APTER 0071


    ric’s POV:


    “We got her out, sir. She’s home safe, like you asked.” Trip’s gruff voice sounded out of my phone’s speaker.


    I rose to my feet, making my way toward the floor–to–ceiling windows of my penthouse. My hand curled at my side, the other tightening around the phone pressed to my ear.


    Fucking hated this.


    “Good<i>,</i>” I replied coolly. “Don’t let her out of your fucking sight.”


    I started to end the call, but Trip called out again. “Sir, what about Tyler Cross? What happens when he gets back from work and sees his missing girlfriend on the couch or something?”


    My lips twitched in annoyance. “Nothing happens. Juniper will want to tell him the entire truth. Let her. It’s about time he knows I have his ex–fiance in my possession. Maybe then he’ll fully understand what he walked into by epting the promotion.”


    And I knew he wasn’t going to quit. Tyler had a lot of debt that kept on piling up. The fucker had also started to gamble to take his mind of the fact that his girl was missing. And now, he was addicted.


    And I was paying him well enough for him not to want to leave.


    “And what about your wife?” he asked hesitantly. “Does she know her sister is out yet?”


    My heart pulsed at the mention of Meadow and I clenched my jaw. “No. Although it won’t be long before


    Juniper contacts her.” I lowered my voice, feeling my eyes twitch. “Remind the men stationed at the house. If Meadow leaves that fuckingpound from right under their noses, they’ll have me to answer


    to when I get back. And I’m not in a generous fucking mood.”


    “Got it.”


    Instead of shoving the phone into my pocket, I opened up the feed for Meadow’s room.


    I knew she was going to be in there. In the two days since I left, she had barely left her room except to


    have some food.


    Nova had been at the house for a while yesterday, but apart from that, Meadow was mainly focused on herptop, preparing for her online sses and doing more research probably.


    She was upset with me, I knew that much–Hell, even I was fucking pissed at myself, but apart from that, she was being hard on herself.


    And it was all because of me.


    But I didn’t say all that to her because I wanted to. I said it because I had to.


    Behind me, I heard the ding of the elevator, signaling someone’s arrival.


    “Seriously?” An annoyed voice scoffed.


    “You’rete,” I stated simply without turning around.


    “You’re the one who set up a meeting in fucking Las Vegas, ric. This isn’t where we were supposed to


    meet.”


    Slipping my phone into my pocket, I finally turned around, narrowing my gaze at her. “I told you, rissa. If you want to meet with me, it has to be on my own terms.”


    rissa smirked, running a hand through her hair. “Right,” she said tly. “Or maybe you just didn’t want to risk being seen with me.”


    My jaw ticked. “I answer to no one.”


    She stepped forward, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she pursed her red lips. “Except Meadow.” She dragged her eyes slowly up my form. “I suppose you’d hate for her to find out the truth.” She stopped in front of me. “Have you released my other niece yet?”


    I curled my fists at my sides, taking my time before I answered.


    rissa let out a softugh. “Oh,e on, Ric. You can’t have expected that I’d y along for too long. You went for both my nieces. I’m not stupid enough to think that it’s just a coincidence.”


    When rissa had sent me a textst night that seemed a lot like a fucking threat, I lost it. She was going to ruin what I had with Meadow even before it started, unless I gave in to her demands and released Juniper. However she found out that she was locked up in a psych ward, it didn’t matter.


    What mattered was keeping the truth from Meadow.


    And Meadow thought <i>so </i>too, seeing as she was keeping her own secrets from me, not telling me that rissa was her aunt. Though I didn’t expect her to.


    I was only ying along. I knew everything about Meadow and her family. Well, almost everything.


    “I didn’t think you’d evere back to Seattle.” That wasn’t an exnation. rissa deserved no


    exnation from me.


    She shrugged, reaching a hand out to y with my tie. “Maybe I just missed you that much.”


    Staring down at where her hand met my tie, I smirked. “Or maybe you heard from my mother that I got married, and you swooped in, thinking it was a random woman. Until you saw your niece at the party. At my side. As my wife. Did my mother tell you I can feel her?”


    rissa used to be obsessed with the fact that she was the only one I could feel. And she let that get into her head, thinking that I was never going to let her go because of how much I needed her.


    She was wrong.


    rissa’s eyes shed, her face flushed with envy. But she covered it with augh.


    “You were in the bathroom with her, weren’t you?” I continued. “Before you came to talk to me, you were


    with her.”


    My mother told me what she did to Meadow, but when I confirmed again earlier today, she said it happened before she went into the bathroom. I had no idea how long Meadow had seen me talking to


    rissa, but she used that as an opportunity to check my car’s GPS history.


    But I would bet anything that Meadow and Yvonne spoke at the party.


    The moment rissa opened her mouth, I knew that whatever was about toe out was a lie. “Don’t even think about lying to me right now, rissa.” I kept my voice low and calm.


    She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I spoke to her. No reason to lie about that.”


    I nodded, looking away for a second as I ran my palm across my mouth. “What did you talk about?”


    “What?”


    I snapped my gaze back to her brown ones. “What did you tell Meadow, rissa?”


    “Nothing that concerns you, Al-” A gasp tore from her throat as I wrapped my hand around her neck, jerking her toward me.


    Her skin was warm and soft, her pulse beating beneath my touch. I had never wanted to NOT feel


    someone so much in my life.


    I bared my teeth. “What. Did. You. Tell. Her?”


    rissa smirked as her eyes darted to my mouth. She leaned in. “Mmmhm,” she gave a breathy moan.”


    Fucking missed you manhandling me like this, baby. We were barely out of teenagehood and yet, you


    were already a sexy, sexy man.”


    I simply tightened my grip. She rolled her eyes, heaving an annoyed sigh. “Rx, Ric. I didn’t tell her you’re the reason her father’s in prison.”