Lee

by Sydney Landon

  “So what they say about Victor is true then?” I ask hesitantly, not sure I even want him to answer the question. Some things are better left unsaid, and this may be one of them.

  He seems to be of a like mind because he doesn’t deny it. “Much was speculated but never proven. Neither Victor nor Draco ever spent time in jail for organized crime. Men of power and wealth such as they had are connected far beyond anything that most can imagine. Hell, some of the most influential people in this state run in the same circles that they did—your father being one of them.”

  His words don’t surprise me. I’ve known my father wasn’t a typical businessman since I was old enough to notice his odd friends. Plus, like Victor, there have been just as many whispers about the type of man he is. I had no proof of any of it, and truthfully, I didn’t want to know. Jacey had hinted at it a few times, but I had no idea whether she was a trusted member of my father’s inner circle or not. For her sake, I hope she isn’t. I raise a brow before turning up my nose. “If you’re waiting for me to protest, then don’t bother. I’ve never been privy to that side of his life, but it’s hardly a shock.”

  He smiles wryly. “No, I don’t suppose it is.” He looks at me so intently that I find myself shifting in my seat uncomfortably. “Jade,” he begins softly. “I’ve done a lot of things in my life that you won’t approve of. Just because I wasn’t a hired gun for Victor doesn’t mean I didn’t cross a lot of lines for him.”

  I reach out and place my finger across his lips. “Don’t,” I whisper. “I never want to know anything that could be used against you. There is nothing in your past that I need to know because it makes no difference to us. I love you unconditionally. Past, present, and future. You did what needed to be done. You thought each instance out and knew that however you handled it was the only way. I left you all those months ago because I love you for who you are, Lee. Nothing else matters to me. You are someone I admire and respect. Please forgive me for deceiving you.” I’m not sure how he will handle my declaration. He almost looks… surprised.

  Apart from Peter, and now Lia, how many people have told Lee that they love him? That makes me sad. But then I consider how many people have ever told me they loved me… and I realize that it’s only Lee. And for that I’m heartbroken.

  “Oh cuero mio, come here,” he murmurs as he pulls me onto his lap and holds me close. The feel of his heart beating against my ear brings me the most incredible peace. I finally grasp what true love is. It’s believing in each other and seeing past the flaws. It’s accepting the truth about each other.

  “What is it you call me?” I smile at the almost embarrassed look on his face. But then he strokes my cheek again and explains.

  “Cuero mio means my heart. I didn’t know until you that I’d ever love someone like I love you. Victor used it when talking about Jess, a lost love that he never quite got over. So it is instinctual somehow.”

  “And the other one? Amore mio?”

  “My love. Another favorite of Victor’s.”

  Said so simply, it brings tears to my eyes. “I never thought I’d have this love in my life, either, Lee.”

  He kisses me because words are no longer needed.

  Physically, we are a new couple. Emotionally… I wonder if this connection we have is because we emotionally connected quite some time ago. We’ve survived a tough hurdle, and in his arms now, I can’t fathom anything ever coming between us.

  Yet I’ll look back in the days to come and realize that we’ll have to climb through hell to ever reach heaven together.

  11

  Lee

  Anthony is leaning against the wall of his club smoking a cigarette when Luc and I arrive. When he called to say he had some information for me, we were having lunch a few blocks from the office. So, instead of coming alone, I asked him to join me. After all, he knows as much about the situation as I do, and I want him to remain in the loop. “That your guy?” he asks as he parks his Land Rover at the curb.

  “Yeah, that’s him.” I nod as I open the door and approach the younger man. “That shit’ll kill you,” I remark dryly, pointing at the smoke that he exhales before he stomps the remainder of the cigarette into a nearby canister.

