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  We gradually left downtown Philly and headed northwest.

  “Where are we going? Where did you put my dad? In California?”

  I grinned. We had been driving awhile, but not because of the true distance. “In Chestnut Hill.”

  “Chestnut Hill! I…” She broke off, staring at me as if I’d lost my mind. “That’s a pretty well-to-do area of Philadelphia! He can’t afford that! I—”

  “I’m paying for it, Allie, so please don’t worry.” I smiled, trying once more to allay her confusion and shock. Chestnut Hill had been a part of old Philadelphia since the 1850s. By the mid-20th century, the area had become a well-to-do bedroom community that today was known for its historic district and was on the National Register of Historic Places. “It will be easy for him to get around if he needs to. There’s plenty of options for commuter rail, buses, and trolleys. There’s also plenty for him to do if he wants to get out and about, like arboretums, parks, and libraries.”

  “But it’s so expensive,” Allie protested. “How much are you paying for rent every month?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I got it covered.”

  “I’m not worried about it, Marcus. Remember, you said you’d never lie to me.” There was a high degree of challenge in her tone. “What does it look like? Will he be safe? What about his medications? Dad can’t do stairs, at least not right now—”

  “He won’t have to deal with stairs,” I said softly. “His meds will be delivered by courier, as needed.”

  “Marcus!”

  I sighed. I supposed I deserved this and sought an extra dose of patience. “It’s a one-bedroom with a den that can be converted into an extra bedroom if he wants, but I suggest he not have anyone staying overnight just yet if it can be avoided. The less attention drawn to him, the better.” When she simply waited with a raised eyebrow, I went on. “Anyway, it’s a single level. It has a nice living room and a spacious master bedroom. It comes with all appliances, including a washer-dryer unit, so he doesn’t have to go out and do his laundry. It also has a fireplace.”

  “How much?”

  It was so tempting to lie, but I didn’t. “About sixteen-hundred a month. A pretty good deal, considering—”

  “Oh my god,” she groaned, dropping her face into her hands.

  “What?” I was genuinely surprised by her reaction. “It’s a good deal, with over eight hundred square feet—”

  “He’s not going to want to take your charity.”

  “It’s not charity,” I said, not understanding the protest. “I’m looking at it as an investment.” She lifted an eyebrow and glanced askance at me. “Really. I plan on keeping it for a safe house anyway, if—”

  “So, what exactly did you tell my dad?”

  “About his move?” I sighed. “Donnie went to his house, introduced himself—”

  “As what? As a member of a criminal syndicate?”

  I glanced at her, but she wasn’t looking at me. Arms crossed over her chest, she was glaring out the window. I didn’t doubt that she was upset about all this. “No. He told your dad that he was a friend of mine, and yours, and that I was watching out for you but to be on the safe side…that a move was essential for his safety, and ultimately, yours. He was told he needed to go with him at your request.”

  She said nothing. That concerned me more than if she’d blown her stack right there.

  As the silence lingered, I continued, “And so we did. Moved him, I mean. Lock, stock, and barrel. I think he was more worried about you, but don’t worry—”

  “Too late.”

  “Donnie didn’t give him any particulars. We did all this just after I found out that Tarasov had you.”

  Her eyes widened, and her face flushed with color. “How could he know that Donnie was for real? I mean, for all my dad knew, Donnie could have been a serial killer. How in the hell did he convince my father that he should go with him?”

  “Remember when you told me that your dad was kind enough to watch bad romantic comedies with you, sit on the couch and eat popcorn?”

  She nodded, albeit with a frown.

  “I told Donnie to tell him that, to assure him that this was for real.” I shrugged softly. “He’d do anything for you, I think.” To my surprise, she flushed. This time it was with a higher degree of anger.

  “Are you telling me that, for the past few days, my father’s been worried sick about me?”

  “No,” I assured her. “After we got you back, Donnie went over and told him that everything was okay, but that your dad would need to stay there for a while.”

  “But nobody said anything to him about what happened?”

  “No,” I sighed. “That’s for me to do today.”

  “Marcus, I’d like you to meet my dad, Danny Cross.” She turned to her father. “Dad, meet Marcus Ryan.”

  I could tell Allie was nervous. She wasn’t the only one. I didn’t want Allie to face any flak from what I had done, things she’d had no control over. I stuck my hand out. “Mr. Cross.”

  The man, several inches shorter than me but with not an ounce of give in him, stared at me for several moments before grasping my hand in his own. His gaze didn’t waver as he held the shake, but his frown was plain to see.

  That was just the beginning. Danny gestured past the foyer into the living room area, but he moved through it and into the kitchen, where we sat down around a small table. He eyed me another moment before turning to his daughter.

  “I want an explanation of what the hell is going on,” he said, his voice a tight growl.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Allie placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’ll tell him.”

  She frowned in concern as her father sat down, his legs trembling slightly. For my part, I tried to gauge Danny’s feelings as Allie gradually started to speak, leaving nothing out.

  She brought her father up to speed on everything that happened over the past few weeks. Unlike Allie, Danny asked no questions during her sometimes halting explanations, but his face flushed with anger and then drained of color when she told him about the kidnapping and followed up with my rescue of her.

