Page 56 of Forbidden Daddy
I holstered my weapon and headed for the door without a word, leaving Declan to handle the cleanup. The walk back upstairs felt longer than the descent, each step carrying me further from the man I’d been and closer to something harder, colder.
By the time I reached the main floor, the mask had settled back into place—Roman Creed, untouchable and uncompromising, the kind of man who killed without hesitation when loyalty was questioned.
But underneath the armor, in the spaces between heartbeats, I couldn’t shake the image of Sean’s eyes in those final moments. Not the eyes of a traitor caught in lies, but the eyes of a man who knew he was about to die. I just hoped it wasn’t for someone else’s sins.
22
ROMAN
The atmosphere in my office was thick enough to cut with a blade. My inner circle sat around the mahogany conference table like mourners at a funeral, their faces carved from stone as I laid out the new security protocols that would govern our lives for the foreseeable future.
"Effective immediately, we’re implementing compartmentalized intelligence," I said, my voice cutting through the tension. "No one person has access to complete operational information. Every major decision gets divided into segments."
Connor shifted in his chair, his silver hair catching the light from the crystal chandelier. "That’s going to slow everything down, boss."
"It’s going to keep us alive." I met each pair of eyes cataloging every micro-expression, every tell. The same way I should’ve been reading Cassie before she’d hidden a pregnancy from me for weeks. "We’re also rotating security details daily. No predictable patterns."
Tommy’s fingers drummed nervously on his laptop. "What about the encryption protocols? If we’re changing communication channels every forty-eight hours?—"
"You’ll make it work." My tone brooked no argument. Trust was a luxury I could no longer afford—not with my men, and not with the woman sharing my bed. "We’ve gotten sloppy, comfortable. That ends now."
The men exchanged glances that spoke volumes. They thought I was losing my grip, becoming paranoid. Maybe they were right. Maybe executing Sean had been a mistake—a reaction born of rage and the bitter taste of betrayal that seemed to follow me everywhere.
But I couldn’t show doubt. Not now. Not when everyone I trusted had proven they could lie to my face.
"The Torrino family is still moving product through our territory," Joey reported, his voice carefully neutral. "Four more shipments this week."
"Let them." The decision felt like swallowing glass, but it was necessary. "We’re not retaliating until we know if they have more than one person feeding them information."
Fion leaned forward, his scarred face skeptical. "That makes us look weak."
"Looking weak and being weak are two different things." I stood, walking to the window that overlooked the estate grounds. "Sometimes the best strategy is letting your enemies think they’re winning."
Just like Cassie, let me think she trusted me while hiding the most important secret of all.
Silence settled over the room like a shroud. These men had followed me through wars, had bled for the Creed name. Now they were questioning my judgment, and I could feel their loyalty fraying at the edges. Just like everything else in my life.
"Any other business?" I asked without turning around.
"Actually, yes." Declan’s voice carried that smooth authority that had made him invaluable as my consigliere. "There’s something else we need to discuss."
I dismissed the others with a wave of my hand, waiting until their footsteps faded down the hallway before turning to face him. Declan remained seated, his pale eyes studying me with uncomfortable intensity.
"Speak your mind," I said.
"You’re losing your grip, Roman." He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled in front of him. "The men are talking. They think the stress is getting to you."
The words hit like a physical blow, but I kept my expression neutral. "And what do you think?"
"I think maybe it’s time to consider stepping back. Temporarily." His voice was calm, reasonable. This wasn’t the first time this topic had floated in my mind. "Let Connor handle day-to-day operations while you focus on the bigger picture. Get your head clear."
I’m losing control.The thought echoed in my mind like a death knell. Because maybe Declan was right. Maybe the paranoia, the isolation, the constant weight of betrayal was finally cracking me. Maybe loving someone who could lie so easily was making me weak.
But stepping back would be seen as a weakness. And in my world, weakness was death.
"I appreciate your concern," I said carefully, "but I’m not going anywhere."
Declan’s mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile. "Even if it means getting more of your people killed?"
