Chapter 2
2
M y boots tap on the ornate stone walkway leading up to the grand entrance to Rockford Manor, and Cassian’s footsteps echo behind me.
Even in winter, the hedges are neatly trimmed, crushed rose petals mix with the quartz surrounding their base, and pots with fresh flowers line the steps. Being back here fills me with an unwelcome blend of nostalgia that I can’t shake, and I take a deep breath, willing my pounding heart to slow.
My pride bristles at the thought of setting foot inside, of facing the man who shattered my trust. But curiosity draws me back to this place like a moth to a flame, unable to resist the pull of unfinished business.
At our approach, the carved wooden door on the right swings open, and an unfamiliar servant beckons us inside.
The scent of old, polished wood and aging paper fills my nostrils, both comforting and suffocating at the same time. My footsteps echo on the marble floor as I take in the subtle changes. A new vase here, a different painting there. Yet beneath the surface-level alterations, the essence of Rockford Manor remains unchanged, a mask this family has worn for generations.
I scan the lavish surroundings, moving from detail to detail, hunting for any trace of the man who once defined my world. But the halls are empty, the silence broken only by the ticking of an antique clock.
I square my shoulders, projecting an air of confidence I don’t quite feel.
We follow the servant through the meandering halls, memories of stolen kisses and whispered promises flickering through my mind like a reel of film. Every instinct screams at me to turn back, to not open this door to my past when my life is going so well right now.
Even the expected betrayal of the buyer a couple of days ago had gone as expected, netting me a profit while I retained the guns to sell to a new client.
Why rock the boat now just because a Rockford reached out after so many years of silence?
The servant pauses before a familiar door and bows before retreating, leaving us to enter on our own.
My hand hovers over the polished brass knob. Behind this threshold lies a reckoning long overdue, a confrontation that could shatter the fragile peace I’ve fought so hard to maintain. But I’ll be damned if I let fear hold me back now when it never has before.
With a deep breath and a muttered curse, I twist the handle and step inside.
The banquet hall is as cavernous as I remember, a table fit to hold the entire Rockford clan and their mates for the one time a year when everyone gathers.
Aaiden sits at the head of the table, his salt-and-pepper hair gleaming under the chandelier’s golden light. He regards me with cool appraisal, as if weighing the value of an intriguing chess piece, while I note the signs of strain on him, the wrinkles in his suit, and his bloodshot eyes.
“Avery,” he greets me. “Thank you for joining us.”
“Aaiden.” I incline my head in a gesture of respect that scrapes my pride. “It’s been a while.”
Raphael rises from his seat to Aaiden’s right, his hazel gaze burning with an intensity that sends a shiver through me. He appears every inch the Alpha heir—or the spare, since Aaiden would have to kick it for him to inherit the estate. His tailored suit hugs the lean lines of his body, his chiseled features set in a mask of polite interest.
“Avery.” His lips twitch into a soft expression that stirs a primal urge within me to do violence. “You look well.”
My fingers twitch at his casual greeting, as if he didn’t shred my heart to pieces when he left. “Raphael. You look…older.”
And it’s true. Five years have aged him, adding silver to his temples that he didn’t have the last time we parted. Working in a passionless job he detests has worn on him.
Good.
I turn to the third Rockford in the room. Caleb, my old comrade, the man I did training with. Why would the family assassin be at this meeting?
“Welcome back.” Caleb’s expression remains neutral. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Good to see you, too.” Tension hugs my spine. “Unexpected, though.”
His shoulder lifts in a shrug that gives nothing away.
Raphael comes around the table to pull out the chair across from Aaiden. Being this close to him again brings on a wave of attraction that hooks into my gut, that primal pull of an Omega to their Alpha, even after all these years.
I curse internally, my fingers digging into my thigh as I fight the wave of weakness that washes over me. My suppressants, usually so reliable, falter in Raphael’s presence, his pheromones cutting through the chemical barrier to trigger a cascade of memories and physical reactions I thought I had long since buried.
