“Just not us.” He chuckles, kissing me one more time before he walks away, gorgeous, larger than life, and a little more human than the last time he left.
Leif and Hunter opening up to me after holding out on me is amazing. Chase in general has been amazing. I see three texts from him, saying he’s thinking of me, he’d love to see me soon for an overnight visit, even offering the yacht and his friends.
They’re overwhelming individually and willing to share me seems surreal. I have to pinch myself just to make sure this isn’t some intense dream. And then I need to thank my bestie and her men for the suggestion of trying out a polyamorous relationship. I smile to myself.
And I pinch myself at the office the next day. My last day before a solid week off thanks to Spring break. After talking to Diana and my other patients, I wave goodbye to Leigh – the head of the office and walk to my car. I get in and drive home, park, and pull my phone out to call Sophie.
But before I can, I see a flash of light. Looking up, there’s Lief, talking to a man. I smile, and start to get out of my car, but then I see the man turn, Lief grabs him, injects something into his neck, then jerks him into a car. I gape, my feet shaking on the asphalt.
“What the fuck,” I whimper.
Lief glances around, then his eyes are on me. Another guy gets out of the car, someone slightly smaller than Lief, but no less intimidating. I run. I don’t think twice. I’m not going to trust Lief to protect me. I’m not going to ask him to take someone on for me.
I fit myself into an alley, then dodge behind a dumpster, accepting that my tits are probably going to be flattened and that breathing will suck. It’s not my first time hiding in a place I don’t fit.
But the man that chases me down the alley isn’t my dad. This man has a gun on his hip, a knife in his hand, and murder in his eyes. I cover my mouth with my hand, making sure that no breath escapes.
High-stakes hide and seek.
Lief comes around the corner, looking more like death than anyone has a right to, and barks something in Russian. It’s unflinching, sure, angry. The other man argues, but Lief shakes his head. The other one gets in Lief’s face, shoves him, and hisses at him.
No reaction. Lief’s face doesn’t change remotely. The guy turns back around, kicking trash bags, then he’s talking to someone else. I nearly slip, kick a can slightly and Lief’s eyes flick to me quickly. He puts his hand down, almost like he’s telling me to stay and I see a can at his feet.
“Was me.” He says in English.
I cringe further against the dumpster as my vision swims. What the fuck have I gotten myself into? Why the hell does Gunner know gangsters or mobsters or even straight-up murderers? Nope. Not the time for that question, Val, I remind myself.
Just stay quiet. Don’t move. Don’t give in to crying. Not until I’m safe. I slide a shaking hand into my pocket and put it on silent. A text from Hunter appears
HUNTER: Do not run. I’ll come get you.
Fuck no. Hell no. Absolutely not.
I’d rather run back to Sophie and her men than let him get me.
Lief and the other man keep going, but I don’t move. I can’t move. I’m too busy reliving the moment, seeing the sharpness of the knife, of remembering that Lief said he’s good with a gun.
Hunter obeys his father. He and Chase are in the family business. So is Lief …. A company they won’t talk about. They skirt around, distract from. A company that involves murder. I dig my nails into my hand to keep from fainting.
They’re in the fucking mafia.
CHASE
Hunter storms into my office slams the door and kicks my trash can, sending it across the room as napkins and take-out boxes scatter. He shoves his fingers through his hair and curls his hands into fists. I arch an eyebrow.
“Dad yell at you?”
“Lief and Sven got sloppy,” He hisses.
Okay, those words are new. An entirely new sentence. I turn in my chair and face my brother. “How sloppy?”
“Valerie saw. Sven tried to hunt her down. Said she has to die. He doesn’t have a name. Lief made sure he didn’t find her,” Hunter hisses. “She should have been at work. She never leaves early,” He says.
“Lief went back to get her after Sven took off and he can’t find her.”
That gets me to my feet. “What the fuck. If our asshole father finds her-”
“He won’t put a fucking hand on her or I’ll make sure I take my inheritance early.” Hunter snarls, furious, deadly, and ready to strike. He’s never talked about taking over unless he was making it clear he didn’t want to. “I will take care of Sven, messily if I have to. I’ll rip out his fucking tongue. Valerie isn’t going to be a casualty.”