“A lot of money, then.” A range of emotions crossed Liam’s face as he stared at a spot in the corner of the room. “I’ve always prided myself on earning my own way. I get up in the morning, even when my bones are still tired from the day before, and make my way to the shipyard. I do good work. Sometimes, when the steel is still hot, I take a file and press my initials into the metal. I always do it in a spot where no one will ever notice, but I’m proud of my work. All over the world, there are ships that have my initials hidden on them. Sometimes I see one of them sail back into the Philly harbor, and I secretly think, I built that ship.”

The passion on his face drained away, slowly replaced by disdain. “I could never be someone who takes a fistful of money for nothing. Where’s the pride in that? I’m a man. I earn my own way. The Blackstones can keep their sparkly jewelry and fancy houses.”

Patrick shifted uneasily. Not many people would walk away from a fortune to continue living in a row house, but even if Liam stuck by his decision, that wouldn’t be the end of it. If the Blackstones were trying to kill him, they would come after him again and again until they succeeded. Liam probably wouldn’t survive the year.

“Some of that money would be welcome,” Janet said. “I don’t know how we’re going to pay that hospital bill without it.”

Liam sounded exhausted when he replied. “I’ll figure something out. I kind of wish I had that woman’s sapphire ring back.”

“She’s your sister, you know.”

Liam snorted. “We come from different worlds.”

“Nonsense,” Patrick replied. “We are all created in God’s image. Gwen Kellerman is no better or worse than the people in this room.”

There was only one thing Patrick was sure about: Gwen didn’t have anything to do with the assault on Liam. Her house was nice but nothing like the gilded palaces where the rest of her family lived. All she seemed to care about was the college, and she wouldn’t put it at risk to murder her own brother.

“Liam, I think you need to either change your name and disappear out West or go to New York and settle things with the Blackstones. If an ordinary welder from Philly gets killed in a back-alley brawl, no one will raise a stink about it. If you can get recognized as William Blackstone, you’ll be much harder to take down. It will be your best protection against another hit.”