Page 106 of Built for Mercy

Dad took a deep breath, his face still a raging red. “You can’t just go around making decisions like this!” he barked.

“Oh, but I can,” I retorted, standing my ground. “I may be your son, but I am not your possession. My life is mine to live, and who I love is a decision that I make on my own.”

Mom scoffed, turning her attention back to Sophie, but I kept going.

“As for Chavez, Dad, you can count him out of the picture.”

At that, my father stepped closer to us, his eyes blazing with fury. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

I gave him a condescending smirk. “I know everything about Chavez. About your side hustle that you’ve been trying to hide from me. About what he did to Sophie’s dad. Chavez will no longer be reporting to you.”

Dad opened his mouth to respond, no doubt about to let expletives fly.

“Let’s not make a scene,” I said, feeling emboldened by Sophie’s show of defiance.

“I love Maverick,” Sophie admitted, allowing her demeanor to soften momentarily. “And the fact that neither of you could is shameful. So if I were the both of you, I’d tread very carefully about how you treat him moving forward. Those rebels might just starting popping up more and more.”

Jesus Christ.

She was going to be rewarded tenfold after tonight. I loved her so fucking much.

“Is that a threat?” Dad spat.

“No,” Sophie said simply, breaking from my hold, much to my dismay, to step in front of me. “It’s a promise. Watch your fucking backs.”

Dad looked at me over her shoulder. “You’re going to let a woman speak for you?”

I shrugged. “Sophie can handle herself. There’s a reason Eddie was going to leave everything to her and not her sisters.”

“Speaking of your sisters,” Dad said, returning his attention to the dark-haired woman now standing stubbornly in front of me. “It would be a shame—”

Sophie cut him off by wrapping his tie around her wrist and pulling him close. He coughed as she pulled so tight, his face turned even more red. The lack of oxygen forced his head back, but she merely hissed, “You even think about touching my sisters, and your entire family dies. Understand? They’re living quiet lives, far removed from our family drama. They want nothing to do with this, just like Mav and I want nothing to do with either of you.” She released him and returned to my side.

They were seething, but Sophie was a shield I’d never known I needed. As they turned away, muttering curses and threats under their breaths, I leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Let’s slip away. You’ve earned more than just my gratitude tonight.”

Her eyes flickered with that familiar fire, the one that promised vengeance and release in equal measure. My hand rested possessively on the curve of her waist, the silk a barrier I wanted to tear away as we walked back into the mansion. The tension between us crackled, every step heavy with the promise of what was to come—the reward for her endurance, her boldness, and the sheer pleasure of watching her stand up to the very people who’d tried to break me time and time again.

“Ready for your reward?” I murmured, lips grazing the shell of her ear as we made our way up the grand staircase that overlooked the foyer.

“Always,” she breathed out, her hand sliding provocatively over my ass.

The door to an empty bedroom clicked shut behind us, and Sophie slowly turned to face me, a forlorn look on her face. I frowned.

“Do you think they’ll go after my family?”

“No. They understand the risks you pose. My dad’s a pussy. My mom’s a bitch. They’ll fight for weeks over this, and by then it’ll be too late.”

Sophie’s fingers hooked into my belt loops and tugged me closer. “It’s okay to be hurt by them, Mav. It doesn’t make you weak.”

My heart squeezed painfully as I looked down at her, feeling a burn in my eyes that only she was capable of causing.

“I’m sorry you never got the love of a parent,” she continued in a whisper, as if afraid to break this moment. “They resent you because you’re everything they’re not. Your brothers are probably spitting images of them, and that’s why they get special treatment. But this is exactly what will be their downfall.” Her hands tugged on the edges of my bowtie until it unraveled, then she slowly started to unbutton my shirt. When I didn’t respond in kind, she glanced up at me. She must’ve read something on my face, because she stepped away and gave me a sad smile.

“Come on. Let’s go home,” she said, grasping my hand in hers and tugging me back toward the door.

49

Sophie