Page 25 of Sinister Engagement

“Gaven will make sure—”

“Will make sure what?” she cut me off, scoffing at the idea he would interfere. “I didn’t do anything, you’re the one who held the weapon, dear sister. I didn’t do anything but find my father’s poor body. Not to mention stop you from trying to hurt me too.”

Anger and betrayal swirling in my stomach, twisting my chest and heart into knots. I stood, trembling in both my rage and fear.

“Gaven won’t believe you,” I hissed. My nails dug into my palms as I curled my fingers into tight fists, the urge to punch my sister in the face growing with each passing second. To make her pay for what she did to my father. To me.

She snorted. “Do you have any idea the connections that I have? Forget the evidence, one whisper from me and it’ll be spread far and wide through the criminal underground. I guess now you’ll finally get what you always wanted—a way out. Now that you’ll be taking the fall for murdering the head of the family, you cannevercome back.”

I wanted an out, but not like this. Notthis way.

“Besides,” she started again when I continued to stay silent. “If you don’t take the fall, then I’ll ensure that Gaven does. I mean, that knife is actually Gaven’s. I have to admit, I had a hell of a time snatching it from him but thankfully he was quite distracted.” Her narrowed gaze roved over me, making her meaning clear.

But that wasn’t the words that she’d taken it to set him up that hit me the hardest. It was that if she was telling the truth, it was more than likely that people would believe her, and the thought made my stomach churn. He was a hitman, this was the one thing he was good at. Despite my father stepping aside soon for him, the only thing standing between him and the entire Price family after the wedding was my father. All the pieces started to fall into place, every well played move from my sister and how I’d fallen right into a practical trap. Even if I hadn’t meant to be here.

“Hm,” Jackie started again, tapping her finger to her lips in an exaggerated movement. “Think the rest of the hierarchy would torture him or you first? You are his wife after all, the one that matters to him.” A sparkle of triumph filling her gaze, and my resolve seemed crumble. “Aww, don’t be sad,” she exclaimed happily. “Now we both get what we want. I get the family business, you get to be free of it. And your newfound husband and all the horrid things I’m sure he would have done over the years.”

I didn’t dare let it slip that while I knew no doubt that he could be cruel, I’d foolishly started to care about him. I could fight her, prove that it wasn’t my husband or me, but in our family—in this business—people tended to act before questioning.

“Don’t worry though,” she said, her cheery voice only fueling my rage. “I’ll give you a head start to get away. We aresisters,after all.”

The last of my fight during our standoff disintegrated at the thought of what could happen to Gaven or me, and Jackie knew she’d won, waving me off with a simple wave of her hand. Biting down the urge to throw up, I turned and ran. I didn’t stop, didn’t detour, sprinting out the door to make my final move as a Price heir.

Weak, my mind hissed, knowing I ran rather than stay and fight, but I wasn’t willing to risk Gaven. My sister could have the family business and my husband would be safe. I was an idiot for considering that I could find happiness in this life. Those last moments of hope with him had been nothing more than a fairytale. Happily ever after was never meant to come true.

Because despite everything—my feelings, my hopes and dreams, and my desires—I was nothing more than a mafia princess who’d sold her soul to the devil. A devil I was now prepared to do anything to protect. What a fool I’d been.

14

Gaven

Raphael's blood was everywhere. It was soaked into the carpet beneath my feet in a gruesome puddle that had dried overnight. "Sir?" One of the Price guards approached me carefully.

"Have you found her yet?" I demanded as I stared down, unseeingly, at the blob of brown dried blood.

"No, sir … there was, um, a note left."

My head jerked up and I turned toward the man. He looked decidedly uncomfortable, but I didn't give a shit. I reached for the envelope in his hand and snatched it away, tearing into it with little thought to anything else but what it might contain. An explanation, hopefully.

I flung the ripped envelope to the side and unfolded the paper inside. It was a short note. Nothing spectacular and nothing with a goddamn explanation. It was four simple words.

I'm sorry, Gaven. — Angel

She was sorry? Fucking sorry? Where the fuck did sorry come into this clusterfuck of a morning?I threw the paper down as well, cursing as I turned back toward the soiled office.

"Gaven?"

I stiffened at the sound of Jackie's voice. "Not now, Jackie," I snapped.

The sound of a feminine inhale reached my ears.Fuck.I'd nearly forgotten. Raphael hadn't just left Angel behind when the poor bastard had been murdered some time in the night, he'd left her as well, and now, I had no fucking clue what to do. I was an assassin, not a family man. Angel and Raphael both had been supposed to ease me into the role. Now, here I was thrown with little to no remorse from the fucking universe right into the flames.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Jackie said, her voice quiet but firm. "But I've just been informed that forensics on the weapon came back."

My body jolted and I turned to face her. "They came to you?" I demanded. I'd told those bastards that I was the head of the Price family now. They were meant to come to me.

She nodded. Despite the ordeal of the morning, the death of her father, and the grief I figured she must be feeling, Jaquelina Price remained impassive. Or professional might have been the better term. Dressed in a pair of Louboutin heels, a black pencil skirt, and a charcoal blouse—she looked half ready to attend an important business meeting and a funeral.

Jackie held out a file for me and without a second thought, I took it, flipping it open and scanning the documents. My jaw clenched as I read the words. "Tell them to do it again," I snapped, shutting the file. "There's been a mistake."

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