Raylin glances at me, then at Hawk. No weakness. That’s what we talked about.

But she nods. “I was. Very scared.”

The man grins widely, showing a missing incisor. “Good. I’ll have that satisfaction, at least. And the money.”

Hawk turns to the car, takes out the briefcase with the cash and hands it over to him. “You can count it. It’s all there.”

The guy is still staring at Raylin as he grabs the bag, his dark eyes glinting. “This was your dad’s doing. He started it. You finished it.” He nods at me and Hawk. “Managed to hide from us. Got strong allies.”

Raylin cocks her head to the side, dark hair catching a hint of gold in the flickering light. “And your point is?”

She might have said she was afraid before, but there’s no sign of fear on her face, her posture. Never was, since we arrived.

“Your dad was a coward. But you…” He tsks. “If you want to do business, Ms. O’Brien, we could talk.”

My blood freezes. Is he actually talking about dealing with the triad? The sort of shit that got my family killed and had Raylin on the run?

“Step down, tiger,” Hawk mutters, patting my good shoulder. “Let me handle this.”

“Mr. Hawk.” The man turns to him. The other two guys remain still and silent behind him. “Have a nice evening.”

I expect them to pull a gun. I expect more men to step out of the shadows.

But that doesn’t happen. The three of them turn and walk away, the briefcase full of cash the last thing I see before they vanish in the shadows.

“Storm…” Raylin’s voice is thin. A hard shiver goes through her as her brave façade falls apart.

“I’ve got you, babe.” I haul her to me with my good arm, hold her securely around the waist, fitting her against my side. “Everything’s fine.”

It’d better be.

RAYLIN

I’m shaking. Literally shaking, muscles twitching, my joints like rubber. I can barely stand, and I’m thankful for Storm’s arm around me, holding me upright as the triad members walk away.

Is this over? Is it possible?

Storm’s hold on me is solid, strong. He’s here. Paid off my debt. Offered his protection. He really did it, really saved my life.

He leads me back to the car and slides inside after me, drops a kiss on my forehead and whispers, “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I am. Have to be. Because it’s done. Over. Finished.

I’m alive.

Hawk climbs in and we’re leaving. “High fives all around!” He leans back in his seat with a satisfied sigh. “This was a tricky one to pull. Good job, team.”

“We’re not your team,” Storm snarls, and I shiver harder at the anger in his voice. Why is he angry? Isn’t he happy this is over?

“Relax.” Hawk opens the glove compartment and pulls out something. A metallic box full of cigars that he offers to Storm.

“No, thank you. You deal with the triads? For real, Hawk?” Storm shifts on the backseat, trying to stretch his leg, but there isn’t enough space. “Why?”

“Why not?”

“You seriously asking me this?”

“An idealist through and through, huh?” Hawk says, glancing over his shoulder at us. “Sorry to break it to you, Stormy boy, but in this business you have to get your hands dirty.”

“Like your daddy did?”

Hawk winces and straightens in his seat, staring ahead as we cruise through the town. “No, not like my dad. Dammit.”

“You sure you know the difference?”

“Yeah, I am sure. Are you?”

Silence stretches. Storm wraps me again in his arms and his warmth seeps into me, calming the shivers.

“This could bite you in the ass,” Storm says eventually.

“Sounds like fun,” Hawk replies drily, and that’s the end of their conversation. We drive to the outskirts of the city, stop at a helipad and—surprise, surprise—a chopper is there, waiting for us.

I’m actually not as surprised as I’d normally be, and I don’t know if it’s the lingering shock from having faced my nightmare and lived to tell the story, or because I’m already getting used to this. Having cars and choppers and people at our beck and call at all times.

So this is what it feels like, being so rich. Not having money, cash overflowing from your pockets. You never see the money. But it pours into the huge, well-oiled machine that is your life, making things happen at a snap of your fingers.

I look at Storm as we take off, at the shadows on his handsome face, in his eyes, and think of what’s yet to come. That well-oiled machine can turn around and swallow you down at any moment, it seems, and the only thing that can save you is people you trust.

And Storm trusts me. I hope he knows I’m there for him, like he was for me.

Chapter Twenty-One

STORM

“It’s a monster,” Rook says, standing by the glass doors leading to the pool, a dark shadow. His arm is in a sling. “This Organization. Has tentacles fucking everywhere.”

“What have you found out?” I shift on the sofa, stretching out my leg. Both he and Hawk have been morose and quiet, drinking scotch and smoking, hanging out at Hawk’s estate house.

Waiting for the police.

They won’t tell me how they intend to play this, where they vanished to last night.

A night I spent twisted in the covers, caught in nightmares. It was so bad, at some point I left the bed to let Ray sleep. I’m goddamn worried—that the triad will change their mind, that the letter we found won’t be proof enough to stop the Organization from gunning us down.

A monster.

“What are they involved in?” I ask again, because both Rook and Hawk are ignoring me. “Rook. Hey, I’m talking to you.”

“Don’t know, man. Too much.” He glances at Hawk who shrugs.

What the fuck. “So what now, you’re gonna keep me in the dark? Think that will protect me from something? Fuck you.”

“You’re hurt, man,” Hawk says and pours himself another scotch. “You got to take it easy.”

“Easy?” I rub my good hand over my face. “You serious?”

He toasts me with his glass. He is serious.

Fuck.

“You.” I jab a finger at him, my pulse booming in my ears. He’s gonna give me heart problems, I swear. I’m glad Ray’s upstairs, taking a shower, and not here, not listening to us. “You and Rook have put your lives in danger for me these days. Rook got hurt.” I nod at his sling, a match for mine. “You had to meet with the triad for me. Now you’re trying to bring down the Organization—for me. To stop them from killing me, not because they threatened you, and they’re your parents, and—”

“Storm.” Hawk lifts a hand. “Shut up, bro. You’d have done the same for us, and besides… The Organization has to be stopped.” He sighs, mouth a thin line. “They’ve killed people, dude. Your parents, your uncle, tried to get you, too, and others. This can’t go on. I won’t let it.”

Rook nods and turns to face us. His eyes burn with anger. “You don’t need to know more about the Organization because we’ll bring it to its knees.”

Yeah, okay. Damn, I wish I could have a drink. I wish I could keep them safe.

“You be careful, yeah?” I glare at them, hoping they take this seriously. “Whatever it is you did last night and will do today.”

“Yes, junior.” Hawk nods. “We will. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. We have a plan.”

“That’s what worries me.” I look at Rook who’s rubbing the back of his neck. “What sort of plan?”

“You’ll see when the police are here. I think—” He stops and stares at the door. “It’ll work out, Storm.”

“Has to,” Hawk says, and I turn to see what they’re both looking at.

Raylin. She smiles uncertainly, tucking a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “Hey.”

“What you need to do,” Rook says, “is take care of yourself and your girl, you hear me? Leave this to us. Everything will be fine.”

God, I want to believe them, to hope it’s over. Can’t imagine what this story will cost them, how they’ll cope if their dads are proven to be members of the Organization. What will happen to their families.