Page 45 of Twisted Tate

Fox’s eyes sharpen. “You’re right. Dad would have known about the operation if it had Council approval.”

“I think Jenson’s been running his shadow operation for years right under their noses. And they aren’t going to like that. No one on Reese’s list is on the Council. They are all lesser members he could control.” I look down at Reese. “Baby girl, do you know where your father might keep any of his financial records?”

Thorne whispers something to Fox, but I ignore him and keep focusing on my girl.

“There’s a safe he thinks no one knows about in the room on the third floor.” She tilts her head back to meet my eyes, and they are watering. “The room I told you about.”

I’m going to burn her father’s house to the fucking ground once this done, so that house of horrors is wiped from her existence.

I watch her throat move as she swallows. “But I don’t know how to open it.”

“I’ll get into the fucking safe.” Thorne is already grinning. “That’s the easy part. The hard part is getting in without him knowing.”

“We just need to get him out of the fucking house.” Fox rises from his chair to sit beside Ivy, then picks her up and sets her across his lap. “Once we have the records, he’s dead anyway.”

I clench my fists, ready to see that fucker’s blood. “He’s dead if we find the records or not.”

“Let’s just take him,” Thorne says, waving his hand. “Then we search the safe, get what we need. No reason to wait for him to leave, we’ll just get him out.”

“We need to take him when he’s already out of the house, so we have his car, too. Then we’ll secure him while we look for what we need. If we have to torture him to get it out of him, then we fucking will.”

I glance down at Reese to see if she is bothered by the violence. Her fingers are tracing her lips.

“You’ll need someone who knows the house.” Reese’s hand drops and she stands up, turning to face me. “I know where the cameras are, the servant schedules, and how to navigate the house. I can get you there without anyone seeing.”

“No.” I growl the word.

“Tate—”

“You’re not setting foot in that house or that room ever again.”

She holds my gaze, and I see that fire in her eyes. The same fire that made me want her the first night at Velum. The same fire that I know has kept my girl going, surviving everything she’s dealt with.

“Tate, I’m not asking your permission.” Her voice is quiet, but I know she isn’t going to back down.

“Baby girl—”

She steps closer, tilting her chin up as she wraps her arms around me. “And you’ll be there. We’ll be in and out. We need this so we can get them all. Please.”

Fuck.

I want to throw her over my shoulder and lock her in my bedroom until this is over. I want to keep her safe even if she hates me for it.

But I see the determination in her face, and I know that this is something she needs. It’s not just about revenge for her. It’s closure. The chance to take back something that was stolen from her.

“Goddamnit.” I draw a long breath, knowing that I have to give her this. “You don’t leave my side. Not for a second. The moment we have what we need, we’re out.”

She nods once. “Thank you.”

“Fuck, he’s got it bad.” Thorne laughs and catches Fox’s attention. “He might be worse than you.”

“Fuck off, Thorne.” But I don’t deny it. I can’t. Not when I’m standing here with my arms wrapped around her like I’ll die if I let go. I’ve never felt like this before in my life.

Fox is watching me with that look he gets when he’s figured something out. He doesn’t say anything, but I know what he’s thinking.

I know he’s going to ask me about her. But I don’t have time to examine what Reese is to me. I just know that she’s mine, and I’m going to destroy anyone who tries to take her from me.

“So we’re doing this as soon as possible.” Fox pulls Ivy closer against his chest, his hand resting on her thigh. “We go to Dad first thing, lay out what we know, get him on board with managing the Council. Then we move on to Jenson.”