  “No shit.” He grins before extending a hand to Luc. “You’re Lucian Quinn. I’m Tony Moretti.” After the introductions are complete, Tony opens the door and waves us into the dim interior. Instead of going upstairs to his office, he leads us to a table near the rear of the large room. “No one’s around yet, so we’ll talk here. Can I get either of you a drink?” We both decline and take a seat. “I talked to my uncle. My father apparently wasn’t so much interested in Wrenn Wear as he was Jasmine Wrenn. According to him, they were lovers for quite a while, and Draco was crazy about her. He used the term ‘obsessed.’ I guess things were getting intense until Hunter found out about it. Draco wanted her to leave Hunter and be with him. But she claimed that he’d never let her take the children, and she couldn’t leave them behind, so she ended it. My uncle said that Draco came around to see him and was drunk and out of his mind over it. He wanted to go to the Wrenn’s and steal Jasmine away. And he didn’t care if he had to go through Hunter to do it. But somehow, my uncle convinced him that if anything happened to her children, Jasmine would never forgive him. He told him that if he really loved her, then he needed to respect and understand her decision. A woman should always put her children before her man.”

  Luc sits forward looking thoughtful. “So he bought Wrenn Wear to be near Jasmine?”

  Tony laughs softly, before shooting me a look. “Not quite. Draco may have been in love with her, but I know how he thought. It wouldn’t have taken very long for jealousy and resentment to set in. He wasn’t a man who was used to hearing the word no or being second best to anyone.”

  “He wanted Wrenn Wear because she loved it.” I nod in understanding. That makes sense. I always knew there was more there than what I was told. Now the pieces are sliding neatly into place. “Then he basically kicked her out on the street and didn’t give a damn whether the company survived or not.”

  Tony shrugs. “Revenge for her having the audacity to pick her family over him.”

  “Your father sounds like a real sweet guy,” Luc quips.

  I answer for Tony automatically, feeling that I know parts of Draco better than his son does. “Things were very black and white with him. Regardless of his feelings, he wasn’t the type you’d want to disappoint. Her leaving him would have been the highest form of insult. There’s no way he’d let that stand. So he went after something he knew was important to her.”

  “She’s lucky that’s all he did,” Tony says quietly. “For him, it was an act of mercy. But in the end, he took more than he’d bargained for. My uncle said that he was a fucking mess when he found out that she’d died. Said he kept saying that Hunter had killed her. If he and Victor hadn’t died, I’m not sure that Hunter would still be around today. Regardless of the truth, if he believed that Hunter was responsible, he’d have avenged her.”

  “Without question,” I agree. Sitting forward, I add, “So now we know more about the connection, but this still doesn’t make everything add up. Hunter knew years ago about the part I played in the takeover of Wrenn Wear. Why wait this long to come after me?”

  “Delayed gratification?” Luc tosses out. “Although that seems highly unlikely. You’ve had no other interactions with him or any of his holdings since then, have you?”

  I shake my head. “No, I’ve gone over it in my head more than once, and until the moment Jade came to work for me, there’d been nothing since Wrenn Wear. Hell, he doesn’t have anything that I’m remotely interested in. Plus, he’s dirty money, and I’ve tried damn hard to steer clear of that.”

  “There’s still a key piece of the pie missing here,” Luc states. “We need everyone we have on Hunter. I don’t believe for a minute that he woke up one day two years ago and decided you needed to pay. Something set this in motion, and I, for on
e, want to know what.”

  “That makes two of us,” Tony chimes in. “One of my men is digging into it. Fuck, I’d be curious even if this didn’t involve my father. But seeing as it does, I want to know what in the fuck is going on.”

  “It’s time for me to rattle a few cages,” I add. “I’m going to pay Wrenn a visit. He’s been sneaking around behind my back for years. I think even he’d expect me to confront him about it.”

  “You’ll be giving away the fact that you know about Jade,” Luc points out.

  “I’m aware of that. But there is very little to be gained from keeping him in the dark to that fact. Plus, it forces Jade to continue playing a dangerous game with him. No, I think it’s better to shift his attention fully to me and hope it pisses him off so badly that he gets sloppy and fucks up.”

