After four years of keeping my head down, keeping to myself, holding myself apart from others—a self-sustaining island—I’d allowed him to wear me down. And that had been it. He’d asked me on a date and wouldn’t take no for an answer. When I’d relented, when I’d finally gone out on that first date with him, I’d found that I’d actually enjoyed myself. We’d had fun together. We’d clicked.

Two months later, we’d been engaged. The wedding was scheduled for June next year. Deposits had been put down on locations and vendors my future mother-in-law had selected. A dress I didn’t want or particularly like was on order at the bridal shop. Soon, it’d be time to look at invitations, or so I’d been told.

Eric hung up his keys on the peg next to the door and took off his coat, then came over to me, helping me out of mine. “Sorry we had to stay longer. You feeling okay?” His eyes were worried as he studied me, his hands running up and down the expanse of my bare arms.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I averted my eyes as I set my purse on the counter. “I just get nervous with so many people around.” That, at least, was the truth.

“I know.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Thank you for doing that for me.”

He always did that—thanked me for my part in his life. For putting on a smile and showing up with him to the important events. And they were important—I knew that. Not only to his father, but to him, too. Because eventually he wanted to follow that same path. Follow the steps his father took up the ladder at the law firm, then, when it was time, transition to politics, the same as his dad had.

And even though Eric thanked me, it should’ve been the other way around. I was a girl who’d come from nothing, and now I was living in a million-dollar home with a three-carat rock on my finger, engaged to be married to one of the most handsome and kindest men I’d ever met.

“You don’t have to thank me. Part of the job, right?” I tried to tease, inflecting a lilt to my voice as I held up my left hand with a smile, the diamond catching in the overhead light and sparkling just like in a jewelry commercial.

He didn’t return the grin like I’d hoped he would. “Yeah, well, my part of the job doesn’t cause me distress. Yours does.”

“It’s really not a big deal.” I squeezed his hand. “I promise.”

He stared at me, his eyes delving far enough into my soul that I knew he could tell I was lying. Still, he didn’t press. “Fortunately, we won’t have another one to attend until the Christmas party.”

I laughed, rolling my eyes. “Considering Christmas is less than two months away, that’s not so reassuring.”

He finally cracked a smile. “Okay, new tactic.” He spun me around, his hands on my shoulders as he guided me toward the steps and upstairs to the en suite bathroom. “Bath?”

I exhaled, my shoulders finally relaxed. “Yes, please.”

I escaped to the bedroom and into my walk-in closet, the space that was twice the size of my childhood bedroom. Off came the four-inch heels, then the conservative-yet-still-sexy dress. I unhooked the strand of pearls from around my neck, tucking them safely into the freestanding jewelry armoire in the corner. Then came the bracelet and the matching earrings.

Finally, I pulled my robe from the hook next to the door leading into the bedroom and slipped it on, then headed into the bathroom. The lights were off, a couple of my favorite candles lit, and the oversized tub was already filled to the top, mountains of bubbles heaped over the water. I shrugged out of the robe, letting it pool at my feet, and breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped into the claw-foot basin, closing my eyes as I sank into the hot water.

The door was still open partially, and I could hear Eric moving around. He raised his voice so I could hear him clearly. “I’m sorry I have to leave tomorrow, Gen. You know I hate doing that after a night out.”

I leaned back and closed my eyes, running my hand through the bubbles covering the entire surface of the water as I settled my head against the high back of the tub. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

“You could still come with, you know.” His voice was softer now, closer, and I cracked open an eye to see him at the door, his shoulder propped up on the doorjamb as he studied me. “I can get a last-minute ticket. Two weeks in London? Not a bad vacation. I’ll have to work, but you can go sightseeing, visit the Natural History Museum … go shopping.”

I snorted at his suggestion. “You know I hate shopping.”

He rolled his eyes and turned around, raising his voice again as he went about getting packed for his trip. “I know. I just mean there’s lots to do there. You won’t be stuck in the hotel room the whole time if you don’t want to be. Though the hotel room is actually a very nice suite and not a bad place to be stuck. Just think about it, okay? We can buy you a ticket tomorrow morning at the airport, if you want.”

I hummed in acknowledgment and he let it rest, finishing up what he needed to do. And even though I pretended to be contemplating actually going, I wasn’t. I couldn’t.

The thought of going to London filled me with equal amounts of excitement and dread. I would love to visit, to see all the other things the world had to offer. To go all the places Eric went while visiting different branches of Kirkland & Caine. I could picture myself in New York and L.A., in Paris … I could picture myself there, though I’d never go.

Because if I went, that’d mean leaving my safe little cocoon. And the thought of doing that filled me with terror so real I could almost feel it clutching my throat. Even though my identification was top-of-the-line, the best money could buy—Aaron had assured me of that—I still worried about what would happen if I went through customs. If I had trained eyes scrutinizing everything I handed over.

But it wasn’t only that.

It was also opening up the possibility of being seen in so many different locations. I didn’t know if I’d been lucky these past five years, here in Minneapolis. Hiding in plain sight. I didn’t know if it’d been other forces at work—if Aaron and Ghost had kept everyone from looking for me, using their pull within the ranks of the crew to divert attentions elsewhere.

All I knew was I didn’t want to chance it. I didn’t want to jeopardize everything I’d worked for. I didn’t want to risk everything I’d lied for.

And above all else, I didn’t want to ever go back.

Chapter Two

ONE WEEK LATER

RILEY

Early November in Chicago meant it got dark way too fucking early for my liking, all the shadows making me jumpy. That was part of this business, though, always checking over my shoulder. Since I was fourteen, even before I was really part of the crew, I’d been taught to be diligent, constantly aware of my surroundings. My brother, Gage, had made sure of that. Made sure I could look out for myself. I didn’t think I had anything to worry about here, a few blocks from my apartment. This far off the beaten path, the streets were usually barren, even on a Friday night, and tonight was no different, with only a couple homeless guys huddled in an alley across the street.

Flexing my left hand, I felt the dull, residual pain from the job I’d just come from. A corrupt businessman—weren’t they all?—who’d gotten a little greedy, skimming from Max. You didn’t steal from Max Cavett, and any idiot who thought it was a good idea to steal from the leader of the entire fucking crew deserved every bit of what I was ordered to carry out.

The idiot who’d stolen from Max had actually had the nerve to try and deny his involvement. When I’d confronted him, when he’d been trapped with no way out, he denied it, even though I set the proof right in front of his face. When he hadn’t budged, hadn’t admitted his deeds, my fists had to come into play.