiled again. “Scary is good. It keeps the others at bay.”

“Except your father.”

“My father is a foolish man.”

“You’re not on his side?”

“If I had a choice?” He shook his head and studied the bushes on the other side of the path. “No. I wouldn’t be.”

“And why is that?”

“My father doesn’t just want Angel’s power. He wants to kill him.”

“I didn’t realize you and Angel were close.”

“We aren’t, but my cousin has never wronged me.”

“Your father doesn’t seem to hold that same sentiment. Sins of the father and all that.”

He looked at me then, studying me. “How much do you know?”

“Not much,” I lied. If Andrew told me the same story as Angel, then it meant two things: Angel was telling the truth, and I might have an ally in Andrew.

“Alexander was my third great-grandfather. He started this legacy to help us prosper, but it’s only driven us into wanting to kill each other for the right to control it. After Adam had died of consumption, Alexander tried to fill his father’s shoes but found them too large.”

“What do you mean?”

“Adam was a farmer. He didn’t have much land, but he had a gift. Alexander was barely sixteen when he died. The little he’d learned from his father wasn’t enough to keep the farm going and pay the few hands they had. It wasn’t long before Alexander turned to petty crime to keep food on the table. When they were on the verge of losing their land that desperation made him reckless.”

“What about his mother? Couldn’t she have just remarried? Wasn’t that the way then?” Hell, it was still the way now.

“Adam and Amelia’s marriage was arranged, but there was a rumor they had actually fallen in love.”

“She thought to remarry would betray their love.”

“I don’t believe in one true love. I think we’re all in danger of falling in love over and over again.” I stopped breathing when he focused on me. “It can happen any moment.”

Um.

I was one more lingering gaze from leaving when I glanced away, and he muttered, “Frankly, I thought her children deserved better.”

“So did she,” I retorted. He held my gaze again and smiled. Clearing my throat, I looked away. “So what happened next? He steals to bring home cash. I could have guessed as much.”

“Yes, well, one day, he decides to rob the home of John Sullivan. He was a young politician with little experience but gaining ground fast. I won’t bore you with politics, but I will tell you his newfound popularity also made him enemies in high places.”

“What kind of enemies?”

“Enemies who didn’t wish to offer him the chance to make a difference. Enemies like Louis Wilde.”

“What did he do?”

“He caught Alexander stealing Sullivan’s family ring. When Alexander begged Wilde not to turn him in, Wilde offered him money in exchange for the ring and his silence. My third grandfather didn’t know the kind of deal he was making until Wilde later visited him on his farm.”

“Why?”

“He wanted Alexander to kill John Sullivan.”

“Why would he think a petty thief capable of murder and why would Alexander trust him?”

“Men like Wilde believed money could buy anyone, and he was right, but he underestimated Alexander.”

“How so?”

“The gun he used to kill Sullivan belonged to Wilde. The son of a bitch broke into his home, stole the gun, and killed Sullivan with it. Not only that, but he stole the ring back and hid it in a place that Wilde would never find, but it would also implicate him in Sullivan’s murder.””

“Why go through all that trouble?”

“Men like Wilde don’t get their hands dirty unless they’ve already found a way to clean them up.”

“Alexander thought he was going to turn on him?”

“If he was or not, Alexander never gave him the chance to double-cross him.”

“You sound like you admire him.”

“He was a smart man. Cunning. Ambitious.”

“I’m sorry to break it to you, but your great-great-great-grandfather was a murdering thief.”

He chuckled. “That too, I suppose.” He seemed so different from Angel who would have warned me to watch my mouth. It was almost astonishing how the two shared the same blood.

“So what happened after Alexander blackmailed him?”

“He hired him again. I guess he appreciated a man who was smart enough to best him. The jobs got bigger, more elaborate, and soon, he was getting his hands dirty for more than just Wilde.” He angled his body, so he faced me, and I didn’t miss how he moved closer. “It wasn’t long before Wilde, and the others thought they could control him.”

“So he started the book and took control.”

“That’s how the story goes,” he answered smoothly.

“Why didn’t they just kill him?”

“Ah.” He snorted. “It wouldn’t have mattered. In exchange for his protection and a piece of the pie, he secretly entrusted the book and its contents with Meredith and Angelo. Meredith was content with stability, but eventually, Angelo wanted more. He wanted to share Alexander’s power.”

“Let me guess… Alexander said no, so Angelo killed his own brother.” It was a test, one I was hoping he would pass because I desperately needed an ally.

“No, actually. Alexander made a will, but it was more like a rulebook. Meredith’s or Angelo’s line could inherit if his own line broke any of the rules.”

“What were the rules?”

He hesitated, and the moment he began to answer was when a voice deeper and deadlier broke the silence. “Don’t you two look cozy.”

I could feel Angel’s anger washing over me, as unpredictable and wild as a tsunami, as I turned to face him. Andrew discreetly put distance between us. “Why are you sneaking up on us?”

He took his time answering when Caylen noticed him and excitedly ambled forward. Angel didn’t waste time bending his magnificent body to pick him up. I used the distraction to check him out since he’d changed clothes. He was looking sinfully devilish in the dark gray three-piece suit with a black waistcoat and tie. Angel so finely dressed made me feel inadequate in my faded blue jeans and yellow smiley face t-shirt. It made me feel like I didn’t deserve to be on his arm.

“I wasn’t sneaking” he finally answered. “You didn’t notice because my cousin seemed to have captured your attention so well.” The jealousy in his voice did unexplainable things to my body. I wanted more of it.

“What can I help you with, husband?” I took delight in the way his eyes narrowed, and his nostrils flared. My smile was small, but he didn’t miss it, and his irritation turned into exasperation.

“Anna’s here.”

Amusement faded, and I was standing up from the bench. “Why?” I haven’t seen my friend in nearly a month, but worry over the reason she was here wouldn’t allow me to be excited.

Angel’s gaze flickered behind me where I knew Andrew watched us. “Come inside, and she’ll tell you.”