  “You need to watch your back, brother,” Tony interjects. “Wrenn is dangerous because he’s unpredictable. If you push him into a corner, he may declare all-out war on you.”

  From anyone else, those words would sound overly dramatic, but with a father like Draco Moretti, Tony understands mobsters better than most people ever will. He spent too many years with a father who never bothered to shield him from the violence that was so much a part of his daily life. “I’ll make sure I’m covered.”

  “We’ll make sure everyone is,” Luc adds firmly. “Your family is my family, literally and figuratively.”

  Fuck, my daughter did marry someone just like me. I bite back my grin at that thought. I’ll never admit it to Quinn, but I like that he’s fully capable of unleashing hell if the circumstances require it, and he’ll go to apocalyptic proportions for Lia and Lara. I get to my feet, and the other two men follow suit. We say our farewells with a promise to keep each other updated. When Luc drops me in the front of Falco, I don’t bother going inside. Instead, I walk to the parking garage where my car is waiting. I asked Denny to have it ready and it is. As I climb behind the wheel and drive toward Hunter Wrenn’s office, I feel no fear even though I know that very shortly I’ll be setting things into motion that are twenty years in the making. Love may have started this war, but I’ll end it—any way necessary.

  JADE

  “What?” I shriek. My voice echoes loudly off the walls of Lee’s office as I sit down heavily in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Are you sure?”

  “I think I know who Lee Jacks is,” Jacey says dryly. “But what I don’t know is why he’s here. Does the man have a death wish? Father has been in an uglier than usual mood lately, so this isn’t a great time for a friendly, unannounced drop-in.”

  “I have no idea why he’s there,” I whisper as my heart hammers in my chest. “Couldn’t you listen at the door?” I suggest. “Then call the police if you hear any loud noises.” Like a gunshot.

  “He came to the lair of the beast, so he brought this on himself,” Jacey adds dramatically. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw him in the lobby. I trailed him upstairs half expecting him to be thrown out, but instead, he made it in. I’m sure dear old dad’s curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn’t resist knowing what had brought his enemy to the door.”

  “He’s going to tell Daddy that he knows about me and see where that leads. There’s no other explanation for it.”

  “Jade…” my sister hisses, sounding appalled. Oh shit. I said that out loud? “You didn’t tell Lee everything, did you? Surely, you realize that this could pour gasoline on an already blazing fire.”

  “He found out on his own,” I say defensively. I don’t bother to add that I would have told him anyway. It serves no purpose now other than to drive more distance between us. “He also saw the bruises on my neck from Father and was beyond pissed. It wasn’t hard for him to come to the right conclusion. So I told him what little I knew and that was it. Truthfully, he handled it far better than I could have hoped.” Lowering my voice, I add, “He told me he loves me.”

  There is dead silence for so long that I think she’s disconnected the call before I hear a sigh, followed by a snort. “You are so delusional, Jade. You always have been. Lee Jacks is no different than our father. You serve a purpose to him now, which is why you’re still around. But when this game between him and Dad runs its course, you’ll be out on your ass before you can even process what’s happening. Lee isn’t going to take you away from your life and turn you into a fairy princess. Plus, let’s get real. I’m sure you’ve seen the type of women who he spends time with, and they’re nothing like you. You lick at his heels and stare up at him in adoration with those big eyes. So maybe he scratches you behind the ears a few times, but that’s it. If he settles down with one woman, it will be a tall, thin trophy wife who knows how to play her part in his world.”

  My eyes narrow with anger as her words hit me like bricks. Piercing through my bubble of happiness with one small dose of reality. Damn her. She knows my weaknesses, and she’s pushing at them all right now. Why did I just give her more ammunition? I manage to keep my voice level as I ask, “So I assume you’re the type of woman who Lee will end up with? Isn’t that who you’re describing? Maybe you don’t want to see me with him because you want him for yourself.”

