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“Most of them didn’t.” Her lips curve into a sad smile. “I missed my parents. That was no one’s fault.”

“What part was their fault?”

The way I’m holding her has to be hurting her. I’m pinning her to me. Fingers digging into her soft chin. My anger at them is projecting onto her.

For her, I’ll use that energy to fix years of pain, years of emptiness. Ophelia will never be alone again. No one will hurt her ever again, and those who did will have hell to pay.

“Ophelia.”

She blinks, waking up. Reluctantly. “Two kids bullied me.” Her chin lifts. She isn’t giving her past the power to control her. My chest fills with pride. “One foster mom out of the threehomes I went through slapped me around for no reason. I swear. I never did anything wrong.”

“Of course you didn’t.” I didn’t need to be there to know that. Ophelia talks back. She’s feisty. But no one should lay a finger on a kid. On Ophelia, of all people. “Consider them dead.”

“I—” She sighs, a little scared. A little hopeful. “I only have their names. It—It’s been a while. I don’t know where they live.”

“Their names and the neighborhoods you grew up in are more than enough information for me to go on.”

“James.” Her chin quivers. Lips pinched. Gratitude rolls from her in waves. “Wait. Um. Is this another test? Another game?”

“No more of those tonight.” I brush my lips along her jawline. Then behind her ear, pressing a million kisses to the sensitive area. She shivers so prettily for me. “I owe you this gift. Your revenge. For being so good. So mine. First, we take down the most imminent threat, then we’ll go after anyone who’s ever hurt you.”

“Thank you.” She twists her head, stealing a kiss. “Thank you.”

The silence between us is charged. Normally, I wouldn’t care.

Tonight, it’s killing me. “You have questions.”

“Yes.” Nodding, she nuzzles her nose to mine. The intimacy is unfamiliar but not unwelcome. “Your dad. He was cruel. To you. Is that why you’re going to kill the people who hurt me? Is that about him?”

“Yes and no.” My honesty and openness are just as unnatural as our intimacy. “I’ll destroy them for the simple reason that no one gets to touch you and live.” Even my son. I thought he could change. Show remorse. I know better now. “And yes, Ophelia. I understand what it’s like better than most. To be terrorized in your own home. But I don’t care about my father. He’s gone.This has nothing to do with him and has everything to do with you.”

Ophelia is silent, offering me the space to talk. I’m hardly interested in that anymore. I’ve talked plenty for tonight.

She trusts me.

I won’t fail her.

I. Won’t. Fail. Her.

33

JAMES

“James, a word?” Oliver steps into my office, announcing himself rather than asking to come in.

He’s been doing it every day for the past two weeks. Ever since Topher banged on the door to my home. Well, almost every day. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, when our offices were closed, he’d been at the auction house. I’d been home all that time, where I was spared of his company.

I’m sure he hadn’t been any less suspicious of me while he was overseeing the operations there. He might have even stopped by the office to go through my things.

He wouldn’t have found a damn thing.

The only secret I have—other than my plans—is Ophelia. The only thing worth keeping.

And she wasn’t here during the Thanksgiving holiday. She was holed up with me over the break. Safe. Thoroughly fucked. Cared for.

When I wasn’t balls deep inside her, eating her out, or making her choke on my dick, she’d been hard at work.

Learning.