Page 69

Matthias

I’m done sitting around. Done waiting. Done playing it safe.

I’m Matthias Montclair, damn it!

They should fear me. They should flinch at my name. No one should ever feel comfortable enough to come after what’s mine.

Margot is safe because she’s mine, but they don’t know. Not yet. I need to claim her. Publicly. Once the world knows she belongs to me, she’ll be protected by more than just security. She’ll have the full force of the Syndicate behind her.

I grab my phone and call Dom.

“I’m not hiding anymore. I’m taking Margot out. Once people see she’s mine, they’ll back off. She’ll be protected.”

“That’s not a good idea. Rom–”

“Fuck that! I’m doing it. I’m done waiting. Margot deserves more than being locked away.”

He sighs. “Matthias, Roman caught one. He got some info out of him. It’s bad.”

He quiets.

My whole body stills. “Spit it out.”

“There’s a bounty on Margot. A big one. They think she’s responsible for the men who disappeared. Her name and picture are being passed around. Anyone who sees her will try to take her.”

No.

No.

“We killed those men. She’s innocent,” I rasp. My vision narrows. A fucking bounty. On my sweet girl .

Dom hesitates. “It’s not dead or alive. They want her breathing.”

My stomach drops.

“Don’t say it like that’s better. You and I both know what they’d do to her. If they got their hands on her…”

I can’t finish the sentence. I won’t give that nightmare life.

“As long as she stays on your property, she’s safe. Your security is airtight. And no one knows you’re connected.”

“That’s the problem. They don’t know she’s mine. That’s why we need to be seen together. If she’s claimed, they’ll back off.”

“You think that’ll be enough? Do you really want to risk it?”

“I would never put her in danger.” I grind the words out, insulted he even implied it.

“I know. It needs to be somewhere secure. Controlled. What were you thinking?”

I start to answer when my computer chimes with a message from my assistant, asking if I’m attending this weekend’s event.

Perfect.

“A charity gala. Saturday night.”

Dom snorts. “Don’t you hate those things?”

“Not when my sweet girl is by my side. ”

Showing her off. Making it clear she belongs to me. Every man in the room will know she’s mine. And every woman will know I’m taken.

“Fine. I’ll place my men at the entrance. Only vetted guests will enter. I assume there’s no need for inside detail if she’s glued to your side.”

“Exactly. No one will get to her.”

Relief floods through me. This is the beginning of the end. Once she’s seen on my arm, this entire situation will shift. She’ll be protected. She’ll be safe.

“Don’t forget your gun this time.”

He ends the call before I can reply.

I turn to the feed. Margot sits in Benny’s room, playing with him, arms flailing as she laughs. Her whole body lights up when she does.

My lips twitch into a smile.

Now, I have some shopping to do.