Page 36 of His Forbidden Alliance

“Then why the hell was he chasing you?”

“It was just a game,” Rafe insisted.

“A game?”

“I thought we didn’t kink shame in this family.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Rafe really was as impossible with his family as he was with me.

“It was a fun game for him to hot-wire a car and chase you through the city?” That question must have come from Dante, the professor who was now married to a former student, one who had been targeted by Ivanov.

“Yeah, I told him if he caught me, he could have me.”

“Jesus Christ.” Lorenzo again. “So some random man chases you down, then your car blows up the next morning.”

I tensed, ready to run if I needed to.

“He’s not involved,” Rafe said.

“Who is he?” Remington asked.

“It doesn’t matter. He didn’t put the bomb in my car. He was going to ride to the casino with me so he could pick up his own car. He’s as lucky to be alive as I am.”

Why did it feel so good for him to lie to protect me?

I tried to push that thought away. He was probably trying to save himself trouble as much as protect me.

You pulled him away from a burning car. Don’t think maybe he feels some kind of loyalty to you?

Before I could think about that anymore, Remington spoke again. “Rafael, I need you to be serious and objective. When I put you in charge of this investigation⁠—”

“Wait. What?” Lorenzo yelled.

“This is between me and Rafael,” Remington said.

“Fuck no. This is my baby brother you’re talking about. Somebody tried to blow him up. I want to know what you’ve involved him in.”

“The car went off when I hit the fob to unlock it,” Rafe said. “It could have been a warning.”

“Either way, you could have died,” Dante said.

“I am being serious and objective.” I imagined Rafe pleading his case to Remington. “I was with the guy the whole time he was here. There was never a time when he could’ve put the bomb there.”

“So where is he now?”

“Gone. I sent him away so he wouldn’t be involved.”

“He could have put the bomb there before you hooked up,” Lorenzo said.

If I had any sense at all, I would get the fuck out of there and find another way to track down Ivanov, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t abandon Rafael. I didn’t think his family would hurt him, but I had to be there for him if he needed help.

16

RAFE

“It’s not him. He’s been vetted.”

“Not by me,” Remington said.

“X vetted him, okay?”