Page 23 of Scarred Heir

“Milo.” She caught my hand before I could walk away. “Thank you for helping me.”

“Keep in mind what I said.” I let go of her hand, because if I didn’t stop touching her, I would never leave. “I’m not the hero in this scenario.”

“I’m not going to back out of our arrangement.”

As if I would let you.

SIX

Sable

Once we pulledinto the driveway of the Accetti estate, the uneasiness that had been brewing in my stomach intensified. I couldn’t shake the feeling that coming to this house was a mistake. It was as if I was certain that once I left here, I would never be the same.

What choice did I have? We were broke, Chance had fallen in with the wrong people because he was young and delusional. He was trying to provide for us, but he went about it the wrong way. Now it was my turn to protect him.

“Look at this place,” Chance said. “It’s huge.”

“Bigger than anything we’ve ever seen.”

“Sable,” he said. “I still think this is a colossal mistake. We swapped one gangster for another. No good can come of this.”

“I’m not getting into this with you again.” I pointed at him. “You fucked up, and I fixed it.”

“At your own expense.”

“Well, maybe next time you won’t put me in that position.” I patted his cheek. “I can get through this. Just don’t piss Milo off. Don’t make this difficult.”

“We passed difficult hours ago.”

“After this is over, we can move forward with our plan to start over somewhere else. Somewhere less dangerous.”

“Do you think that’s possible?” he asked, and I saw the uncertain boy I remembered as a child. Always looking to me for the answers I tried so hard to provide.

“This isn’t the first snag we’ve hit.” Chance and I had been through a lot during our short lives, but we managed to get by. We dodged Bello tonight. All I had to do was survive Milo.

When the SUV stopped in front of the massive house, illuminated by soft, white lights, Milo hurried down the porch steps. He had removed his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, allowing me to see a tattoo of two hands in a prayer position surrounded by black roses in the center of his upper chest.

As he came toward the car door, his shirt swayed from his body, revealing more intricate ink along his ribcage, but I couldn’t make out what the tattoos were. I tried not to stare when he opened my door, but his chiseled abs and lean stomach made it difficult not to ogle him.

I am so out of my league.

“You kept your word,” Milo said as he extended his hand. “I’m impressed.”

“I said I would.” I let him help me out of the SUV that was lifted about six feet off the ground.

“I figured once Chance got your ear after I left, the two of you would have fled.”

Chance did his best to get me to reconsider, but Milowas our best option while I figured out how to get us on our feet.

“I did have eyes on you the whole time, so you wouldn’t have gotten very far.” With my hand still in his hold, Milo stuck his head in the SUV. “You’re going about a quarter mile up the road to the pool house.”

“Why is he going there?” I asked.

“That’s where he’s staying.” Milo didn’t turn to look at me as he continued to speak to Chance. “Ricardo, one of my guys, will be looking after you until I figure out what my best option is for you. Don’t give him any trouble.”

“He won’t.” I looked over Milo’s shoulder and into the car. “Right?”

“What plans do you have for my sister?” Chance asked. “Why can’t she come with me?”