“This Todd is clearly enamored with her, and they have history. Make her use that to our advantage.”

“You want me to offer my future wife to another man to get information?”

“It’s the cleanest and simplest way to handle things,” he said.

He could see my reaction but went on. “Think about it, Elias. Do what you were raised to do and take your emotions out of the equation. They have no place here, so use your brain.”

“I am thinking with my brain, Father. Don’t ever suggest such a thing again,” I said.

“Well, if you don’t start handling business, I might have to,” he said.

“What does that mean, Father?” I asked.

“You know exactly what it means,” he said.

“Why don’t you spell it out for me?” I asked.

“Fine. If you can’t find it in yourself to handle Kayla and Todd, I might have to,” he said.

“That’s what I thought you meant,” I said. “I warned you before, Father, but hear me now and hear me well. Don’t ever threaten Kayla again.”

My father shrugged, then leaned back in his chair.

“I’d like to go out,” he said.

Then he started prattling on about how nice it was to be free, how he wanted to make up for lost time.

I barely paid him any attention, but I also wasn’t surprised.

That was my father.

Paternal one second, threatening the next.

But I had meant what I said.

I wouldn’t let anything happen to Kayla.

Not ever.

Fifteen

FIFTEEN

Kayla

“No,” Elias said.

“What do you mean no?” I responded.

“Exactly what I said. No,” he said.

Then he pulled out his phone and started tapping the screen like that was the end of the conversation.

It wasn’t, but the irony of this moment wasn’t lost on me.

For years, I had fought for a way out of this world, but now that he was giving me one, I was intent on not taking it.

“Elias,” I said, my voice low, because there was no reason to yell.

He heard me and knew exactly what I was going to say.

Him trying to ignore me wouldn’t deter me one bit.

“Do you know how that would look?” he said, not looking up from his phone, but I could tell he was fully engaged in the conversation.

“Do you think I care how it would look?” I countered.

“Maybe you don’t, but you should. My father definitely will,” he said.

I felt a little surge of anger and fear at the mention of Armen, but I wouldn’t be deterred.

“Elias, I still need to make sure the debt is repaid, and this is the way that I can do it. So if you don’t let me do deals, how am I supposed to make money?”