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"Your outrage isn't necessary, Mr. Bristol. Take a look again. The men in these pictures all have something in common." I watched as the wheels turned in his mind, going back through our evidence again. "Someone tried to kidnap her, but it wasn't us."

"The Jackals." Hugo breathed, his face going pale as recognition dawned. "How? How the hell did they get this close to her?"

"That's what we would like to find out. Your daughter is clearly mixed up with something, whether she knows it or not." I replied, though pretending Victoria could be innocent grated. "We're here to clear my name and offer her the best protection in the city."

Hugo's brow furrowed in confusion. "There's only one name that comes to mind as people who would stand a snowball's chance in hell at protecting anyone from the Jackals. If you're admitting to what I think you are, I should turn you over to the feds right now."

"I've professed nothing but my innocence and a desire to clear my name." I replied calmly.

"Fine, so you're admitting to nothing…" He leaned back in his throne-like seat, contemplative. I could have laughed. He almost looked like a cartoon villain, complete with beardstroking. "But no other conclusion makes sense. You are the Horsemen." To my right, I heard Rich snicker quietly.

Leighton outright laughed. "It's not what you know, Daddy-O. It's what you can prove. Now, do you want to keep your pretty princess safe or not?"

"What did you have in mind?" Hugo grimaced.

"I actually have a few ideas." Rich spoke up, leaning forward with a smirk. He loved it when a plan came together. "We can bring your princess to our place. It's safe, and fairly unknown. She'll have round-the-clock guards, since at least one of us is always there. Regular check-ins with you, of course, as proof we're the… good guys here. There'd be no one safer in the city than her."

"Absolutely not! If I'm going to accept your offer to protect her, it's going to be on my terms." He paused and thought for a moment. "We have a second home that's currently unoccupied. I'll have access to the cameras and be able to pop inwheneverI like to ensure my daughter is safe."

"I'm sure that will be fine." I said, interjecting before Rich could argue his point. "The ultimate goal is, of course, keeping Victoria safe. If that's all, I believe we have an accord."

Hugo looked like he might burst a blood vessel in his head, but he nodded. "I'll have my assistant deliver the keys and address this afternoon."

"Perfect." I stood and extended my hand, plastering on a pleased smile despite the roll my stomach was doing at the idea of sharing a home with the woman plotting our downfall. "A pleasure doing business with you."

CHAPTER THREE

Victoria

I pushed the salad around on my plate with my fork. My appetite had vanished the moment my father opened his mouth. Shock and anger warred within me. His sudden change of heart about Az Casadei conflicted with everything he had said to me over the last few weeks when I had come to help him each afternoon.

My world had already been rocked on its foundation when the news broke of Az's release. I didn't understand how the system could let the man go free. He was responsible for my near kidnapping and a fire that killed two and injured a dozen more. It was only yesterday that my father had been just as outraged and swore he would find a way to ensure the man paid for his crimes.

"How could you do this?" I demanded. "You know what he tried to do. Yousawhim try to take me during the fire."

"I know you're not happy about this, honeybee, but I'm not really surewhatI saw. This new evidence… I can only assume that I mistook him trying to help you as something it wasn't."

"You can't force me to share a house with that man, or his cronies." I snarled. "I won't do it. Just because you've decided you didn't see what you saw doesn't mean I have to let that criminal into my home. He's the one I need protection from."

"I won't continue to argue this with you, Victoria." My father scowled, a hard edge creeping into his tone. "These menhave offered to keep you safe and I've accepted. You either do as you're told, or I cut you off."

"Since when have I relied on you to provide for me?" I scoffed. "I don't need your money to get by. I do well enough on my own."

"That may be true, but what would happen to your precious youth center if the funds I provide it were to run dry?"

"You wouldn't." I gasped. "The center was mom's passion. It's all I have left that makes me feel like she's still here."

"I would. And I will if you don't obey me now." My father's blue eye pinned me with a vicious stare; his stern tone brooked no room for argument. He would do it too, of that I had no doubt. I glared at him, barely containing the sneer that wanted to touch my features. I nodded once but didn't bother to reply. His features softened immediately, and his face relaxed. "Excellent. Now, I've had the staff redo the old master suite of rooms at the house, and that's where you'll stay. The other rooms will be redone to accommodate the boys. They will sort out the scheduling to ensure that you always have a guard in the house."

"The old master suites… Dad, in our old house?" My voice slipped out as barely a whisper, feeling like I'd just been soaked in a bucket of cold water as what he implied sunk in.

"Yes, honeybee. I know the situation isn't a pleasant one. I thought that having a familiar environment would make it easier for you. Add that to the fact that the house is tenable, and large enough, you likely won't have to see them at all if you don't want to."

"You think… You know what? Fuck it. Not that I have a say in the matter anyway, rightDad? Fine. But if it's going to be hell for me, it's going to be hell for all of you. Thanks for lunch." I pushed my salad toward him, hard enough some of the leaves slipped from the plate and onto the table, and stood up.

"Where are you going?" He said indignantly as I stormed from the room.

"Out! Have the car call me when it's ready. I'll tell them where to pick me up."