Page 154 of Dangerous Contract: Part 2

Yeah, they were grown men now, but that didn’t make them immune to pain. Luckily, they had each other. And no one could take that from them. They didn’t need a father or a mother. They were brothers, and their bond was unbreakable.

“That man is not our father,” Raz told them. “He’s not a father to any of us. But we are brothers forever. No one can change that. Understood?”

Cas’s eyes were still wide with shock, his face pale as he nodded. But Raz knew the wound their father had inflicted tonight would never fully heal. And Raz hated the man for that.

“You’re my baby brother, Cas,” Raz added, his voice softening. “That’s all that matters. I will always have your back. Us against the world. Always. Say it.”

“Us against the world,” Cas whispered.

“Always,” Rome added.

Cas nodded, his hand moving to rest on Denver’s small shoulder. “You too, Den.”

Denver looked back at Cas. Cas opened his arms, and Denver turned to wrap his arms around his cousin. Raz pulled both of his brothers in for a hug, with young Denver in the mix. Their father had destroyed so many lives, but his reign of terror was over now.

The healing would take time, perhaps a lifetime, but at least they were finally free from his shadow. The Cattaneo brothers’ bond was as strong as ever, and nothing their father said could ever change that.

Even their father’s death couldn’t change that!

Chapter Forty-Seven

MONIQUE

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Monique flinched as the crack of a gunshot echoed through the stairwell from the direction Raz had gone. Her heart raced, but she forced herself to stay calm, gripping her weapon tightly.

Leo glanced over at her. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Raz is safe.”

Monique nodded, trying to take comfort in Leo’s confidence. But she couldn’t stop herself from worrying. She had a knot in her stomach, and her intuition was telling her something was wrong.

“Who do you think the kid is that’s crying?” Monique asked, her voice low.

Leo shrugged, eyes scanning the stairwell. “The Cattaneo family is huge. It could be anyone’s kid. Or, hell, maybe it’s the child of one of the old don’s enemies. With that man, you never know. He’d use anyone to get what he wants.”

Monique swallowed hard, that thought making her sick to the stomach. The old don had already proven how far he’d go to get his title back. Nothing was sacred to that man. But fatherhood should be, right?

He wouldn’t hurt his own son, right? She thought about asking Leo that but was afraid to hear the answer. The faint creak of a door below them echoed up the stairwell, followed bythe shuffle of footsteps. Leo stiffened, turning to Monique with a serious look.

“There’s movement down there. Possibly the old don’s men. Stay here. I’ll go check it out,” he told her.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Yeah, and then Raz would kill me. Stay here. I’ll just have a look and come right back. I won’t engage. I just need to be able to alert our team if they have some shooters heading their way.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but Leo was already moving, heading down the stairs. Her eyes followed him as he made his way around the corner. She leaned over the railing, watching his back disappear as he stepped into the hallway of the floor below.

Her mind raced. Should she stay? Raz had told her to stay with Leo, to trust him to protect her. But she wasn’t one to just stand by, waiting and hoping for the best. Not when every second could make the difference between life and death for the people she cared for.

Monique's gaze shifted to the door Raz had gone through. The memory of his parting words flickered in her mind, his promise to return. Why wasn’t he back yet? Had something gone wrong? Had the old don found a way to outsmart them?

Another gunshot ripped through the air, coming from Raz’s direction. Her heart leapt, panic surging. She was torn. Raz may need her. Leo could be in trouble. She couldn’t just stay there, useless. She had to help.

Forget it!She was going to check on her man and then check on Leo. They could get mad at her later once everyone was safe. She was about to move when the unmistakable sound of footsteps reached her ears.

Damn it!She faced the stairs. Monique raised her gun, muscles tensing as she prepared for whoever was coming.It wasn’t Leo. He’d entered the hallway. But why hasn’t he returned yet?

The footsteps grew louder, hurried. Her finger hovered over the trigger, ready to fire. But then she saw who it was as the person rounded the corner. Barefoot and wide-eyed, Isla came running up the stairs, her face pale, her breath ragged, her dress torn.

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