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But I wanted to ruin his life.

I wanted him to feel what I did when I’d been taken. Trapped and hopeless. Granted, Manic could be much worse, but I’d still lost my freedom. I’d lost my opportunity to leave Vancouver and start fresh. It was only fair to give my father what he’d given me.

Manic finally set his phone down and looked at me, his nostrils flaring. “Members from the Crowes and the Russians. We need to come to an agreement that makes sense for everyone.”

The car stopped outside a local coffee shop, its windows showcasing the morning buzz as guests waited in line before their work day started. I could practically taste the ground coffee filling the air from the entryway.

Excitement flooded my veins, but just as I opened the door, Manic’s phone rang. He answered and nodded at Axell who then stepped out of the car to accompany me. He wore a thick black jacket, long enough to hide the gun at his hip.

I smoothed my soft burgundy trench coat as Axell gave a grim smile and led me inside. The moment the café air hit me, I inhaled deeply, savoring the scent of baked goods and freshly brewed coffee. Even the grinding of the machines had me aching to escape the penthouse and Manic’s unpredictable storm.

Axell stepped beside me as the line moved up.

“How long have you been working for Manic?” I asked casually, fully expecting him not to answer.

“A little more than three years.”

I blinked, staring. “Uh, how did you get the job?”

After being introduced to some of the Crowe members and seeing their tattooed fingers, I’d wondered how they’d come into the mafia. Or at least wondered how the security did. None of them looked related.

“He hired me from prison.”

The couple ahead of us looked over their shoulders, eyes widening before inching forward. My mouth fell open, but Axell grinned, devious and teasing. And yet he’d said it like it was normal.

Wait, did he say from prison?

“From prison?” I whispered. “How exactly does someone get hired from prison?”

“The Crowes like to recruit based on rap sheets. I was a good candidate, so they offered to pull some strings and pay for my release early under a few conditions.”

Pay for his release? Knowing how he operated now, Ronan most likely bribed the city or found a way to move up his release date.

I suppressed a shudder and thought about what Axell might have done to seem like a decent recruit. Surely, it wasn’t anything good if he was a part of the mafia’s security now. It also made me wonder if owning him was a part of their conditions. I assumed so, since his knuckles were tattooed like everyone else. Axell quietly scanned the room like a practiced professional until the line moved up again.

“Don’t bother asking,” he said quietly, as if he could read the question on my face. “I won’t tell you.”

I huffed as we reached the counter, then ordered my usual shaken espresso. Axell ordered three americanos, and my skin buzzed at the thought of my admirer.

Instinct had me looking for cameras, spotting two in nearby corners of the room. I waited for them to swivel my way, but when they didn’t, I turned to the barista handing us our drinks.

Had my admirer forgotten about me, or was I just simply out of his sights? This wasn’t my typical coffee shop—not even my typical routine—so maybe he couldn’t find me. Or…

I blinked.

Maybe he had and didn’t care.

Before I could stop it, disappointment buried deep into my stomach, constricting my lungs. Maybe, after all this time, he’d finally found a way to let me go. It was unfortunate that my kidnapping was the reason.

Axell grabbed the remaining two coffees, though my brows furrowed as to why he’d even spoken to me. I faced him with an exasperating breath, my lips pressed into a tight smile.

“What?” he asked.

“Why are you talking to me?”

“I didn’t think you’d survive the night,” he said bluntly, and my mouth fell back open.

“Comforting,” I mumbled, but he only chuckled.