Golden Binds

“Where were you? I couldn’t find you . . . I thought . . .” he took in a shuddering breath.

“You were worried about me?” she asked, in shock.

He narrowed his gaze. “No, I wasn’t worried. I was fucking terrified. I had no idea where you were. No one had seen you. You’d just fucking disappeared. I thought Gio had somehow gotten to you. I was just getting ready to send some of my people out to sneak into his compound to find you when I got a report that someone saw you cross the compound. Where have you been?”

She nibbled at her lip. “You’re not going to be happy.”

“Look at me. Do I look like I’m happy right now?”

She sighed. “I need you to promise that you’re not going to kill anyone.”

His gaze narrowed. “Now, see, when you start off with something like that it makes me think I need to go kill someone.”

“Which is why I don’t want to tell you. I don’t need anyone’s blood on my hands. And I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Me? It won’t be me getting hurt, sunshine.” That was his nickname for her. She figured it was because of her blonde hair.

“I’m not telling you until you promise.”

He stood abruptly. “Was it Gio?”

“If it was Gio, I wouldn’t have left there alive.”

He stared down at her. “Where are your clothes?”

“They, ah, got ruined. I borrowed these ones.”

“You’re lying. And those are men’s clothes. Do I need to send the doc up?”

Why would he need to do that? She wasn’t injured. Oh, shit.

She stood. She was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to climb into bed and sleep. Maybe once she got some rest, she’d figure out what the hell to tell her brother.

“I’m not hurt,” she told him gently.

/> He glanced away for a moment. When he turned back, he looked composed. Still angry, but it was contained by that cold wall he surrounded himself with. The one that kept everyone else at bay.

“You are going to tell me where you were.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m back now. No harm done.”

“No harm done? No harm done?” he spoke in a low, controlled voice, but she still flinched. “I’ve had my men out there, searching for you since we figured out you were missing. I took them off every job they were supposed to be doing to find you.”

He had? Her eyes widened.

“Do you know how much you’ve pushed back my schedule? How much money I’ve lost?”

“I’ll pay you back.”

“Yeah? And how are you going to do that? You got some money secretly stashed away?”

Nope. She had nothing. If she did, she wouldn’t have needed to break into the castle like she had.

“I’ll get a job.”

“You will fucking not!” he yelled. He swung his hand around. “Do you know why all of this exists? Do you know why I built up this fucking criminal empire?”

“For money?”