If that wasn’t an honor, I didn’t know what was.
And those words spoken by a young boy somehow meant so much more than anything my father had ever said.
A lifetime of hatred felt so insignificant in the face of an ounce of kindness from Bianca and Brandon. It was almost enough to turn me into an utter fucking sap.
Brando fell asleep in my arms as I carried him to his bedroom with Picasso tight at my heels because the dog went everywhere his master did.
It was only when I’d tucked him into his Spiderman sheets that the heavy door knocker clanged throughout the house.
By the time I descended the stairs, Walcott had already greeted the guest and let him into the hall.
Beckett Fairchild stood there looking pale as a spectre.
“Tiernan,” he said, but I already knew what his next words would be. “Caroline is holding Bianca prisoner at the Compound.”
19
TIERNAN
The Constantine Compound was lit up like a flare in the dark bowl of the night sky. The snowy drive was raked with tire marks from the cars coming and going from the great house to celebrate Christmas Eve, but none remained outside the garage to the left of the main structure. All was still, not even a fucking mouse stirred.
But across the street from the gates, I waited in the warm dark of my SUV with Henrik, Walcott and Ezra armed to the fucking teeth beside me.
Behind us, first one, then two, then three black SUVs rolled up and parked.
If I was going to storm the Constantine Compound and get Bianca out safely, I sure as fuck wasn’t going to do it without backup.
I got out of the car without a word to my men, who followed silently as I crunched through the snow to the car behind us where Carter waited against the hood.
“Brother,” he greeted, his his expression calm. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
I thought about Beckett Fairchild’s frenetic energy standing there in the foyer of my house. The wrath that ignited as he told me about Caroline dragging Bianca to her room by her hair and the locking her in her room like a princess in a fucking tower.
Clearly, Caroline didn’t understand that if anyone was going to lock that princess in a tower, it would be me.
If she hurt Bianca irrevocably, I’d kill her where she stood.
“Apparently, Bianca somehow tricked Caroline into endowing the business she inherited from Lane with ten million dollars,” Walcott informed him, pride rich in his voice.
“You’re kidding,” Carter said. Walcott shook his head, and Carter laughed again. “I can’t wait to meet this girl. But this won’t be easy. I’ve done a little recon for you. They have security posted everywhere, but they’re weak on the right side.”
I held up a hand, silencing him. “I’ve snuck in before. The oaks on the left side of the property eclipse the wall, if you’re a good climber, it’s easy enough to get over.”
“And you’re a good climber?” Walcott asked drily.
“Mom would get so angry when he came in with skinned knees and ruined trousers.” Carter said, his eyes bright with memories. “Didn’t you break your elbow or something falling out of some tree?”
“My collarbone.”
Carter grinned. “Yeah, that was hilarious.”
“As heartwarming as this is, can we please get back on track? She’s spent enough time in that fucking prison.”
“There could be backlash,” Carter warned. “Is she worth this much to you?”
“She’s mine.” I wanted the words to emerge calmly, cool as ice. Instead, they burned up my throat on the way out. “She’s mine and Caroline took her from me.”
“Ah,” Carter said, something like amusement in his dark eyes. “So it’s like that. The heartless Tiernan Morelli has fallen.”
“Call it whatever you want. Bianca and I belong to each other and I won’t let anyone, let alone a Constantine, take her from me.” I’d fight anyone and anything, even my baser instincts and cruel inclinations, to keep Bianca with me forever. Not just keep her, but love her. Cherish her. Bring her as much peace and joy as I knew she was capable of giving me.
“Never thought I’d see the day,” Carter said.
“Caroline will rue the fucking day,” I growled, letting the lid open on my rage just slightly so some of that scalding steam could hiss through and relieve the pressure. “Let’s go.”
It took some coordination.
Henrik, Ezra, and I went over the wall on the left side. The first two Gentlemen slunk through the shadows at the high wall encompassing the gate until the reached the gates so they could disable the two guards stationed there. On the right side, Walcott and Carter took care of the two men on patrol of the grounds before they went to the back entrance of the house.
I walked straight to the front door and knocked.