  When she finally fell silent, he simply looked at me for several moments, then back to his daughter. I got the impression that he had already suspected some of what Allie had told him, probably about our relationship, and even some of my background. Despite his illness, I got a solid impression that Danny Cross was not a man who was easily intimidated.

  He turned to his daughter and extended a hand across the table. Allie grasped it, her eyes never leaving those of her father.

  “I’m so sorry, Dad, I should have been honest with you from the very beginning, but I…I was worried that you wouldn’t…” She shrugged, clearly at a loss for words.

  “Are you all right, honey?” he asked, a sheen of dampness in his eyes as he wrapped both his hands around those of his daughter. “Are you really all right? That must’ve been a horrible, horrible experience for you to go through.” I didn’t miss the disapproving look Danny shot toward me. “Mr. Ryan, can we go for a walk so that we can talk in private for a moment?”

  “It’s Marcus, and I’d rather we didn’t, if you don’t mind. For now, I think it’s best if we all keep as low-profile as possible.” Since I knew the layout of the apartment because I leased it, I gestured toward the small office space off the kitchen that could be converted to a second bedroom if needed. “We can talk in there.”

  Danny nodded, glanced at his daughter, and offered her a small smile. “Don’t worry. Much as I’d like to, I won’t hurt him.”

  Allie returned the smile, her face close to crumbling with apology. She nodded and then glanced around, mumbling that she would give herself a tour of the apartment.

  Danny and I went to the small room, now filled with moving boxes. As soon as we crossed the threshold, Danny closed the door and then turned to me, his back against it, arms crossed over his chest.

  “I don’t appreciate the danger you put
my daughter in, Marcus.”

  “I don’t either, sir,” I said honestly, “but I’m being as forthright as I can be. I promised Allie, before she even got into this, that I’d never lie to her. About who I was, about what I did. And I’m extending the same promise to you. I won’t lie to you. I have a feeling that there’s a war coming between my outfit and the Russians.” I paused, giving Danny a chance to respond, but he said nothing, his gaze never leaving my face. “After they kidnapped Allie, I can’t rule out that any of us might be targets. For this reason, I’m going to have my men keep a watch over you.”

  “Nobody needs to watch over me,” Danny said, shooting me a look that should have dropped me on the spot. “But I’m going to ask you a question, and I want your honest answer.”

  “Of course.”

  “Is there any way out of this for Allie?”

  I shook my head. “Not if she stays in Philly.”

  He turned away from me, eyeing the moving boxes in the room. He stood in profile, and I saw the weariness, the worry in his posture. I felt bad about putting him through all this and wanted somehow to try to make it up to him.

  “Mr.—”

  “Danny.”

  I blew out a breath. “Danny, your daughter means a lot to me. She loves you. I’ll do what I can to protect you. Protect you both.”

  Danny heaved a heavy sigh and then waved a wan hand, his paper-thin skin thickly veined. “You don’t need to worry about me. I’m already a dying man.” Despite his frailty, his eyes held strength that held no doubt. “But Allie is everything to me, you understand that?”

  I did. I really did.

  “I swear to you on my life that I’ll die before I allow anyone to ever hurt her again.”

  A couple of hours later, after Allie and I had left her father’s new apartment, Allie sat quietly in the passenger seat. One task completed, I had one more to take care of today. I drove to Niall’s heavily guarded estate. I had a few things I needed to say to him, and I’d brought Allie with me for a reason.

  Eventually, we reached the western outskirts of the city where properties and houses grew larger. As the houses expanded, so did the fences, hedges, and electronic gates surrounding them. Niall’s estate didn’t have a fence around it—anyone who knew who he was wouldn’t dare to attack him in his home—so I turned into the long gravel drive that traversed a narrow lane of trees until his stone house came into view. Despite the lack of fencing, I knew that several outbuildings on his property were inhabited by his personal protection squad, and though I didn’t see them, I knew they watched every car, every person who came onto the property.

  I pulled up in the driveway that curved in a semi-circle in front of his home and parked. I turned to her. “Stay in the car, okay?”

  She nodded even as she frowned with concern. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to set some ground rules.”

  With that, I got out of the car. I had barely closed the door when I saw the front door of the house open. Niall emerged alone, striding out of his house and toward me, a pistol plain to see in his right hand. I stood unmoving, my eyes never leaving Niall as he suddenly leveled the gun at me. I heard Allie’s low cry of alarm from inside the car but still didn’t move. He wouldn’t hurt me.

  At least I didn’t think he would.

  I’d find out in a few minutes.

  He stepped closer and didn’t stop until he was close to pressing the barrel of the gun against my forehead. While I felt confident that he wouldn’t shoot me, I hid my dismay as the cold metal of the barrel pressed against my skin. I tamped down a growing anger.

  “You tell me right now why I shouldn’t pull the trigger.”

  I stared at him, unflinching, wordlessly daring him to do it.

  With a snarl, Niall’s expression blackened still more. “You know that killing you is the only thing that will satisfy Tarasov after the shit storm you stirred up by killing three of his men last night.”

