Page 24 of Devil's Den

“Did you know what your brother did back home?” he asked.

“He had some kind of job, I don’t know what. He always wore a suit, and he said it was important.”

Rome stared at her. There was a lot she didn’t know about her brother.

“Your brother was a breaker,” Rome said.

“What?”

“He worked for one of the biggest crooks in town. A guy called—”

“Vinchy?”

“Yeah, you now the name?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, he ran everything in town. He owned everything. No one could do anything without him knowing. My parents worked for him as well. I always thought, no, Ben always told me he had a good job.”

“He did, he got paid to break bones of men and women who didn’t pay their debts.”

Beth gasped and pressed her hands to her face. “He did?”

He saw her scrambling as she started to pace.

“Holy crap, no, this can’t be, but then, that makes a lot of sense. It explains why so many people were upset and terrified of him. I can’t believe it, this feels insane, I mean, none of it makes sense to me, and yet it does. He broke a woman’s nose.” Beth rubbed her temple.

“Do you want to steal from me?” he asked.

“What?” She shook her head. “Hell, no. I left home. I left my parents. I left that life and he can tell me all he wants that I owe him. I owe him nothing. I’ve been taking care of himfor the last five years, and he has done nothing for himself.” She screamed and tightened her hands into fists. “He makes me so angry.” Beth looked up at him, and he saw how lost she appeared. “What do I do?”

Rome knew there was nothing she could do. He spread open his arms. “Come here.”

Beth sighed and he partly expected her to tell him no, but then she surprised him by closing the distance and all but throwing herself into his arms.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what else he has done, but I will try and make it up to you.”

“You’ve got to stop,” Rome said.

She sunk against him.

“What your brother has done, or is doing, is not your fault. I need to know if you want me to take care of it,” Rome said.

Beth pulled back a little, just enough for her to see the slight panic in her face.

“Take care of it?” she asked.

“It is only going to be a matter of time before whatever he does causes you trouble, Beth. Hasn’t he proven that he’s going to keep coming until he gets what he wants?”

She sighed and then nodded. “Yeah, he has.”

He cupped her cheek. “I’ll take care of it.”

“I’m scared. He is still my brother.”

He saw the tears fall down her face. “I can wait. I’ll keep an eye on him, but I will wait.”

Rome didn’t have the heart to tell her it was only going to be a matter of time before he fucked up. Stroking her cheek, he pulled her in close and relished her sinking into him, taking comfort from him.

He had planned tonight, knowing Ben was trying to find a way to get to Beth. The only way he was guaranteed to learn thetruth was if he went to the nightclub tonight. Beth had surprised him. He expected Beth to help her brother, to be willing to steal from him. She wasn’t going to fall down the hole with her brother.

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