“You were supposed to be watching her, not fucking her,” I forced through my teeth.
A sneaky smile tugged up the corner of his lips as he shrugged. “I couldn’t help myself.”
A small gasp wiped the smile off his face. She watched him with tears in her eyes while his avoided her. I jerked my head toward the door, and he followed.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” I questioned as soon as the door was closed.
“No,” he answered honestly.
“Are you even sure she’s legal?” He looked back at the door with a wary look, and I could tell he had doubted his answer before he shrugged again.
“What’s up?” he said by way of changing the subject. I hesitated for a half a second before leading him to my father’s office and launching into a recap of the meeting. I had Z hang back with some of the men to keep an eye on the senator while I figured out my next move.
“Fucking hell…” He blew out a breath and roughly shoved his fingers through his hair. “So the contract on her head—”
“I’m not going to do it.”
“You took the money.”
“He threatened to kill me.” He nodded, satisfied with my answer. “We need to take care of him.”
Lucas’s head jerked back in surprise. “Take care of him? He’s a fucking senator!”
“He may be a blue blood, but he bleeds red just like the rest of us.” Lucas didn’t appear convinced. “If it’s not me, he’ll hire someone else.”
“You care about her.” He said it as if he had just realized it for the first time.
“I’m responsible for her.”
“Your father’s dead. You’re the head of the family, which means your babysitting days are over.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Just admit it, man.” He smiled like he’d just uncovered my dirtiest secret. “She makes your dick hard, and you like it.”
“I’m not talking about my dick right now. Maybe after I kill the senator.”
His playful mood shifted into business as he leaned forward. “What’s the move?”
“I need you to pay a visit to Jonny. It’s time we brought Theo up to speed.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Happy Birthday.
ANGEL
Three Years Ago
She wouldn’t call.
I wouldn’t call me either.
Mian had this corny tradition of telling me happy birthday at exactly midnight. Birthdays were her favorite, she’d explained with a shrug when I asked the second year she’d done it. It was strange because I was sure she hated me. Since my father was never around, and my mother refused to come to the city, I figured she did it out of pity. I tried not to be angry that she pitied me at all.
It was hard to be upset when she was being so fucking sweet.
But this year, she wouldn’t say it.
Those three words sweetly whispered from her lips had become the one thing about my birthday I looked forward to. I stared at the time on my phone and watched the minute hand change to midnight.
I dropped my phone face down on my chest and waited.
Four months ago, my father made the decision that I couldn’t be trusted with Mian. Taking her from me was the smartest decision he ever made, but that didn’t stop me from resenting myself. Two weeks prior, I convinced my father I needed time away, but the truth was, I needed distance from Mian. It had become impossible to resist her. Had I known the day I came back would have been our last, I never would have left.
My father made Theo believe she could take care of herself. He had been reluctant to uproot her from another home and decided to leave the decision to Mian. He figured Mian still hated me and that would make the decision easier on him. My father, however, knew my feelings weren’t one-sided.
That’s where I came in.
She could have returned home where she could feel closer to her mother, but she was more than just a girl with a crush… and she had no business being in love with me. So I was supposed to ride in like a black-hearted knight and break her heart so she would want to leave.
Unfortunately, it worked like a charm.
Theo was kept in the dark, Mian went home, and my father was happy that his heir was free to toe the line once again.
He had warned me to stay away, but I didn’t listen.
Because I was a man falling for a goddamn teenager.
I didn’t understand it at first. We barely spoke, and when we did, it was to spew insults, yet somehow, I looked forward to each encounter. I even started a few just so I could see the fire that raged in her eyes whenever I got under her skin.
My heart sped up when my phone finally rang. I couldn’t pick up the phone fast enough.
MOM.
My jaw clenched as I hit ignore. The minute changed to one minute past twelve, and I found myself dialing a number I knew from memory. The seconds it took for her to pick up the phone seemed like an eternity.
“Angel?” Her whisper was full of surprise.
“You didn’t call.” I was even angrier that she actually picked up. Mian wasn’t a night owl. She was usually dead to the world by nine and up before the sun rose each morning.