Page 4

I ’d been in college, Just a kid, really, when Ghost and her men kidnapped me and tied me up, tossed me in our garage. Used me to make my sister do what they wanted.

No, I didn’t forget.

I promised myself I would never be caught off guard again.

Never that weak again.

Never at the mercy of another person who was stronger than me.

Not fucking ever.

The Vipers had come storming in for the rescue, with the help of Adrik Volkov, that was not the end of it.

I was forced to take a leave of absence from school, made to move to Jersey City, dragged away from everything I knew.

My life.

My friends.

My school.

All to pay for Maggie’s sins.

“You owe me,” Maggie said.

“I don’t owe you shit, Maggie. And you know it.”

“Watch your mouth,” Eduardo, her righthand man hissed.

“Fuck off, Eddie,” I snarled.

No, I was not afraid of my sister or the two goons who constantly accompanied her.

Eddie and his brother Raul were both trained by Sigma International, one of the best security companies in the world. I knew they were good at what they did.

But so was I.

I didn’t spend a decade working under bosses like Nico Fury and Adrik Volkov to learn to be a choirboy, for fuck’s sake.

“It’s fine,” my sister snapped, raising her hand and sending them out with a flick of her wrist.

“Liam, I’m sorry for anything you went through. But look, we need this. It’s just you and me now. I did my best to protect you,” she said, and fuck, she was right.

It’s not that I was treated badly by the Vipers or the Volkovs, because I wasn’t. I just had to start from the ground up.

For the stuck up little mafia prince I’d been, it was quite a role reversal.

But Angel, Nico, and Luc all did right by me. They taught me things. Tested my mettle. Made me a better fucking man.

After I finished earning my college degree, they sent me to Volkov Industries. Now, college is all theories and philosophies, but inside Volkov Tower I was able to utilize my skills as both criminal and tech expert.

Sure, in a twisted way, I owed Maggie for that. Her fuckup was what sent me to them.

But this shit right here. What Maggie wanted me to do right now?

I wanted no fucking part of it.

“Miss O’Doyle, they’re ready in the other room,” Raul said from the other side of the door.

“Liam,” Maggie whispered, placing her hand on my shoulder. “If you do this, you will solidify the place of our family for generations. No one will be able to fuck with the O’Doyles again.”

Goddamn. Motherfucker.

I gritted my teeth. Maggie had a point. And even though I was glad my piece of shit father was buried six feet deep, I still had the old bastard’s name. I wouldn’t change it.

Not for anything.

I was Liam O’Doyle now, and bleaching away the stain of my paternal roots was my problem.

But this would make it easier.

I would have extra clout.

A whole fucking army standing behind me.

The only question I had was why.

Why would Michaela Volkov agree to marry me?

It made no sense.

My sister had something to do with this, I knew she did.

Michaela was the daughter of Adrik Volkov. The fucking Dark Wolf himself. And I couldn’t fathom a single fucking reason she’d willingly do this.

“Tell me how you got her to agree to this.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and put her hands on her slender hips.

“She just owes me, okay?”

“Owes you for what, Maggie?”

My sister huffed a breath and tapped her red fingernails against the emerald gown she had on.

Maggie always wore fucking green. A nod to our Irish heritage I supposed. Or maybe she just liked the dramatic way it brought out her red hair and verdant eyes.

I crossed my arms in front of me. Maggie sighed again. She knew how stubborn I was.

“Fine. A couple of years ago, I walked into a DJ booth at a little hot spot I’d heard about while visiting you. It was in Manhattan. Anyway, I found Michaela Volkov in a bad situation. I helped her, agreed to keep it under wraps, and she agreed to owe me one. This is my one, brother.”

“What kind of bad situation?” I asked, suddenly incensed.

“The kind too many women find themselves in. The kind where she was at the mercy of someone bigger, stronger, and stupid enough to try to touch her.”

“Who fucking touched her?” I growled.

“Why so territorial? Could it be you like the little princess?” Maggie scoffed.

I didn’t bother answering her.

There was some history there. I’d seen Michaela plenty of times when I worked at Volkov Towers. She was impossible to avoid.

Michaela had interned for the company and was always underfoot. I remembered her far too well.

“I’ve met Michaela before. Back when I worked for Volkov Industries. She was a spoiled brat, but if someone hurt her,” I muttered, only able to say half of what I was thinking.

She was beautiful. Smart, too. But she was just a spoiled little rich girl. One who took her good fortune and family ties for granted.

Still, if anyone hurt her, I’d have their fucking necks. My loyalty to Adrik demanded that.

“Don’t worry. I took care of it, brother. Now,” Maggie said, stepping forward and smoothing my lapels, “let me take care of you.”

“Maggie, I haven’t seen Michaela Volkov in years,” I said, trying to reason with my sister.

She was shallow enough to understand my reticence. But as if she prepared for this objection, Maggie handed me her phone. On the screen were photos of Adrik Volkov’s daughter.

My intended.

Holy. Fuck.

Michaela wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was more beautiful than I remembered. Her thick, glossy hair hung down her back in waves, like a river made of pure midnight.

My breath caught as I swiped my finger across the screen, revealing the next image. It was of her profile. Her eyes were closed and her head canted, and it took me a moment to realize the photo was taken while she was at the symphony.

I recognized the logo on the pamphlet she held tightly. Her naturally pink lips were curved down and her expression was heartbreaking, but so damn lovely.

I forced myself to breathe evenly as I swiped again. This time Michaela was smiling at someone, and my chest squeezed tight.

She was stunning when she smiled. I frowned, unable to see who she was looking at like that, and I found myself murderously jealous.

I wanted her smiles.

Me.

Mine.

I almost asked Maggie who the fuck she was with when that was taken, but I bit my tongue.

That was crazy, even for me.

But the truth was Michaela had grown into a stunning woman, gorgeously curved and plump in all the right places.

She still had the same dark, bewitching eyes and that pouty little mouth that begged to be kissed. But she was older. Not forbidden. In fact, she was in the next room.

Waiting for me.

My cock twitched at the idea, and I cleared my throat, refusing to get a boner in front of my sister.

“Well?” Maggie said, and I knew her patience was running thin.

I stared down at the screen, flipping back to the image of Michaela’s profile.

From what I recalled, she was a serious girl.

Studious.

Hardworking.

I imagined she had something to prove. And I could respect that.

There was no way I would have ever looked at her twice back when I worked for the Volkovs. She was the boss’ daughter. Underaged and off fucking limits.

Too green.

Too innocent.

But not anymore.

She was an adult now, playing adult games.

If Michaela owed my sister, then yeah, I could use that to my advantage.

This union could be the merger the O’Doyle’s needed to cement our legacy. It could change everything for me.

For us , I corrected myself and saw a gleam twinkle in my sister’s eye once she realized I was resigned to my fate.

“Okay. I’ll marry her,” I said impulsively.