Keiran
P RESENT TIME
Bex's skin started crawling as soon as she entered Harbour Locke Country Club, and it had nothing to do with the way everyone was looking down their noses at her appearance.
Yes, folks. Skirts can be made of leather, too. Duh.
What really had her feeling jumpy was the sheer number of unguarded exits this place had.
Like, seriously.
This place needed double the security it currently employed, and maybe four times the security cameras it had installed. Then again, when one knew what to look for...
I see what you did there, de Laigny.
By the time she made it to the private dining room under de Laigny's reservation, she had been able to spot about eleven of the cameras he had secretly installed three years ago. And she also had no doubt those weren't all of them.
The man who insisted on escorting her from the entrance turned to her with a smile. "We hope you enjoy your stay with us, Ms. Becks. Please use the Call button if there's anything you need. We'll inform Mr. de Laigny of your arrival. Good day."
The attendant closed the door behind her as she entered the room, and the first thing she saw was a figure emerging from the shadow—-
Shit.
Bex was not afraid to have a gun pointed at her, but she was annoyed with herself for not seeing this coming. de Laigny stood across the room, his weapon trained steadily at her forehead, his shuttered expression giving nothing away.
"Who are you working for?"
"You know the answer to that."
" Bullshit ."
Three years ago, this woman had almost ruined his wedding night by sending a message to him from Cadence's half-brother. But now that Marchetti had as good as confirmed the truth last night?
's finger went to the trigger. "Viktor's dead. So don't lie to me again."
"I'm not." Bex's gaze didn't waver. "But you're not the only one with blood debts."
Fuck.
dropped his gun back into a secret pocket in his jacket. How the hell did Biancardi get to be so damn good at collecting these debts? Even in death, Viktor's reach extended far beyond what any normal man could hope to achieve.
Bex raised a brow at . "Not gonna apologize?"
took the seat at the opposite end of the table. "You'd have done the same thing in my position."
"Touché." Her lips curved into a smile that held no warmth. "We're all just monsters playing by the same rules, aren't we?"
"Why are you here then?" demanded, already tired of the word games.
"Same reason Marchetti is here." She perched on the edge of the desk, perfectly at ease now that she was no longer held at gunpoint. "We've all been keeping an eye on Cadence. Have you not realized that by now? When you walked out on your marriage, good riddance. A girl like her doesn't deserve you."
"We're from the same world," bit out, hating the truth of it.
"And so I knew better than to involve someone who's innocent...and should've stayed innocent." She shrugged. "But...it's all water under the bridge. Marchetti is a happily married man, so I'm guessing it changed his list of priorities, made him care more if you two are heading towards happily ever after or never again. Me, still the same. Hearts break all the time. But they only stop beating once and for good. So I'm here because of the Quinns."
tensed. "What about them?"
"They've figured out you're famiglia and powerful enough to help save their asses from their enemies. So now they've started telling everyone you're their son-in-law."
"Fuck." The word exploded from him before he could hold it back.
This was exactly the kind of reckless move he'd expect from Marvin Quinn. A desperate grab for protection, with no thought to the danger it would bring to his own daughter.
"Their enemies will be knocking on your door soon. Thought you'd appreciate the heads up." Bex slid off the desk, straightening her skirt. "Oh, and last advice—"
"I didn't ask for any," cut in sharply.
"You should start thinking of telling Cadence the truth. Women have a feel for these things, believe it or not. And if you want to know what I feel—-"
"Still not asking for any advice."
" Tick tock, de Laigny. You're running out of time. You either come completely clean or it will be too late for you to save your marriage."
stayed motionless after she left. Rage simmered inside of him, but it was not directed at the girl he had spent the last three years hating. He was furious at Bex for making it seem as if he cared about saving his marriage. But he was also furious at himself because it was true.
Why, dammit?
Why did she matter to him so damn much even when she had chosen her worthless parents over him?
When finally returned to the penthouse, it was with a weight on his shoulders that felt heavier than any he'd carried before.
As soon as he stepped into the living room, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Giancarlo was seated on the couch, looking perfectly at ease. Cadence sat across from him, her face drained of color.
's blood ran cold. One look at her face and he knew exactly what Marchetti had told her.
"Is what he's saying true?" Cadence asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
FUCK .
How did one explain just because he was famiglia did not mean he was a monster...or had to stay one at least? How to explain that it was not his choice to be born in a different world, and one that was soaked in blood and scarred by sin?
"Cadence—-"
"Just answer me. Yes or no."
His heart thudded against his chest. What would he do if she couldn't accept him? If she asked—-
"Are we still married?"