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Feeling a sense of unease, I go to Jack’s house. I’ve had enough of my father. Everything about him makes me sick to my stomach. Even just mentioning his name pisses me off. The bastard destroyed my mother, and I want to rip his heart out.

My father and I have always had animosity toward each other. I think he blames my mother for having another kid, like it’s her fault that she got knocked up. Connor was two when I was born, and they’d had enough of screaming babies by then.

When I was a boy, I wanted his attention like any son does, but he used to favor my brothers. I supposed it was because I was the youngest and incapable of doing things that they could, but as a pre-teen, I knew that I’d been an accidental pregnancy—a mistake he wanted to forget existed. No matter how tough I became, he would always find a way to bring me down. My brothers had my back, keeping me out of my father’s face and taking the blame when I fucked up.

I left the day I turned eighteen. My mother was devastated, but my father said good riddance. I came back when my brother told me things were getting rough and that they could use my help. When I arrived, I learned my mother was pregnant again.

After all those years, she was expecting another child. I couldn’t believe it because she was fifty and we all knew that it was dangerous. Still, my little brother was born and my mother died. I decided to finally take my role in the family seriously because my father completely lost power among the families, and we were in danger of being killed.

I’m just inside their house when a loud explosion hits our ears. We lead the women to the safe room, and I check the cameras, seeing Dad’s garage on fire so I call 911. I know instantly that it isn’t an accident; whatever his reasoning, he intended for his house to turn to cinder.

My brothers are on the phone quickly, both of them wanting to speak to me after the women let them know I’m here.

“Ian. What the hell is going on?” Connor asks in a frantic haze. I can hear their SUV rev as it picks up speed.

“It’s Dad’s garage. It caught fire, and the fire department is on the way. I’m just making sure the women are safe until it’s all clear.” A loud boom can be heard outside, so I look at the cameras and shake my head. There goes his house. I hope to fuck none of his employees are inside.

“Fuck.”

“What the hell was that?” Connor shouts.

Jack answers, “Dad’s house.” He can see the cameras on his phone, and he’s checking the surveillance just like I am.

“The bastard.”

“Keep our families protected,” Connor tells me.

“I will.”

“We’re on our way, and we need to talk to you.”

I nod as if they can see me. Realizing my error, I say, “Okay.”

“And pass the phone to Nora since Jack wants to talk to her.”

Then, I wait it out and it’s not long before the guys are here, but the fire department beats them here by ten minutes. They’re working on the blaze, but it’s a little difficult. I never had the desire to become a fireman, and now I’m glad I didn’t. It looks like a brutal job.

The guys come running in to hug their women and John, and this drives my thoughts back to my missing woman.

“I was worried about an attack. Ian told me there was nothing to worry about, but it doesn’t mean that he wasn’t just placating me,” Claudia said, giving a side-eye.

“True,” I admit, smirking at them both.

“Ladies, can you please play with John somewhere safe while we speak to Ian privately?” Jack asks. I’m all motherfucking ears and feeling extremely ready to bust some heads.

“Is this about my father?” Claudia asks, brow raising.

“No. It’s not. Fuck, I completely forgot about him,” Jack says.

“Me too.” Connor shares a warm look with his wife and then kisses her cheek before shooing her away.

The ladies lead John away, and once they’re safely out of listening range, I ask, “What the hell is going on? You two are acting weird.”

“Dad set the house on fire, and he fled.” Jack holds no punches.

I have no doubt about it, but I want to know why. “What do you fucking mean?”

“He’s the one who orchestrated John’s kidnapping, and he planned to have him killed. If it wasn’t for the nanny, they would have executed John.” A ball of hatred and rage fills my gut.