Daddy’s Atonement (Crime Boss Daddies #6)

Prologue

Chicago

Five years ago . . .

His father was a dead man.

It was only a matter of time. With the lifestyle that bastard led it wouldn’t take long before he pickled his liver.

Or was murdered.

But as he looked at the extremely young, scared woman sitting across from him at the dining table, Jared felt like grabbing the steak knife off the table and stabbing it into his father’s fat, fucking throat himself.

Fuck, he wished North was here.

But his father didn’t believe in letting “the help” sit at the dining table. There was a definite divide in this household between “the help” and “the family.”

Jared longed to tell his father just what North meant to him . . . but he knew that would only put a target on North’s back.

North thought he could take care of himself.

However, Jared’s father was a fucking monster.

And Jared knew that he’d use anyone he loved against him. It was why he had to act like he didn’t care about his cousin, Tabby, while doing his best to keep her safe.

And why he couldn’t show that he was concerned about the young woman across from him.

The girl who his father had apparently fucking married.

Jared tightened his hand around his fork, then slowly eased his hold.

Do not show any reaction.

Do not show that you care.

The urge to murder him was almost too much for him to control. And while his father deserved to die, Jared wasn’t quite in a position to make that happen.

He was building up his own empire, without the old man’s knowledge, down in Colombia. His own team of men that worked for him because they wanted to.

Not out of fear.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t openly murder the bastard. Not without making too many waves in the family.

North had offered to sneak into his bedroom and slit his throat. But there was too much risk.

However, he needed to move up his timeline.

“Well?” Fergus said as he stabbed a piece of steak. “Don’t you have anything to say to your new stepmother?” He chortled after saying that.

As though everything was a big joke.

The girl flinched.

She looked hungry, haunted.

On her plate was a tiny serving of food. Some plain mashed potatoes and a few beans.

He didn’t blame her for not wanting to eat but that wasn’t enough.

“Don’t call her that,” he snapped and she jumped.

Regret filled him.

Jared hadn’t meant to scare her. The last thing he wanted was to add to her pain.

When his father told him eighteen months ago that he was getting married, Jared had felt sorry for the poor woman. But he’d also figured that she knew what she was getting into.

He hadn’t attended the wedding.

Hadn’t given her another thought.

Jared hadn’t had time to worry about what shit his father was getting up to.

But he should have known better.

He should have been keeping a closer eye on what his father was doing.

“How old are you?” He hadn’t meant to ask that, but the words just shot out of him.

She would be stunning if she didn’t look so terrified.

“N-nearly t-twenty-one.”

His father smiled. “Fucking hot, isn’t she? The young ones are just so . . . delicious. I can get you a young one, too. I’ve built up some nice connections.”

“I’ll let you know,” Jared said through gritted teeth.

Not fucking happening.

But appearances had to be kept.

He could not let his father know that behind the scenes, he was plotting to take him out.

It could be done.

It had to be.

For his sake.

For his cousin’s safety.

And for this abused and traumatized woman.

“We’ve got to get her free, North.”

Jared paced back and forth in the bedroom suite at his father’s sadistic torture venue.

Otherwise known as his home.

North knew he should have gone to dinner with Jared. What Jared didn’t understand is that he wasn’t scared of his father.

That disgusting pig didn’t intimidate him. Jared only had to give him the go-ahead and he’d happily slip into his bedroom and slit the bastard’s throat.

Easy-peasy.

He sharpened his knife as Jared paced back and forth. North was hoping he might notice and give him the nod.

Then he could go hunting.

Sure, there would be blowback. But North preferred not to think about the future. Or the past.

He lived in the present.

However, Jared seemed to be too preoccupied with this girl to pay any attention to him. Something North wasn’t sure he liked.

“I’m going to try and talk to her,” Jared said abruptly.

That sounded like a stupid idea.

“Jared,” he warned.

They all knew what happened to people that Jared showed he cared about.

They “disappeared.”

Jared had learned early on in life to show no care or interest in anyone.

That’s part of the reason North was just his assistant. And why he pretended to be mild-mannered, almost timid.

It quite amused him.

This was only his third time meeting Jared’s prick of a father.

“I’ll be careful. She has her own bedroom. My father said she snores.”

Hmm. Did she?

Or did she pretend to in order to get away from him?

“And that he likes to have his other whores here sometimes so he doesn’t want her always in his bed,” Jared added.

Ahh. Right. That made more sense.

