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“Blindly,” he growled. “We’ve been with you a long damn time, Leo, and you know we’ll do whatever you ask of us. But this?” He shook his head, his frustration bubbling over. “Thisis more than we’ve ever dealt with. I’m not the only one with a family now. Murphy, Creed, Princeton… they’ve all got people in their lives they care about. People, theydon’twant to get caught up in something like this.”
His words hit hard, and I couldn’t blame him. He wasn’t wrong. I could see the worry etched into his face, and it wasn’t just for himself. This was bigger than just us now. Our choices weren’t just affecting the men who stood beside me—they were affecting their families, too.
I locked eyes with Apollo, my voice low but firm. “And I swear on my life, nothing will happen to them.”
Apollo crossed his arms, his jaw tight. “Well, getting into bed with Guy Maranga doesn’t seem like the way to keep that promise.”
I let out a long sigh, sinking back into my chair. Apollo was right. This was a mess. And it was getting more complicated by the minute. But there was no turning back now. Brynn would have to come clean with the guys. There was no other way.
“We’re meeting with Brynn in a little bit,” I said, shifting my tone to something more resolute. “Ask her all the questions you just asked me. If she doesn’t give you the answers you want, then I’ll tell you what I can.”
Apollo’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t letting me off that easy. “So thereismore to this.”
I turned my chair away from him, looking out the window into the night. The green expanse of the yard stretched before me, quiet and still. But inside, everything was churning.
“So much more,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.
Apollo didn’t say anything for a moment, the weight of my words hanging in the air between us. I knew he wasn’t satisfied with what I’d told him. Hell, I wasn’t satisfied either. Butthis situation had spiraled into something so much bigger than either of us had anticipated.
“Leo,” Apollo said, his voice softer now, less demanding. “If there’s something you’re not telling me… if it’s something that could get us all killed—”
I cut him off before he could finish. “It’s not like that. I wouldn’t drag you guys into something I couldn’t handle.” I stood from my chair, pacing behind the desk. “But I’m not going to lie to you either. This is messy. Brynn’s tied up in something, but she didn’t ask for this.”
Apollo watched me, his gaze steady but unreadable. “And Maranga?”
I clenched my jaw. “Maranga’s powerful. We all know that. But for now… he’s not our enemy. And as long as we play this right, it’ll stay that way.”
“For now,” Apollo repeated, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
“For now,” I confirmed. “But if it changes, we’ll deal with it.”
He stood up from his chair, eyes locked onto mine. “We better be ready to deal with it.”
“We will be,” I said firmly, though I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince—him or myself.
Apollo let out a heavy breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just hope Brynn knows what the hell she’s doing.”
I didn’t have an answer for that, either. The truth was, I wasn’t sureanyof us knew what the hell we were doing. We were flying blind and trying to piece together a puzzle that none of us had the full picture for.
If there was one thing I was sure of, it was that Brynn wasn’t going to hurt us.
Apollo gave me one last look, something unspoken passing between us, before he turned and headed for the door. But before he left, he paused, his hand on the doorknob.
“Leo,” he said, not looking back. “I trust you. You know that.”
“I know,” I replied, my voice steady. “I won’t let you down.”
He nodded once, then slipped out the door, leaving me alone in the quiet of my office. The weight of everything hung heavy on my shoulders, and I poured another glass of whiskey, though I wasn’t sure it would help this time.
I downed the drink in one go, setting the glass on the desk with a soft clink. This was just the beginning. There were still too many unanswered questions, too many things that could go wrong.
And deep down, I had a feeling it was only going to get worse before it got better.
Chapter Ten
Brynn
I made my way slowly down the stairs and never took my eyes off Leo. He stood at the bottom with his gaze fixed on me like he had been waiting all day to see me again. I’d tried to nap earlier before whatever this was about to bring, but my mind had been too restless. For the past two years, I’d taken on all the dangerous, gritty responsibilities that Guy used to handle. It was overwhelming, sure, but I never let myself get emotionally tied to any of it. It was just business.
