Page 107 of The Boss

“How many times do I need to repeat it. Not. Your. Fault. It was all about her family, not ours.”

I glared at him like I did every time someone brought up what had occurred in the ballet studio. “If I hadn’t cared about her then she’d still be alive. If I hadn’t been born into this family, she’d still be alive.”

“But you were and as far as I can tell, you’ve gotten a few perks along the way.” This time, he tossed the obvious in my face, furious I’d even consider taking our good fortune for granted. “Does Willow know?”

He’d been the only one to learn Willow had ventured into the studio less than a year after the tragedy. “Not yet.”

“You need to tell her and don’t give me another lie about this marriage being nothing more than a business arrangement. I know better. Hell, everyone does.” His grin had returned.

“You’re a bastard. Do you know that?”

“You remember what you’ve always told me. Own the truth. Now, stop blaming yourself or you’re going to waste twenty more years pining away when you have something you want right in front of you. That’s become extremely clear. You want Willow in your life. Period.”

He could also see through me better than anyone else. “You think I care about Willow, huh?”

His wry expression answered the question, but I knew he wasn’t done quite yet. “Face it, Dimitrios. You’re in love with her. Everyone can see it on your face. I don’t know why you can’t or won’t admit it. Wait. Yes, I do. You’re stubborn as fuck. You act like you aren’t allowed to care about anyone.”

“Fine. I care about her. What the hell are you trying to tell me?”

“Just to be careful with the deal with the devil. Okay? If you lose her too, you will never recover. We both know that. Find another way to snare Shane so we can end this. Don’t allow her to become a soldier in a war we have no idea who started. It’s not fair to either one of you. Get married. Have babies. Grow old together. Wait. You are old.”

“Very funny.” He was right, which was why I’d almost pulled the plug, but with the threat and our near deaths, I couldn’t just walk away. “This must be handled as originally planned or the Stalker could disappear, only to resurface at a later time. I won’t allow that to happen.”

“Then make certain you allow your brothers to help you.”

“That I can do. Tomorrow night, she’s going to make the call to Shane, one well-orchestrated. If he doesn’t respond, the bait willneed to change.” That was the problem. I was still uncertain of what else I could use to lure her brother from under a rock.

“That’s what I’m worried about. I just hope she’s a damn good actress.”

“She is. Make certain Atticus has the new piece of jewelry I gave you wired. It could be her only lifeline if things get dicey.”

“Already done. Plus, we’ll install a GPS on her phone after she makes the call. We’ll keep track of her.”

“Yes, we will.” I shook my head. “I never expected to feel this way again. I honestly never wanted to.”

“I know that. That’s why this is important for you and for all of us. You deserve to be happy.”

Maybe he was right.

“One last thing. If something should happen to me, take care of her. Promise me that you will.”

Havros pursed his lips. “I won’t promise something that won’t be needed.”

My lovely fiancée walked into the room and as always, my libido shot through the roof. My mind was filled with torrid needs, but she needed time to heal. Tomorrow would be difficult for her. The upcoming days could be even worse.

“Ready to go?” I asked.

Havros winked but shot me a look. “Nice to see you, Willow. We’ll talk later, brother.” He hesitated before heading out of the room.

I knew he was concerned. So was I.

“Did I interrupt something I shouldn’t hear?” she asked, her brow furrowing as it always did when she was digging for the truth.

“Not at all.”

“Uh-huh. Such a bad liar. Where are we going?”

“We’re taking a drive to a special beach location. From there, we’ll walk a half mile or so.” The ache in my heart was more pronounced.

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