  It was just as well that Niall already knew about it. Maybe now he’d understand how serious I was.

  “Tarasov was quick to let me know that there would be a war if our negotiations fall through.” Niall shook his head, staring hard at me. “Fuck it, Marcus!” he ground out, a combination of anger and regret in his tone. He released the hammer and lowered the gun to his side, then glanced in the car window. Allie sat wide-eyed in the car, watching.

  Niall looked at me and then tilted his head in her direction.

  “All this for that piece of pussy?”

  I didn’t hesitate as a furious rage surged through my body. With a snarl, I stepped forward and nailed my mentor with an uppercut that sent him sprawling to the driveway. I didn’t move, my body trembling with emotion, my hands fisted as I glared down at him. Niall gently tested his lower jaw, spat out some blood, then quickly gained his feet, his eyes never leaving mine.

  “So, that’s the way it is?” He glanced at Allie once more, then shrugged. “It seems that I was wrong about your feelings for the girl,” he said softly, assessing. “She’s not just some expensive fuck then, is she?”

  I relaxed only slightly, the blood still pounding in my ears, struggling to control my emotions. Finally, I responded with a small shake of my head. “I’ve officially claimed Allie as my own.”

  “And you had to kill three of Tarasov’s men to do it?”

  I didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

  Niall’s eyes narrowed. “Tarasov will want retribution, and that means nothing less than a bullet to your head.”

  This time, it was my turn to shrug. “Let him try.”

  Niall swore under his breath.

  “But perhaps we can smooth some ruffled feathers,” I continued. Niall stared at me with pursed lips and crossed arms.

  “Tell me.”

  “Let Tarasov know that I’m open to negotiating the arrangement to transport and distribute his shipments.” I noted Niall’s immediate skepticism, but he agreed to make the call with a sharp nod.

  Mumbling under his breath, he stuck his gun into the waistband of his trousers. Niall was not one to put up with much. I had knocked him to the ground, and I knew at least some of his men had seen it. I had no doubt that some of them felt they owed their loyalty to Niall and not to me. Yet, if one of them dared to confront me about it, they’d soon be reminded that I was the boss.

  I reached for the car door, prepared to climb inside when my cell phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw only a three-digit code. “It’s Ronan.” I answered, listened for a moment, and then fought to contain my emotions once more. If a person could feel the blood draining from their face, I felt the blood draining from mine. I looked at Niall. “The Russians got to Donnie. It’s not pretty.”

  Three

  Allie

  After visiting my father at his new, much nicer apartment and after the frightening confrontation with Niall, Marcus drove me back to his penthouse. While I was glad to be back there, I also experienced a certain sense of unease.

  I had seen the stricken expression on his face when he got back into the car. He hadn’t said a word all the way back. He had simply told me that he was going to drop me off at his place for a little while, that one of his men would be watching the building from across the street, and then he had to leave for a while.

  I had heard him mention something about Donnie, and as I waited, I grew more concerned. I didn’t know the man well, but he was nice enough to me. He had a rather surprising sense of humor, and I knew that he and Marcus were as close as friends could be. I gathered that he had been hurt, but I didn’t know how badly. I figured that Marcus had gone to a hospital.

  When he returned to the penthouse a few hours later, I knew the truth the moment he walked in the door.

  “Donnie’s dead,” he said softly, moving toward the white bank of windows overlooking the city.

  A sudden wave of nausea struck me. This couldn’t be happening! I knew Donnie. I had just seen him. He’d been one of my rescue
rs.

  This was different than the three Tarasov men. Though I’d been horrified by their violent deaths, I had no emotional link or connection to them. Even though I didn’t know Donnie well, and although I couldn’t have known that Tarasov would kidnap me, that Marcus would risk himself and his friends to free me, I couldn’t help but think that Donnie had paid the ultimate price for my freedom. I kept telling myself it wasn’t my fault, but my analytical brain kept playing a game of what if.

  What if I had never agreed to take Marcus’s job in the first place? What if I hadn’t gotten romantically involved with him? What if we had kept it professional? There would have been no reason for Tarasov to kidnap me, to use me as a pawn in his wicked games. And if I hadn’t been kidnapped, then Marcus, Donnie, and Ronan wouldn’t have risked their lives and the Russian’s wrath. The three men wouldn’t have been shot and killed, and Tarasov would have no reason for revenge. Without revenge, Donnie would still be alive.

  Over and over and over, those thoughts played through my mind. I couldn’t escape from the inescapable truth that if I hadn’t accepted the contract to work for Marcus, his best friend would still be alive.

  I slowly moved toward Marcus, his back to me, stiff and tense as he stared out over the city. I placed a hand softly on his arm. “This is my fau—”

  He spun on me so fast I gasped and took a step back.

  He took a deep breath, shook his head, and swiped a hand through his hair. “Don’t you fucking dare try to put this on yourself, Allie,” he growled. “If this is anyone’s fault, it’s mine.”

  He took several steps away from the window and literally collapsed onto the sofa, leaning his head back against the top edge, staring up at the ceiling, clearly struggling to get his emotions under control.