“What?” I gaped at him, my head spinning. My heart hammered in my chest; fear an acrid, ugly taste crawling up my throat. “I don't–”

“I’ve seen the fucking pictures, Toni!”

Ears ringing from the sheer ferocity of his bellow, I shoved him. He didn’t move. Narrowing my eyes, I leaned back into the seat and brought my feet up. The movement caught him off guard and he didn’t react in time. The double kick sent him stumbling back and I shoved upright. He may have towered over me by more than a foot, but at least I was on my feet now.

I pointed a finger at him and warned, “Don’t ever try to corner me, Lang.”

He rubbed at his gut. “How did you do it?” He glared at me.

“Do what?” I shouted. “I don't know what the fuck you're talking about?!”

He turned around and grabbed something. A moment later, pictures flew across the room. “Stop the innocent routine. I saw you with him. You’ve met with him more than once.”

Confused, I looked down…at pictures of Vic and me. We were in the bar in some of them. A few…son of a bitch. He’d had me followed all the way to my parents' house. And it wasn't like before. Not like the time the investigator hadn't been hiding and had just stood around outside; like he'd been confirming that I didn't have some sort of hidden routine. These were close-ups. These were private. Somebody had been looking into the windows of my family's home. I could even place where they must've been standing when the shots had been taken, and it sure as hell hadn't been on public property.

He’d had me followed. Again. And this time he'd crossed the line.

Shit. A thought hit me. Vic said he’d had cops following me, but were they cops?

Or where they Ash’s men? How many did he have?

I blew out a slow breath, tried to calm myself. He was going through something awful, something I couldn’t imagine. We'd deal with the violation of my privacy later. It didn't mean I still didn't need a moment to reign in my temper.

“Explain,” he demanded again.

My hands were shaking with anger and the quaver came through in my voice. I looked up at him. “Explain…you want me to explain?”

Selecting a photo at random, I turned it and met Ash’s icy gaze. My grasp on my control was tenuous at best.

“This is Vic and me, having a drink at his favorite bar. We do it two or three times a month.” I scowled at Ash. “I’ll tell you what, your crack-shot investigator isn't worth shit, because if he'd asked around, anyone could tell you that. And sometimes it’s all of us. Me, three of my brothers since Kory can't commute from Michigan. Deacon and Franky sometimes bring their wives. Sometimes I bring whatever guy I’m seeing. Not that any of that is your fucking business!”

My voice rose with every word, my control slipping, then snapping. I tore the picture in half and grabbed another. My heart felt bruised, shredded, as I saw the image of a Friday night dinner. He’d invaded the sanctity of my parents’ home. Not just my life, but their lives. Reaching up, I traced the edge of my mother’s face. She wasn't completely in the frame since I was the center of the shot, me and Vic, but she was still there.

“You want a fucking explanation for this? It’s called a family dinner. I’ll be going to one tonight. We do it every Friday evening. Rain or shine. Snow, sleet or hail. It's my family.” The picture fell from numb fingers and I looked at him, suddenly empty. “What else do you want from me?”

“Tell me where she is. I’ll pay whatever you want. Just tell me where she is.” His voice was so cold.

I stared at him as it hit me. He wasn’t just lashing out or grasping at straws. He was serious. He thought I had something to do with this. That my family and I…

For a second, I couldn’t feel anything, couldn’t even think.

A disgust so thick and all-consuming settled inside me, I thought it might choke me. But I didn’t know who it was directed at. Him…or me.

I’d had him inside me. Maybe I hadn't exactly been thinking clearly. But I’d liked him. Some parts of him, at least. I'd told myself that after all he'd been through, it was understandable that he'd put up some walls. I'd told myself that, deep down, he was a good guy. I'd counted on my usually accurate insight into people and it had let me down. How could I have taken a man so callow, so selfish inside me? How could I have not seen the sort of man he truly was?

“You son of a bitch,” I whispered, my voice thick. I started to shake as I stared at him. I’d let him put his hands on me. His mouth. I'd comforted him. “You monstrous, evil son of a bitch.”

“Cut the shit, Toni!” His green eyes glinted as he glowered at me. Fury practically radiated off him and that only made me angrier. He wasn't the wronged party here.

We’d hadn't exchanged deep, heartfelt words of longing, but I’d…hell. I liked sex. A lot. But I'd never been flippant about it. I’d always prided myself on my discernment when it came to choosing who would share my bed. How could I have been so wrong?

He stalked toward me and shot out a hand, grabbing my arm and jerking me close to him. I didn’t even fight. I didn't have it in me. I was still reeling from the betrayal.

His fingers dug into my arm, leaving bruises as he bit each word off, “Where. Is. She.”

“I don't know.” I stared into his eyes and it was like looking at a stranger. Sick inside, I said, “I like your sister. I would never hurt her.”

His fingers tightened, just a little and he tugged me closer until there was less than an inch between our bodies. “That’s your final answer?”

I just stared up at him. How could he think that of me? Had all of this only been an act?

“Lieutenant.” His voice, so cool and calm now, sounded out of place.

I jerked away and surprisingly, he let me go.

He let me go.

Spinning around, I half-stumbled at the sight of the cop standing there. Her name escaped me. She slid a look from me to the man at my back. There was a curious look on her face. Later, I’d remember it. Later. Much later.

“Go on.”

At first, I thought he was talking to me.

But then the cop looked at me. “Miss Gallagher, we’d like you to come into the station and answer some questions.”

“About what?” I demanded as several uniformed officers swarmed me. One of them took my elbow. I jerked away, even though I knew better. Common sense and logic were taking a backseat to all of the shit going through my head.

“Miss Gallagher,” the lieutenant said, her voice calm. “We just have some routine questions.”

“Then ask them here,” I said. “I answered questions here before.”

“Get her out of here!” Ash bellowed.

I shot him an ugly look.

When I shifted my attention back to the lieutenant, I caught sight of something in her eyes. Regret.

She looked from me to Ash and then back at me.

I knew then that I was in trouble.

Vic's words came back to me. Money doesn’t talk…it sings….

I looked around at the cops circling me, surrounding me. My chest tightened and I could barely breathe. Why was this happening? The question had a tinge of hysteria in it. Was I paying for Vic's mistakes? Again. God forgive me…I loved my brother, but I’d paid for his mistakes enough. Too many judged me by the things he had done. And what Ash had thought he knew about Vic…that wasn’t even the truth. My brother had been innocent. Was innocent. And so was I.

But it looked like that didn't matter to anyone. Who cared if I was some scapegoat because I had a brother who'd done some dumb shit years ago? Nobody, that's who. I didn't have money. My family wasn't important. These cops didn't care if they hurt the people I loved, so long as the ones with money and power got what they wanted. Ash didn't care who got hurt, as long as people did what he told them to do.

Something inside me snapped, and when the cop to my left touched my elbow, I jerked back.