Page 85 of Reckless Dynasty (Knight's Ridge Empire 9)

“What?” Stella demands, having seen our silent conversation.

“Let’s check the rest of this place out and head back, see what they’ve managed to beat out of those two guys,” Seb says bravely. “Ow, fuck,” he cries when Stella grabs his nipple through his shirt and twists.

“Start fucking talking, Papatonis,” she growls. “You do not leave me out of this shit anymore, remember?”

“We’ll leave you with that,” Nico says, shoving me toward the stairs. “He should just be glad that wasn’t his balls.”

“Pretty sure she’s already got them stored safely in her handbag,” I quip as I try to push aside the fact that I’m about to walk into Jodie’s room, be surrounded by everything that is her but not know where the fuck she is.

But as bad as I know it’s going to be, it’s still nothing compared to the reality of stepping inside her room and breathing in her sweet scent.

“Fuck,” I grunt, lifting my hand and fisting my shirt right over the pain in my chest. “Baby, where are you? Where’s he taken you?”

My eyes scan the room as if the answer is going to jump out at me. But there’s nothing. Nothing but pain, loss, and regrets.

Dropping down onto the end of her bed, I hang my head as all the things I should have done differently with her float through my mind.

I shake my head, my fists curling until my nails dig into my palms as I refuse to believe that he’s going to beat us. Beat me.

He trained me better than this. I should be able to see through his plans.

Squeezing my eyes closed, I think back to that video call when he was talking to her all those weeks ago.

He told her that they’d be together again. That they could be a family again. Is that what this is about? Has he just run off into the sunset with them?

Shit.

A thought hits me, and I bolt upright.

No. Surely she didn’t know about this?

“What’s wrong?” Nico asks, appearing in her doorway.

“Do you think she wanted this?” I ask, my heart sinking further with every second that passes.

“No,” he states without even missing a beat. “There’s no way. She just told you to kill him,” he reminds me.

“But she might have known he was going to have been gone.”

“Nah, man. You’re reading too much into it. There’s no fucking way she’d ever choose him over you.”

“You can’t say that. You’ve never seen him with her.”

Hell, I’ve never seen him with her. But I’ve heard the way she used to talk about her dad before she found out the truth, and she only believed he was her stepdad then.

“What if she never forgave me and all of this has been—”

“You’re talking shit. That girl fucking loves you, man. Stop letting your fears overrule you.”

He stands before me, giving me little choice but to crane my neck to look up at him.

“I’m not, I’m just—”

“Being a fucking pussy. Jodie isn’t a liar. She isn’t her father. You’re it for her, bro. And right now, both her and Joanne need you fucking fighting for them.”

I stare at him, my eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“When the fuck did you get so wise?”

“I didn’t. I’ve just spent the past few weeks watching you two sappy shits fall deeper in love with each other. Stop questioning whether you’re good enough, whether she wants the real you. Because you are good enough.”

“I’m not sure I like you like this,” I confess. “But I fucking appreciate it.”

Pushing to my feet, I wrap my arms around him and slap him on the back in an attempt to keep it manly.

“Fucking love you, man. I’d do anything to keep that smile she puts on your face.”

“I guess we’d better go and figure out how to find her then.”