Page 60 of Ashes of Sin

“I’m in Central Park.” I grunted as I walked back to the penthouse.

“Where’s your bodyguard?” Killian asked.

“Waiting by the car. Get to the point. Yes, I saw Pierce on the podcast.”

“What’re you hoping to achieve?” Parker frowned. “He knows you have her.”

He’d picked up on that too, huh?

His comment did help to give me clarity and that I wasn’t overexaggerating inside my head. This is the power an abuser has over you. For life. Even as a grown man, I can admit that the small boy inside me, that didn’t have the brawn and power I have now, still yearns to have the ability to punch him in the face and say, “Do not touch me.”

You trust your parents.

You should be able to trust your fucking parents.

That breach of a fundamental right as a little, vulnerable child is forever etched into your psyche.

It makes you question everyone and everything.

These men, my brothers, keep me grounded and are the sounding board I need when the noises in my head talk over one another, and I can’t hear a safe thought.

As I do for them.

As we do for one another.

“Good,” I replied. “Then he knows I’m responsible for the shame and humiliation he’s already suffered. And I’m not finished.”

“Is all this worth it?” Travis asked, then held up his hand. “Let me ask the question in another way, because of course he deserves to suffer. But what about the girl? Does she?”

The girl.

“Her fucking name is Kyra, and she is well looked after.” I assured them. “I won’t let anyone hurt her.”

I saw their reaction before I could correct myself.

Travis begins to smile. “Boys, you all know my bank account number. A sweet million each, thank you.”

“The fuck? You bet on me fucking her?” I cried as I walked back to my penthouse.

“Yes, he did, and I thought you had better morals than that,” Parker groans, clearly now in debt by a clean mil.

That was stupid of him.

I’m no saint. I don’t even know if I have a heart. A soul perhaps, but not a heart. They all deserve to lose the seven figures if they’re betting on my goddamn morals.

“Jesus Christ, Maddox.” Killian shakes his head. “She’s engaged to your father.”

Was.

By the time I’m finished with her.

I’m not going to explain my messed-up mind when it comes to Kyra. All they need to know is that I am keeping her, and Pierce isnotmarrying her.

Well, they don’t even need to know that. Not yet.

Anyway, they’re hardly saints themselves, so I turned the conversation back on them.

“Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same.” I rolled my eyes.

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