While my body betrays me, Raphael remains infuriatingly composed, his expression a mask of cool indifference. There’s no hint of the turmoil I feel, no sign that my presence affects him in the slightest.
The realization sends a surge of anger coursing through my veins, the bitter sting of rejection mingling with the ever-present ache of longing.
Cassian cuts between us, grasping the back of the chair next to where Raphael holds it. “I can take it from here. Thanks.”
Raphael’s nostrils flare with the only sign of his irritation as he steps back. “I thought this was a family-only meeting.”
I settle into the chair, and my second in command takes up his station at my elbow, his presence a silent reminder of the life I built beyond these walls. “Cassian is family. Anything you have to say to me can be said in front of him.”
Raphael’s mouth opens, but Aaiden clears his throat, interrupting him. “Whatever puts you at ease, Avery.”
The muscle in Raphael’s jaw jumps as he glides back to his abandoned seat, the chasm between us a yawning void filled with unspoken words and broken promises. Every breath I take in his proximity is a reminder of his betrayal, of the future we once dreamed of building together, now reduced to ashes and dust.
And yet, beneath the anger and the hurt exists a traitorous whisper of hope that refuses to be silenced. As much as I hate him, as much as I want to bury the past and move on, part of me still yearns for his touch, for the comfort and security only he can provide.
Aaiden folds his hands on top of a folder that rests in front of him. “First, let me thank you again for coming on such short notice. You’re a busy man, and we appreciate you taking the time to come today.”
“Cut the bullshit.” I fix Aaiden with a cool stare. “You didn’t invite me here for a social call, so get to the point and tell me what you want.”
“You’re right.” Aaiden leans forward, his expression earnest. “We need your expertise and resources for a large-scale operation.”
They were so quick to turn up their noses at my business, but now they need me?
A humorless smirk tugs at my lips. “Is that so? And what, pray tell, is this situation that requires my particular set of unsavory skills?”
Aaiden takes a deep breath, his expression growing somber. “We’ve uncovered a human trafficking operation, one that’s been targeting Omegas in our area. They’re not only selling Omegas for breeding but also using them as lab rats to develop new drugs.”
My stomach sinks at his words, though they don’t land with the shock I’m sure he expects. Such operations always pop up in the underbelly of my world. I’ve even taken some of them out for the fun of watching them scream. But that’s just my personal vendetta against those kinds of monsters.
It’s nothing new , so why are the Rockfords taking an interest now ?
My features remain blank. “And why are you giving me this little history lesson? You think a few sob stories about exploited Omegas will tug at my heartstrings, and I’ll leap at the chance to play the white knight?”
If I want to kill human traffickers, I don’t need to work with the Rockfords to do it. That’s just community service I already do on my own time.
I lean forward, pinning Aaiden with a hard stare. “Let’s get one thing straight. The why doesn’t motivate me. I don’t give a damn about your noble cause, or whatever pretty label you’ve put on this to justify killing people. The only thing that matters to me is the payment. Same as always. And from where I’m sitting, you haven’t offered the appropriate motivation required for me to take an interest.”
My body language signaling indifference, I settle back in my chair as I wait for Aaiden’s response.
Raphael watches me with a single-minded focus that threatens to unravel me from the inside out. But I won’t let him see how much he affects me. He doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of knowing that, after all these years, he still holds the power to bring me to my knees.
Aaiden’s hands spread in an imploring gesture. “Avery, you of all people understand how important this is. These are your people. You have a responsibility to help them.”
Fury sweeps through me. He might as well come out and tell everyone I was born in one of those hellholes. Am I supposed to be grateful he didn’t air my dirty laundry in front of Cassian?
“Are you trying to manipulate me right now?” Rage burns through me, white-hot and all-consuming. I shoot to my feet, Cassian catching my chair before it clatters to the floor. “To be clear, I don’t owe you, or anyone else, a damn thing.”
