“Yeah.” I’d feared her father in the way that all men feared their fathers-in-law, but once I met him, I felt like I was with a close friend, someone I could talk to, someone who understood me…even though he didn’t know me. I thought it was just respect, respect for the way he loved his daughter, but then I realized it was deeper than that.
He was a leader—and so was I.
We were two sides of the same coin.
Balto gave a quiet chuckle. “You’re marrying the daughter of a former Skull King… What are the odds of that?”
Zero.
Fucking zero.Patricia let me in the front door, less timid around me now that I was officially a member of the family. “I’ll let Catalina know you’re here. I think she’s still asleep upstairs…” When she turned to walk away, Richard stood there.
He was in a burgundy sweater and dark jeans, a shiny watch on his wrist. He had a bit of a stomach and gray hair, but he also had the musculature of a man who used to be strong. When I’d kidnapped him, I never saw him in the flesh, just told one of my henchmen to do it. If I’d seen him with my own eyes, I wondered if the outcome would have been different.
“Heath, come with me.” He nodded to the dining room before he turned around and walked away.
I followed him, entering the room and watching him move to a smaller table at the side, bathed in sunlight from the cathedral windows. He sat down in front of a chessboard, the pieces lined up and ready for a match. “Play chess?”
I shook my head. “No, sir.”
He nodded to the chair across from me. “Sit down. I’ll teach you.”
I gave a slight smile before I lowered myself into the chair across from him.
Patricia brought coffee and sliced fruit, placing everything beside us so we would be comfortable. “I’ll let Catalina know you’re here when she wakes up.”
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
Richard stared at the chessboard with his fingertips under his chin, as if he was considering what to say first. “Tied up your loose ends?”
I nodded. “Yes. I resigned early this morning.”
He lifted his gaze and looked at me. “It’s done?”
“Yes. It’s done.”
A slight shine of approval moved into his eyes before he turned to the board. “Alright, now pay attention. Because we’re a family of chess players, you’re gonna have to learn this.”
“I’m pretty quick.”
“Yeah?” he asked. “We’ll see.”
“Where did you learn?”
He picked up the queen, like he was going to explain its significance to me. “The Underground, actually.”
The guys had a lot of time to kill sometimes.
“Now, protect your queen at all costs…” It was as if his words had different meaning, as if we were talking about something other than the game. “You lose her, you lose everything.”
I nodded. “That’s easy to remember.”Twenty-TwoCatalinaI’d just washed my face in the bathroom when Patricia’s voice sounded in my temporary bedroom. She knew the second I was awake, like she was standing outside the bedroom door waiting. “Heath is here.”
“He is?” I wiped my face with a towel then came back to her.
She nodded. “Yes. He’s with your father.”
“Alright, I’ll be done in a few minutes. Just have to pack my things.”
“I’ll let him know.” She stepped out.
I was so excited to see Heath that I shoved everything into my bag and headed downstairs in a rush. It was hard to sleep without him, even if I slept in a house with my family. It just wasn’t the same without his big size beside me, his steady beating heart, the way his stubble brushed against my shoulder when he pulled me close.
I stepped into the dining room with my bag over my shoulder and was stunned by what I saw.
My father was playing chess…with Heath.
He looked at the board with his fingertips against his lips, waiting for Heath to make his move.
Heath considered his decision in silence, staring at the board as he tried to figure out what to do. Then he grabbed his pawn and moved it one square.
My father gave a nod of approval. “Not bad…” He grabbed his queen and quickly moved her.
“I thought you were supposed to protect your queen at all costs?”
“You are. I moved—”
Heath moved his piece and captured her.
My father shut his mouth, turning a venomous stare on him.
Heath smiled, a boyish grin that was completely genuine, not arrogant or sarcastic. “Told you I’m a fast learner.”
I set my bag on the dining table and walked over to their match. “Babe, I didn’t know you knew how to play.”
He turned to me, his smile still on his face but a brighter look in his eyes now that I was in the room, calling him babe. “Your father is teaching me.”
“Teaching you too well…” my father grumbled under his breath.