Jared walked quietly along the hallway. If anyone caught him then he’d be in deep shit. Sometimes his father saw him as competition. Those were the times he worried that Fergus might snap and have him taken out.

It was like walking a tightrope, never knowing whether he’d make it to the other side of the canyon or plummet to his death.

He guessed the suspense kept him alive.

But now he had people relying on him in Colombia. People that he’d taken into his care, that he was hiding from his father.

And he couldn’t die and leave them on their own.

The same thing with North and Tabby.

And now her? Are you sure you want to add more to your plate?

He didn’t knock.

When he walked in, he didn’t see her immediately. He glanced around. The bed was rumpled. Had she been in it?

But she wasn’t there. Nor was she in the bathroom. What the fuck?

Had she run?

His heart raced. If she had, then she’d just written her own death certificate.

His father loathed disobedience.

But then he noticed the door to the closet was closed, however there was a line of light under the door.

Was she in there?

Reaching for the handle, he opened it and ended up with an arm full of wildcat.

She was silent, and she couldn’t hit for shit. He took them to the floor in an effort to contain her quietly.

He managed to grab her wrists, stopping her flailing fists from getting him anywhere vital. Then he rolled her over onto her back and pinned her hands above her head, his legs around her thighs as he straddled her.

What the fuck?

Her eyes were closed, scrunched up tight but a single tear slid down her cheek.

That hit him hard.

She was pale and drawn. Clearly thinner than she should be. And now she was so fucking scared that she was hiding in closets and attacking people?

“Angie. Hey, Angie, it’s all right. It’s just me. Jared.”

She opened her eyes and stared up at him incredulously.

Shit. What was he thinking? She probably thought he was exactly like his father. How to convince her otherwise without giving too much away?

Because in the back of his mind he knew that he shouldn’t fully trust her. He couldn’t fully trust anyone.

There was always the possibility that someone might betray him.

However, he fucking hated the way she stared up at him with horror, disbelief and . . . anger.

“Listen, I’m going to get off you now. And I just want to talk, okay?”

She gave him a suspicious look. He got slowly to his feet.

No sudden movements. She scooted away from him, then hastily stood, swaying slightly. She was pale and her breathing was coming in fast pants.

“Hey, are you all right?” he asked.

Another incredulous look.

Yeah, he was two-for-two today.

“I get it. Dumb question.”

She was wearing a pair of soft white pajamas with small hearts all over them. Not the sort of sexy wear that he thought his father would buy for her.

And her hair was in two braids. Her face was free of the garish makeup she’d worn downstairs.

She looked so much younger. It made him feel ill.

“He’s old enough to be your grandfather,” he muttered.

She didn’t reply, just looked at him warily.

“Why did you marry him?” he asked.

He knew it was a dumb question as soon as he asked it. Her cheeks flushed as she glared up at him.

“Oh, I thought it would be a fun thing to do,” she replied sarcastically. “It’s working out grand.”

“Right. I get it. Dumb question.”

Closing her eyes she shook her head. “Sorry. Sorry.”

Fuck. He liked her fiery and angry more than he did defeated and sad.

“My father gave me to him soon after I turned eighteen. Fergus was going to just . . . just keep me as a plaything. But his “advisors” told him it would be a good look to have a wife. And who better than someone he already owned?”

Her voice was bitter. Not that he blamed her. This situation was fucking nuts.

“I’m sorry you had a fuckwit of a father.”

“He owed your dad money.” She shrugged. “He’s dead now so it hardly matters. Why are you here? What do you want?”

She eyed him suspiciously and it clicked what she was worried about.

“Not that.”

Fuck. He thought he was hardened against this shit. He wasn’t a good man. He didn’t have the capacity to be a good person. But he was also trying not to be a psychopath like his father.

“I wanted to make sure you were all right, I guess.”

“I’m fine.” The words sounded automatic and she tugged at her sleeves.

Was she hurt? Was she covering up bruises?

“Does he hurt you?” Jared asked.

Fuck.

What was he doing?

Her face grew guarded. “I don’t know what you mean and I’d like you to leave.”

He held up his hands and moved slowly over to the bed, sitting. He thought that might make him seem less intimidating. But she still appeared freaked out.

Can you blame her?

“Your door wasn’t locked.”

He didn’t know why he said that but it bothered him. Anyone could get in here . . . anyone could hurt her.

And she looked like a stiff wind would knock her over.