Annoyed with myself for ever returning here, I straighten my jacket. “I’m not interested in your job, and I’m sure as hell not interested in your guilt trip. You can find someone else to do your dirty work. This meeting is over.”
Ready to storm out of the room and leave this godforsaken place and all its painful memories behind, I turn on my heel to leave.
Before I can take a single step, though, Caleb speaks. “They took Jade.”
I freeze, my heart stuttering, before I turn back to face him. “What did you say?”
Caleb swallows hard, his icy exterior cracking. “The traffickers. They took Jade. They got him, Avery.”
For a moment, I forget how to breathe.
Jade, always cocky and relentless, begging me and Caleb to teach him how to fight. How to survive. He was all sharp edges and louder than he had any right to be, desperate to prove he wasn’t weak. I saw a lot of my younger self in him.
And now he’s gone. Kidnapped by the monsters the Rockfords want to take down.
The hit lands hard, but I don’t allow it to show. This isn’t my family anymore. Raphael made that clear when he drew his line in the sand.
I shove the memories back into the box where they belong. What comes out of my mouth next is as cold as I intend it to be. “I don’t care.”
The words hang in the air, heavy and final. For a moment, no one moves, no one breathes. Then Caleb explodes.
“You heartless son of a bitch!” He lunges at me, his fist drawn back, ready to strike.
Cassian draws his gun, placing himself between me and Caleb. “Stand down, or I’ll put you down myself.”
My hand drops to the knife at my side, ready to draw it and back up Cassian if Caleb pulls a weapon of his own. I’m honestly shocked that my second-in-command is still standing. Emotions must be seriously messing with Caleb’s killer instincts.
Tension crackles through the air as the two men face off. Raphael shifts, angling his body toward me, but I keep mine rigid and forward-facing, unwilling to let my attention stray from the powder keg waiting to explode in front of me.
Aaiden’s command draws everyone’s attention. “Stand down, Caleb.”
With a snarl, Caleb returns to his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.
I touch Cassian’s arm in silent command, and he holsters his weapon, resuming his position at my back.
“Avery, please.” Aaiden’s mask cracks, desperation leaking through. “We’ll pay anything, do anything. Just help us take down these people and find Jade. Help us stop these bastards before they hurt anyone else.”
He slides the folder across the table, and I flip it open to find a contract inside. I lift it to scan the numbers and terms. It’s a generous offer, more money than most people would see in a lifetime. But I’m not most people, and neither are the Rockfords.
With a scoff, I toss the contract back onto the table. “I don’t need your scraps.”
Aaiden flinches, but he doesn’t back down. “Name your price, then. Whatever you want, we’ll pay it. Please. It’s Jade . We need you.”
Such a powerful Alpha, a Rockford , begging me should feel good, but it’s not the right Rockford.
I settle back in my chair and consider the contract again. “Double it.”
“Fine.” Aaiden accepts without hesitation. “Update the contract with the revision.”
He slides a pen across the table, and I catch it, the metal cool in my hold. I twirl the pen between my fingers, my mind racing. This is it, the moment of truth. The moment where I decide whether to let myself be pulled back into the Rockfords’ orbit.
There’s just one more thing I need.
I roll the pen between my fingers. “I have another condition.”
Aaiden’s jaw clenches. “What is it?”
The question hangs in the air as I savor the power that making them wait and wonder gives me.
And then I turn my attention to Raphael, our eyes locking for the first time since I walked into the room. “Beg me.”
The room quiets, their expressions freezing first with shock, then with disbelief at the audacity of my demand.
I don’t care. This isn’t about them. Not about their pride or their egos. This is about me and the pain of betrayal still burning in my veins. I have more money than I could ever need. I can buy anything I want, except this .
Raphael stiffens, hands clenching into fists on the table as his pride battles with the knowledge they can’t afford to lose me this time.
The silence stretches on, broken only by the sound of our breathing and the pounding of my heart in my ears.
I press the pen to my chin, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. “What’s it going to be, Raphael? How much is your pride worth to you?”