Page 50 of Dangerous

Anyone who would stop me from coming to Mira’s aid was an enemy. And one thing I’d learned from him was you crushed your opposition before they could ever get a chance of hurting you.

“You don’t want to give up your power to save your son’s wife and your own grandchild? Fine. But youwillhelp me save them, Father, or your dirty little secret won’t be a secret anymore.”

Twenty-Three

Mira

The warehouse was cold enough to make me shiver in my T-shirt and shorts, but it was still a relief from the past three days. I’d been zip-tied and locked in the back of a van while my family made the drive up through Europe, so the open space above my head felt like a blessing.

I tried to ignore how the zip-ties around my wrists and ankles dug into my flesh while I drank in big gulps of the cool, fresh air. If this was going to be my last night on this Earth, then I wanted to at least have one moment’s pleasure, however faint and fleeting.

“Who would have thought little Aignéis would be able to bring the infamous Steel family to its knees? If I were Blaine, I’d let us cut that little bastard out of your belly before I’d give up London.”

I shuddered as my moment’s peace was shattered by Michael’s cold, disparaging voice, and looked up to see him carelessly flick his knife back and forth between his fingers as he leaned against the pallets nearest to where I sat tied to a chair. My dad had ordered him to watch over me while he and Devlen set up their men around the perimeters, to make sure they were prepared in case the Steels were planning an ambush. My father’s orders were clear—if anything was amiss, Michael was to plunge the knife first into my belly, and then into my heart. He had given him the orders right in front of me, undoubtedly because he wanted to relish the sick wave of fear his words inspired.

“Guess they really are as soft as the rumor claims, when it comes to women and family.”

I closed my eyes to not have to look at Michael. If there truly were such rumors about the Steels, then I knew they were as false as false could be. And that’s why I knew I was going to die tonight.

Even if Blaine somehow got the noble inclination to give up his family’s empire for me and our baby, I knew there was no chance on this Earth that his father would comply. The man who had sent his own son to jail for disobeying his orders would not give up an ounce of power for Blaine’s unwanted wife and child.

And without William Steel, there was no deal.

If Blaine hoped to overpower them with a large group of his men, I would be dead before he ever got to me.

I bit my lip hard to stop the tears from flowing again. I’d cried and pleaded enough the past three days—I didn’t want to waste my last hours with more. It was too late for regrets now—too late to think about what would have happened if I’d stayed with Blaine.

I only wished my hands were free so I could feel my baby move underneath my palms one last time.

“There’s a car coming.”

I opened my eyes at the scratching noise from the walkie in Michael’s belt and my heart sped up. This was it.

“Any red flags?” my brother asked into the walkie.

“Not so far. Looks like there’s just Blaine on his own. We’ll be in in about half a minute, stay sharp.”

Michael sent me a wide smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Did you hear that, sis? Looks like Daddy’s coming to save you all on his own. Howromantic.”

I stared at him. When we were little, we’d played together almost every day. Devlen had never been interested, but Michael and I had been close. It all ended the day my dad caught him playing with dolls with me and gave him the worst beating of his life for playing with “girl toys.”He hardly spoke to me in the years that followed, not until that night he and Devlen held me down so my father could carve his fury into my stomach.

Maybe after a few more decades I could have come to pity him for what my father did to twist his spirit so horrifically, but not now. Not after he had held his knife to my stomach and threatened my unborn child.

Now, all I felt for him was hatred.

The walkie buzzed again, drawing both of our attention. “We’re coming in.”

“Showtime,” Michael said with a wink in my direction. He moved behind me, and I felt the cold steel of his blade press up against my throat. Then the doors to the warehouse slid open with a metallic clang, revealing three figures against the backdrop of the darkness outside. The figure in the middle carrying a briefcase towered over the two men flanking him.

Blaine.

They walked through the door, and finally, I could see his face. He was as handsome as ever, but behind the calm mask he’d schooled his features into, I could see something else in his eyes: dark, dangerous and all-consuming rage.

I swallowed thickly as he stared at me, suddenly more anxious about the man standing in front of me than the one who had a knife to my throat. Blaine waspissed,and I had a feeling it wasn’t just with the men who had tried to blackmail him.

“That’s far enough,” Michael hissed from behind me when Blaine didn’t stop where Devlin indicated. He pressed the knife tighter against my skin, and I grimaced when I felt the blade bite in.

Blaine stopped, his eyes sweeping over my disheveled figure.

---