Page 58 of Ruthless Redemption

“It’s more than a start. It’s enough to warrant going there and watching for ourselves. Any time he leaves the property—”

“I won’t budge when it comes to your safety. So don’t bother trying.”

I turn back to the French doors. “You’re stalling, and as soon as Stella is gone, I’ll be putting a stop to it.”

“Enjoy the time with your daughter, Layla.” The soft pad of his steps retreats toward the hall. “Let me know if you need anything.”

I swallow over the lump in my throat, his kindness causing more volatility than his aggression ever did.

Everythinghe does kills me. Every facet of his personality is a direct hit to my heart. I want it all. The possession. The compassion. But there can never be a future with a man who can warp my reality.

I wait until his presence is a brief brush of sound in the distance, then go in search of Stella, finding her in the farthest room down the hall. The bed is perfectly made. The curtains are pulled wide. Sunshine beams in on the beauty of her as she stands at the large bay window overlooking the garden, her finger frantically tapping against her cell. She has to have grown an inch in the past few weeks.

“Like the view?” I walk to her side, wishing she was still at the age where cuddles were all she ever wanted.

She looks up at me with a smile as she pockets the device. “It’s so nice here. Why do we never come to the coast?”

Because Uncle Cole prefers the safety of isolation, not the risk of open space.“I guess our family have always been city people. My parents rarely took me anywhere like this either.”

“Can we go for a walk on the sand?”

“Of course.”

I lead her outside via my bedroom so I don’t have to come face to face with my sister.

We don’t walk far, maybe half a mile, before we sit on the dry sand. I listen as she quickly chatters about the new boy in class who used to tug her hair whenever he passed until Tobias punched him in the stomach. She tells me how hard her advanced math class has become. And how her grades are improving. Then she diverts the conversation back to Matthew, as if the prior information was a strategic info dump to appease me before she could get onto the only topic she’s excited to talk about.

I’m forced to fudge my way through tricky answers.

No, I haven’t met his family.

Yes, I know what he does for a living.

He’s a nightclub owner. He lives in D.C. He’s a good man.

“Do you still think of Dad?” Her tone remains energetic, but it doesn’t hide the vulnerability of her question as she digs her toes into the sand.

“All the time, little fish.” I slide my hand around her shoulders and pull her closer. “I promise I’ll never stop.”

“I don’t think about him as much as I used to.” She digs her feet deeper, breaking my heart with her admission.

“How come?”

“It hurts.”

I kiss her temple, buying myself time to respond without breaking. “Do you want to come back home? Would it be easier to return to school in Portland?”

“No. I like the friends I have now. And I can’t leave Tobias. Who would keep him out of trouble?”

I scoff. “Tobias shouldn’t be getting in trouble.”

“Somehow I don’t think that’s an option.” She chuckles, half-hearted as she glances over my shoulder toward the house. “Who’s that guy watching us?”

I follow her gaze to the suit-clad monstrosity standing over ten yards away. “His name is Bishop. He’s Matthew’s best friend.”

She makes a noise. A high-pitched questioning humph.

“Before you even ask, I’m not his goat either.” I nudge her shoulder. “There’s no goat business at all.”

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