Page 34 of Corrupted Union

“You’re staying here tonight.”

I stilled, meeting his stoic gaze. I’d gotten the feeling he was working on cutting me loose. Hiding me away at his place was unexpected.

“I’ll take you to your parents’ place tomorrow. You’ll need to stay there for a while, and I’ll need you to stay inside—no outings at all while I sort this out.”

I forced the food down my suddenly dry throat. “You don’t have to do this, you know. None of this is your problem to solve.”

He took a huge bite of his sandwich and stared at me while he chewed, not responding until he’d swallowed and taken several long swigs from a bottle of beer. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

My eyes drifted down and over toward the entry. “I’m sorry about the bowl and the lamp.”

“Don’t be. I’m glad you did it.”

“Glad I broke your stuff?” I gawked at him.

“Glad you finally lost control and let it out.”

I’d never felt more damn exposed than I did at that moment. Not up against the wall while he fucked me. Not naked in the shower with every inch of my body on display. This was different.

I felt like he had opened a window into the darkest parts of my soul.

I broke eye contact, the weight of his stare unbearable. “I’ll get it all cleaned up,” I muttered.

We swept up the broken shards of glass and pottery in silence, working together but separated by an ocean of unspoken words. I hadn’t expected him to help. I almost wished he hadn’t. Seeing the aftermath of my tantrum brought on a new wave of embarrassment only intensified by knowing he was there to witness the destruction I’d caused.

Then again, if he was going to hang around me for long, he needed to get used to it because that was what I did. I brought devastation to the world around me. It was only a matter of time before my dark influence touched him as well.

Rowan insistedon staying in the guest room. I figured she’d been through enough for one day to argue, but I wasn’t happy about it. My entire being vibrated with annoyance knowing her soft body was right there in my house, yet still out of my reach. Between my irritation and racing thoughts about how to handle our situation, I hardly slept.

As though manifested by my mood, the next day began under heavy skies and sheets of pouring rain. Bad weather meant traffic, which meant it took us an extra half hour to drive to her parents’ place on the Upper East Side. More time to think, for better or worse. Specifically, I thought about the conversation I was about to have with her father and how if I didn’t make this happen, Rowan would disappear in a heartbeat.

The suffocating emotions that thought had brought about while I lay in bed last night had become the foundation of a plan. I had to find a way to protect Rowan. Her father was influential but not powerful enough in the right circles to keep her safe—not with his steadfast determination to remain lawful. Not like my family. While we weren’t the biggest, baddest fish in the pond, we had a reputation and plenty of allies. If Rowan were connected to the Byrnes, it would shed a whole new light on the situation.

It looked like my father was getting his wish after all. Assuming I could orchestrate it all. I needed Evan Alexander’s cooperation, but if he knew the full extent of my plan, he’d never agree. I’d have to give him just enough information to accomplish my goals but not so much that he called the feds on me. It would be a delicate balance.

“You don’t have to walk me to the door,” Rowan tried to assure me after I parked out front of her parents’ house. “I’m pretty sure it’s safe enough.”

“I’m coming in to talk to your father.”

She stilled. “Are we going to tell him everything?”

“Wearen’t doing anything.Iam going to discuss matters with him whileyougo upstairs and make yourself scarce.”

Her jaw dropped in preparation of an argument. I held up my hand to stop her. “I don’t want to hear it. What I have to tell him won’t be easy. I don’t need you there adding fuel to his emotions. I need him to listen and understand how serious this is.”

Her lips came together in a thin line. “Fine, but I want a full report,” she grumbled as she opened the car door.

I’d reached out to Evan Alexander the night before to request a meeting. He flat-out refused until I told him Rowan was in danger. I left out the part about her staying at my place so that I didn’t end up with half the police force banging down my door. However, the way he eyed me when we entered the house told me he suspected as much and was pissed about it.

Adding an entirely separate layer of tension to the scene, Rowan didn’t greet her father with the same warmth she’d done the first time I saw them together. She bit her lip, peering up at him apologetically, then walked past to the stairs.

“Have a seat.” Alexander motioned to the living area. “I’d take this to my office, but it’s right across the hall from Rowan’s bedroom, and I get the sense this is a private conversation.”

“It is. A situation has developed.”

“That somehow involves youandmy daughter? You get my girl into trouble?” He was already geared up to blame this on me. I’d come prepared for that and didn’t let it bother me. Soon enough, he’d know this was his own damn fault.

“About a week ago, Rowan heard a woman crying over at the Wellington house.”

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