Wisely, he reclaimed his seat, so I reached behind me and pulled Mian to my front. She fought me, but like always, I won. Her gaze was fixed on Aaron as I brought her back against my chest to share my strength. He was already leering at her, and I seriously wanted to pull my blade and carve his eyes out.
“Why did you bring her here,” the senator asked more cordially.
Because I need to scare her from leaving me. “So your son can tell her in person why he shunned his responsibilities.” The truth was I had no interest in why he was a prick, and I doubt Mian would ever have the courage to confront him if her trembling was anything to go by. It made me wonder what happened between them. I expected anger, not fear.
“She spread her legs and got herself in trouble, so she screams rape and my son is just supposed to pay?” As soon as the last word left the senator’s lips, his son spat blood onto the carpet and regarded Mian with disgust. It wasn’t just the way he was looking at her that made me want to rip his heart out and make his father eat it, but what his father had said.
I must have done something because all eyes were suddenly on me, but I only had eyes for one person. One look in his eyes told me the truth.
That motherfucker raped her.
I didn’t think after that.
I just reacted.
I lifted my gun and aimed it between his eyes. My finger squeezed the trigger without hesitation or remorse. He should have been dead, but my aim was compromised when my hand had been knocked away at the last moment. The bullet killed the wall and not the bitch I was aiming for. Enraged, I turned on the fucker who dared and stared into frightened green eyes while the senator’s men tried to break the door down.
My fury only heightened when I found the culprit was Mian. Was she actually protecting that cunt?
I sent her my most menacing expression, but she didn’t flinch. In fact, there was no emotion in her eyes to be found. Anger turned into worry , and suddenly, we were the only two people in the room. After a few tense moments, she finally spoke, but it wasn’t the words I wanted to hear.
“You can’t kill him.”
“And why is that?” Did she love him?
I’ll kill them both and bury them in the same hole where they could be together.
Forever.
“Because he’s the son of a senator.”
I was not moved.
“I can always kill the good senator, too.” Both of those bitches gasped like women making my trigger finger itch to put them out of their misery for good. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”
She started to speak but immediately snapped her mouth close.
Like I thought.
“You have something you want to say to me?”
She gripped my shirt under her fingers, and finally, there was life staring back at me. “I don’t want anything from him. Not even his blood.”
“Well, that’s too bad.”
Her frown deepened. “The senator has agreed that you and your son deserve more.” I looked up to meet the senator’s gaze. “Isn’t that right, Senator?” Her head turned in the senator’s direction, and her body tightened even more.
“That’s right. One hundred and fifty grand in cash to you and Caylen.”
“I—I don’t know what to say.”
“The senator doesn’t deserve your gratitude.” She looked uncertain and ready to thank that asshole anyway until I promised death with a glare.
“I assure you it’s not necessary,” he rushed to agree. He slid his gaze back to me. “You have your money now leave my home.”
I almost put a bullet in his skull just because.
Chapter Forty-Eight
You need me.
MIAN
What the hell just happened?
We were back in his father’s home where I watched Angel take a drink while I sat on the couch in his father’s office next to Z. Lucas disappeared somewhere in the house as soon as we arrived, and I worried over who had been watching Caylen all this time.
I was surprised when Angel pushed his glass away and then slammed two briefcases down on the desk. His strong fingers deftly popped opened the cases and lifted the tops. Stacks of money filled both briefcases to capacity.
“What is this?” I asked when he stared at me expectantly. I needed to react. I just didn’t know how.
“Child support.”
I gaped. A part of me didn’t believe the senator had really offered me so much money and it was all because of Angel.
Instead of grateful, I felt trapped. “Am I supposed to thank you?”
“I don’t want your gratitude.” I nodded and relaxed until he said, “But you should know this money was originally payment to kill you.” I gasped. “ Both of you,” he corrected, sending my heart to my stomach.
“I don’t understand.”
“The senator paid me to make you and Caylen disappear, and since neither of us like loose ends, which took making you simply leave the city off the table.”
It was scary to know my life had a price on it. There were many questions running through my mind, but only one spilled forth. “You were going to kill me, anyway. Why not just take the money?”
His face looked like I’d just ripped out his gut at the thought of taking my last breath when he’d been so eager just days before. “That was before I knew you were innocent.”