Page 24 of Ruthless Redemption

“We’re just laying out the facts and the risks. I have no intention of letting those two freaks anywhere near your girl anymore than you do. But she is at risk. We aren’t in a lockdown at the compound where we control every aspect of the situation. This is a public hotel in a city filled with hundreds of thousands of people. She deserves to know what she’s up against.

“But—“

I squeezed Houston’s forearm to get his attention. “They’re right. I do want to know everything. Although knowing this back in Washington before you put me in this so called risk would have been better. But I get it. For better or worse, you needed bait.”

No one said anything. What could they? Neither JD or Axel were the kind of men to apologize for doing whatever the hell they wanted. They were here to do what was best for the club and first and foremost that meant finding this missing girl.

Only it was in my best interest to do whatever I could to protect myself. I flipped open the folder and signed the paper notated with a sticky note. I wasn’t giving them this money back. If that meant I had to take drastic measures I would. And I was not going to die or marry my kidnapper.

I noticed a second sticky paper next to another signature line, which likely meant that my signing had to be witnessed.

“Can’t I just write up a will that would leave the money to someone else in the event of my death? Like a charity or something.”

“Too easy to contest,” a voice from the other room yelled. Apparently the finance guy hadn’t gone far enough not to overhear everything. “In a case like this you need a stronger connection. Otherwise the lawyers will argue you weren’t in your right mind.”

I frowned. “Wouldn’t they do that anyway? No matter who I named?”

The suit walked back into the room and crossed over to me. “I’ll take those if you are done signing. I need to get that paperwork filed immediately so we can remove Mr. Scutari’s potential for access. But to answer your question, they might. Obviously the better option would be to not get dead. However, barring that, your best bet is marriage. Maybe someone else you already have a relationship with? Someone more trustworthy?”

Axel barked out a laugh and we all frowned at him. Although I barely moved because the constant butterfly flips going on in my stomach were freaking me out.

“Oh no. You can’t be serious. After everything we did to keep them apart?”

“Shut up, Axel,” JD hissed.

Houston turned to me and I had to admit the look on his face turned my brain to mush. It wasn’t a look of love or even desire. That’s not who we were at the moment.

This was life or death.

Houston’s eyes were filled with what looked like sorrow. And guilt. Gut wrenching, life altering guilt and I don’t think it had anything to do with the situation at hand. Not exactly anyway.

My instincts told me this was partially about what had happened earlier. I’d seen it in his eyes when he first saw me at the door to this suite and it was still there now—only magnified.

Because of these men the past and the present were knotted together for him and eventually something would have to give.

Houston reached for me, his hands wrapping around my arms. “He’s not wrong. You can’t marry me.”

I fought the onset of tears. Although why they were hovering I had no idea. “Why is that?”

“Because this situation we are in is toxic. One look at the history here and you know that.”

“So you want me to marry someone else?” I have no idea why I said that. I wasn’t trying to be an ass, but it had popped out. His words were slicing me open and I didn’t know how to handle it anymore.

“Fuck no!” he roared.

I could have sworn I heard a chuckle coming from behind Houston, but I was too upset and ticked off to think about it.

I was holding on by a thread to keep the tears from sliding down my cheeks.

“This is not an ideal situation, that’s for sure. But if you are going to marry someone to keep from getting dead then it is definitely going to be me, babe. Don’t even think I’ll allow it with anyone else.”

My mouth dropped open at Houston’s words. One minute he looked absolutely bereft and the next he was demanding that I marry him.

Was he crazy?

Was I?

Chapter Eleven

---