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I'd nearly reached the front door when Rich spoke behind me.

"Where do you think you're going, Princess?" He asked.

"Out." I replied, scowling at him over my shoulder.

"You know the rules, Princess." He replied, closing the distance between us and grabbing my arm.

Jerking my arm free, I narrowed my eyes at him. "I followed your rules for a week and nearly got shot. You'll excuse me if I'd rather return to my life. Your rules be damned."

Craig strolled into the foyer as Rich opened his mouth to respond.

"What's going on?" He asked, his eyes flitting between the two of us.

"I'm going out andDadis being a dick about it." I scoffed, causing Craig to raise his eyebrows.

"Your father left us in charge, Princess." Rich glowered. "That means you play bymyrules, and I've said you're not going anywhere."

"I don't give a fuck about the agreement you made with my father. I am not going to stay cooped up in the manor and ignore my responsibilities. I'm going to the center and you can't stop me."

"I'm actually headed to the center myself," Craig interjected. "The equipment I ordered to upgrade the security system there arrived yesterday, and I promised Mrs. McMillan I'd come by and get it all installed today. I'm happy to take Victoria along with me if she has work to do there."

"Thank you." I said, smiling softly at Craig.

Rich scrubbed his hands over his face and groaned. "Fine, but I expect you to keep an eye on her."

"Always." Craig smirked before stepping in front of Rich and offering me his elbow.

Slipping my hand into Craig's arm, I turned toward Rich and stuck my tongue out. It was childish, but I was beyond acting mature over his insistence that I followhisrules as if I were a child. Craig chuckled, noticing the action as he led me to the garage.

"I'm not sure antagonizing him is the way to get what you want." He laughed. "But it is pretty entertaining."

I shrugged in response as I followed him to a black Mercedes sedan. He helped me into the front passenger seat before moving around the vehicle and sliding into the driver's seat. So far, I'd only seen Az's car, a sleek red Porsche that seemed to fit the man's ego. Joey and I had used one of my father's drivers for our previous outing. Craig's vehicle was a lesson in contrasts. The Mercedes seemed more suited to a high-society housewife than the heavily tattooed man beside me.

"I wouldn't have pictured you driving something like this," I said as Craig pulled away from the manor.

"Not all of us enjoy being flashy." He smirked, not taking his eyes off the road. "I spend a lot of time working in south side. It doesn't make sense to draw any more attention than necessary. This baby is the perfect blend of luxury and inconspicuous."

We drove in silence the rest of the way to the youth center. Outside of meals, I hadn't spent much time with Craig, and I realized how little I knew about any of the guys. Rich was clearly in control of things, and Az was an asshole, but Craig was a mystery. My time with Joey had me at war with myself. Part of me was beginning to want to know these men even though they were responsible for the second worst night of my life.

Craig pulled the car into an empty parking spot in the back of the youth center before climbing from the driver's seat and moving to help me out.

"We should probably go in around the front, so Mrs. McMillan sees us coming." He spoke.

I gave him a tight nod and gestured for him to lead the way. The glass-paneled double doors of the center stood propped open when we arrived around the front. Mrs. McMillan stood just inside, directing children through the lobby and into the gymnasium. Her weathered face lit up when she caught sight of us.

"You don't know how happy my old heart is to see one of my former kids." She beamed, reaching up to pat Craig's cheek when we stopped in front of her. "I was expecting you sooner after I called you about the attempted break-in."

"Someone tried to break into the center?" I asked, my brows furrowing in concern.

She turned to face me, her hand dropping to squeeze Craig's before releasing him. "Times are hard 'round here. I imagine it was just someone looking for a warm, dry place to lay their head,but we can't be too safe with all the upgrades we've made thanks to your donors. Rather be safe and make sure the kids don't lose out because someone was desperate." She smiled, the crow's feet around her eyes becoming more pronounced. "But don't you worry your pretty little head about it, Victoria. Craig promised me a security upgrade today."

"That I did," He smiled. "If you wanna let me know where you stored the equipment, I can get started."

"Why don't you go with Victoria to her office while I grab the supply closet key from Martin? He's making his rounds, so it'll be a minute."

"Sure thing, Mrs. McMillan. Just come grab me when you're ready." He replied, turning his head toward me. "Lead the way, Princess."

He followed me to the small office that had once been my mother's. A small, time-worn desk with an old corded phone took up the center of the room, with an aging chair on either side. A lone filing cabinet was tucked in the back corner, the only other furniture in the sparse office. I rounded the desk, settling into the chair behind it before opening one of the locked drawers and pulling out a thick tan file.