I grit my teeth and hit accept, bringing the phone to my ear. If it were about Malia, I’d most likely hear from Nathaniel rather than anyone else. Nathaniel, because his title is stupid and I’m tired of saying, or even thinking it. When I realized Nathaniel’s girlfriend calls him that and it makes his dick go harder than even Viagra could, I dropped that shit so fast.
No, thank you, dirty old man.
“Donnie Boy,” I purr into the phone, and hear him scoff in response.
He told me once Malia calls himCaptain Princessand he calls herDemon Spawn. According to Nathaniel, the Donnie Boy nickname came from my dad, and Nathaniel ended up adopting it for his son until Donovan got old enough to shut it down. Mostly.
It’s been surreal being here and seeing what I would consider normal behavior in typical people displayed by killers and corrupt men and women. I now know Nathaniel loves his children more than anything, that he had an abusive father and swore to never be like him, striving to be better than what he knew while still managing his ruthless criminal empire. Somehow, Nathaniel balances being a father and a mob boss, both separating and fusing the two seamlessly.
Maybe I can admit to myself that I admire at least that much about the man, because Malia deserves to have a father as fierce as hers when her mother is absolute trash.
“Someone’s at the gate for you,” Donovan says and I raise an eyebrow, though he can’t see it.
I don’t know anyone who would show up who and isn’t already here .
“Who is it?” I ask, since it seems like he’s not going to tell me unless I drag it from him.
I hear the tapping of keys as Hazel, Donovan’s girlfriend, types away at her keyboard.
Donovan stays silent and I release a deep breath, making my impatience known.
“Security said she’s your sister, but I need confirmation,” he drawls, and my eyebrows pinch together.
It couldn’t be Xana, she kicked dust too fast to get away from me when I told her everything. And I don’t blame her one bit.
“Hazel sent a close-up of her face to your phone. I just need to know if we can clear her, I know Dad has already put her name on the list, but with—“
“I know,” I snap.
Whether the woman is my sister or not, with Malia gone they need to be careful. This is the heart of their operation after all. A big enough hit here and Nathaniel’s empire would crumble. Just like Breckin said I was doing.
I lower the phone from my ear to thumb through it and find the picture Hazel sent. It takes me a moment to take in the person in the photo and see my sister in her. Her face is swollen, and her lip busted. I curse and put the phone back to my ear.
“That’s Xana,” I confirm.
Donovan sucks in a sharp breath, maybe he was hoping it wasn’t because there’s no way he didn’t notice someone beat the shit out of her.
“She’s authorized—“
That’s all I hear before I drop my phone and race through the mansion as fast as I can. By the time I reach the foyer, Xana is walking through the door. I barely see Breckin, Hazel, and Donovan standing there before Xana, tears in her eyes, charges me and jumps into my arms. My arms wrap around her as she sobs into my shoulder.
“What the fuck happened?” I ask, looking at every set of eyes in the room, hoping someone could give me an answer.
Breckin shrugs and my gaze narrows.
“Just showed up and Donovan called you,” he drawls. “Have you told anyone else where the mansion is,cop?”
“Don’t,” I warn.
My sister just showed up, beaten and crying, after not speaking to me for months. I’m not going to put up with his shit right now, and I sure as shit am not going to hold back just because Xana is in the room.
“I had the information passed to her,” Nathaniel says as he steps into the foyer with Chantelle by his side.
He takes in the scene in front of him, then his eyes land on mine and he nods his head. I take that as a silentI’ll take care of it.
Ignoring him, I lean into my sister’s ear, rubbing her back as she holds onto me like, if she lets go, she’ll be sent straight back to her worst nightmare.
“Xan,” I whisper, and her sobbing quiets at my voice so she can hear me, “I need to look at you and to do that I need to put you down, okay?”