Page 124 of The Devil's Deceit

“What are you talking about? You’re incredibly smart.”

He pulls his lips to one side. “I’ve lost count of the number of meetings I’ve sat in over the years, where a subject is being discussed, and Xan is all over it like the fucking genius he is, and Nicholas would jump in with fifty suggestions off the bat. Even Tobias and Saskia would be fully engaged, offering solutions to problems. Meanwhile, I’d sit there struggling to catch on to the direction of travel, and by the time I did, the subject had moved on already.”

“Christian.” I shake my head. “I can’t believe you’re saying this, that you believe it. We all have differing skillsets, things we’re good at and things that we’re not. Have you considered that your brothers’ rapid-fire way of approaching a problem isn’tyourway of learning or contributing?”

“No, I hadn’t.”

“Well, maybe you should.”

He smiles, brushing the back of his hand over my cheek. “I do like it when you scold me.”

“Stop deflecting. What did your family say when you told them what you’ve told me?”

A faint blush steals over his cheekbones. “They were a little taken aback but supportive.”

“So, nothing like you expected.”

“No.”

“Funny that.”

Grinning, he encircles my waist, and I soak up hisstrength, resting my head on his chest. “What do you want to do about your uncle?”

I lean back so I can look into his eyes. “He’s still alive, then?”

“You think I’d have had him killed before talking to you?”

“It would’ve been an understandable reaction, considering he abducted you and beat you up, and for all I know would’ve done much worse if you hadn’t escaped.” A question occurs to me—one I hadn’t had the opportunity to ask until now. “Howdidyou escape?”

“By having the right technology and the right contacts.” Letting me go for a minute, he lifts the sleeve on his shirt. “This watch has a built-in tracker with an emergency beacon. Before the gas your uncle released into the car took effect, I managed to activate it. That sent a message to a man called Patrick Mahoney, who heads up the Irish mafia and is… I guess you could say on retainer to my family. He happened to be in London with his brothers and came to get me.”

This sounds like the plot of a thriller movie. I should be more shocked, except I’m not. “What if he hadn’t been in London?”

“He has a large organization. He’d have sent someone else.”

“So, he’s like…. The Godfather?”

He chuckles. “If the time comes when you meet him, I beg of you don’t say that to him. The man already suffers from a huge ego. Let’s not encourage him.”

“I’m happy to give him a swerve. He sounds scary.”

“He is, which is why I’m pretty sure the last couple of weeks haven’t been a barrel of laughs for your uncle.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“No, but wherever Mahoney’s holding him, it won’t be The Ritz.”

Funnily enough, I don’t care. I hope Daniel is crapping himself. Actions have consequences. His set in motion a chain of events that could have led to disaster.

And now it’s time for me to face the consequences of my actions. All this time I believed that Christian was culpable for my parents’ deaths, yet his only ‘crime’ was a fear of disappointing his family, and a determination to ensure Arron and I didn’t think badly of ours.

“Can I think about it? I want to talk to my brother before anything’s decided.”

“Of course.”

“And if I decide I want you to let him go?”

“Then, that’s what I’ll do.”