Page 44 of A Man of Wealth

“Who is all of us?” I ask because I want to confirm that my thoughts on this and his are the same.

“Sebastian, Alexis, Aiden, Ella, you, and me,” he says.

“Who’s Ella?”

“Aiden’s ex. She’s been helping us a bit, but enough that we’ll need to protect her.”

“Fuck. OK. So what is your plan?”

This time, it’s him that swallows. “We’re taking it down.”

“Taking what down?”

He gives me a pointed look. I don’t understand.

“All of it.”

I try to process his words, and when I do, I feel goose bumps rise on my arms. “You’re bringing down the brotherhood?”

“Yes. Its time is over. We think…shit, hold on,” he says as he pulls out the burner phone and taps out a message. The phone buzzes almost immediately with a response.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“If we’re doing this, then we’re doing this together.”

“I’m sorry, what are you talking about?”

“I’ve invited them all here. Well, aside from Ella. Aiden will have to fill her in.”

“Good, I guess, but they need to be careful…this is…my secret location.”

He smiles at me like I’m a child that just told him what I want Santa to bring me.

“Hand me your phone,” he says.

I roll my eyes and pull my phone out of my pocket. It’s turned off.

“OK, I underestimated you.”

“I’m not stupid, you know?”

“I never said you were. I just wanted to make sure we don’t have any trackers. They all know to go off-grid before coming here. We’ve been dodging surveillance since the day we took the vow.”

“They don’t catch you?” I ask, now I’m curious. It’s like an underground group of a secret society that operates in a void beyond the darkness.

“No. The night we took the vow, the three of us made our own pact. It’s stronger than the vow; it’s an unbreakable vow. If one of us goes, we all go,” he explains. He pauses for a moment as I process his answer. “You have intel, new intel, don’t you?”

“Yes,” I reply with a nod, “but I’ll wait until they arrive.”

He scoots toward me. “Why did you think I was keeping secrets?”

Sighing I bend my elbow that’s on the back of the sofa and rest my head in my hand. “You were going to a meeting, and I know it’s about all of this and you wouldn’t tell me. How am supposed to trust you if you keep things from me? I mean, I get that you won’t tell me everything, but if it helps this…issue, then…” I trail off because now I feel like I sound stupid.

I feel his hand on my chin again, this time his thumb strokes over my bottom lip. I don’t want to feel anything for him. I want to guard my heart, but this man does things to me.

“I was going to try to meet with my father, but he dodged me yet again,” he admits. “I…don’t like to talk about him and I knew you’d ask questions.”

Now I feel silly. Why did I jump to conclusions? Why did I let my emotions get the better of me? Because…I love this man. Holy shit! I love Conner Sterling! I swallow hard, trying to force down the lump in my throat.

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