  She laughs cheerfully as if I’ve said something truly hysterical. Finally, she gets enough control. “Rest assured, Jade, I’m not after Lee. And yes, while I might be the perfect woman for him, he is not what I want in my life. I’ve spent too many years as father’s right-hand to want to marry a duplicate of him. At some point, I’d like some peace, even if it’s only for a few hours in the evening. And that’s not likely to happen with Lee Jacks by my side.”

  It irritates me that she talks as if he would be hers if she were interested. Her overinflated ego doesn’t seem to consider for one moment, that maybe Lee wouldn’t have her even if she begged. And regardless of all the uncertainty, that’s one thing I know in my heart is true. She’s everything he’d avoid in a romantic partner, but I don’t bother to argue. Instead, I say, “Let me know if you find out anything on your end. Otherwise, I’ll wait for Lee to return and see what he has to say.”

  “I have better things to do with my time than listen at keyholes, so you’re on your own. Just check out the news tonight. If they kill each other, it’ll probably make the evening edition.”

  “You’re so not funny,” I snap before ending the call. I drop my head onto the back of my chair as I whisper to the empty room, “What are you doing, Lee?”

  I’m at a stopping point, so I quickly close the office and lock away a few important files before collecting my purse and removing the keycard Lee left for me. Within a few moments, I’m at the door of his penthouse, and strangely enough, it already feels like home. But for how much longer? What if my father attempts to discredit me by filling Lee’s head with a bunch of lies? Will he believe them? It’s certainly something my father would do. He’ll be so angry that Lee knows about my deception that he’s likely to do or say anything without thinking it through first. And that will be dangerous to us all. The urge to rush to Lee’s side and protect him is so strong, but I know in my heart that my appearance there would make everything worse. My father has no respect for me, so it may discredit Lee in his eyes even more. No, I need to remain here for now and hope that somehow Lee gets whatever made him go there today. He’s working some type of plan. He can take care of himself, and he won’t be this brazen without a goal in mind.

  Rufus strolls through the foyer as if he owns the place. He stops a few feet away and scans the area before meowing plaintively. I swear the damn cat is disappointed that it’s me and not Lee. After only a few days, his allegiance has switched firmly to the man of the house. Their standoff that night was a real bonding experience. I shake my head before reaching down to scratch him behind the ears. “You can’t complain, boy. We’re both just lucky that he let you stay inside instead of putting you out on the balcony as he wanted to. I wouldn’t push my luck, though, if I were you.”

  I go through the motions of feeding Rufus an
d making a sandwich for myself, but I’m a nervous wreck. There’s no way I can relax until I hear from Lee, so I give up on doing anything other than pacing. By the time he gets home, I’ll have either collapsed from fatigue or there will be a hole in his expensive marble floors. I halt in my tracks as one horrible thought occurs to me. What if Lee decides I’m not worth the hell I’m putting him through? Will there really be life after him? Realistically I know there must be, but in my heart, I’m not certain I’ll survive it, and I pray I never have to find out.

  12

  Lee

  My first thought when I see Hunter Wrenn for the first time in almost twenty years is that time has not been kind to him. If I look closely, I can see a vague resemblance to Jade, but it’s faint. The thing I do notice immediately is the sense of evil that emanates from him. I’ve rubbed elbows with some soulless men in my time. Ones with zero empathy or conscience, and that’s what I see in Wrenn. Victor and Draco did a lot of shit I didn’t agree with or condone, but they didn’t become soulless. Certainly, there were times when they could conveniently set being humane aside, but they suffered regrets over certain things in their lives. I doubt Wrenn can say the same. He remains behind his massive desk, not bothering with the formality of a handshake. No doubt, he thinks he’s in the power position. “Jacks, this is a surprise.” His voice is laced with amusement, but his eyes are coldly calculating. He’s thrown by my visit.