Page 3 (2/2)

I hated criers I smirked at that

“Yet, you’re going to take the money anyway”

I headed to the bathroom, and when she didn’t reply, I turned back to her one last time

“Leg it babe, and if you think of taking anything other than the ave you, I will not hesitate to kill you, sweet throat or not” And I o and on most of the east coast The police didn’t even bother with us anymore

Hearing the bedroo in the shower It would be the last one until I met my future wife

Did she like showers or baths? I didn’t care, but it just proved that I didn’t know anything significant about her other than her birthday, February 13, 1990, and a few s else, her father kept buried There were no pictures of her anywhere—no socialreceipt with her nahost If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought she didn’t exist

It h I would do the sahter There were some crazy fucks in the world who didn’t understand what itof amy father had drilled into our heads since ere children

Rule One: You kill for family You die for family Because you can’t trust anyone else

In ht it would be funny to push ht, Neal and Declan burned his house down, but not before beating him within an inch of his life When they caave them the keys to the Porsche and told ood notes It was the reason why I was now ht-hand man instead of Neal, despite the fact that he was older Neal didn’t h—he was the muscle—while our cousin Declan was more behind the scenes It worked perfectly

Rule Two: Take no prisoners and have no regrets about it

Stepping out of my bathroom, there they stood, my father, brother, and cousin, all dressed in the finest suits money could buy

“Did you read the files I sent to you, or were you too busy with your whore?”at the files on my desk

“He probably stopped when he saw no pictures” Declan grinned from the door as Neal snickered

“As a ive a shit where she went to school or what her favorite color is The one thing I needed to knoasn’t in that file For all I know, Melody Giovanni could look like an Italian horse”

Sedric stepped into my closet

“Father—”

“Have you forgotten what is at stake here?”

“How—”

“Do not interrupt et that the only way you are going to be head of this fae”

“There is nothing there about her I care about”

Grabbing hold of lared “Pick up the damn folder, son”

Pulling out of his grasp, I saw Declan standing by my desk ready to hand me the folder, while Neal just stood a foot behind, ready to crawl up my fathers ass, if necessary

“I don’t need the folder I fucking read it” “Melody Nicci Giovanni: age twenty-four, born on February 13, in an unknown northern California hospital, only child of Orlando and Aviela Giovanni who both erated fro, and since then Orlando has all but locked her away in a tower She was homeschooled for e in so that’s where ice skating and glitter was invented” I waved Declan off before walking to my closet

Wrapping the red tie around my neck, both Declan and Neal snorted atfor more