Page 31 of The Hitman's Prince

“Better than his father.” Something flashed across his face with the comment, but we were past the streetlight and back in the shadows before my brain could piece together his expression.

“Do you want to talk about that?” I asked.

Orion tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Not with you.”

“With anyone?”

He ignored me, working his jaw and grinding his teeth until we pulled into the garage at Vince’s townhome. And once we were safe in the garage, the door closed behind us, Orion’s shoulders sagged with an unspoken—yet recognizable—relief.

I knew the signs because my body reacted exactly the same.

Chapter 23

Vince

Somewhere along the line, I’d lost the plot entirely.

I’d never wanted the power my father had always held so tightly to, and I never wanted a person to share it with, let alonepersons. And yet I’d still sent Orion after the priest. I’d sentOrion, a man I’d been obsessed with to varying degrees since I was a teenager, a man who served my father without question, a man who served me…

He served me better than anyone else ever would. His betrayal was a sharp reminder that love was a liability.

I didn’t need Orion to know that, though. Gideon, Fletcher, Daren, and their little group of fucking idiots was enough for me to see that love could ruin dynasties. It was more than that with Orion, the pain of his confession layered on the beauty of his submission, served as amuch-needed call to not forget who I was and what my name represented.

It was hard when he was in my space. When my cock was in his mouth, and he looked like I’d given him the world by letting him suckle on me. Hard when he drew blood on another man because I told him to. Because it pleased me and above all else—now at least—Orion wanted to please me. And it was hard when Jacob let it all play out, when the desperation for pain was so clear on his face he’d let a stranger whip him and make him bleed and bandage him up. He’d let a stranger pull him away from the sanctuary of church and walk him right into the lion’s den.

With my mind racing, I locked up my office and headed for the bedroom. Stripped out of my clothes and padded barefoot and naked into the shower. I pressed my forehead against the cool tile wall while the hot water sluiced down the back of my neck, and I waited for Orion to return with my newest toy.

Was I the same as my father?

I imagined I was worse.

He’d always been clear who he was and what he was about, but there was no way for me to do the same because I had no idea about myself. I didn’t know who I was without his oversight and his control. It was probably the same kind of thing Gideon and Fletcher were going through. It started as a feeling under the skin, something indescribable beyond the knowing it was just not right. And that feeling bubbled and blistered until it wasimpossible to ignore, and only after the first spot was lanced and relief was found did you realize there was so much more to come.

Most importantly, I needed to decide what to do with all the mess my father had left behind. There was money coming from so many places, going to so many other places. Admittedly, the sheer volume of income he’d been receiving from Miller Sinclair and Francis North was astounding. I didn’t believe there to be any stretch of the imagination where Fletcher and Gideon would continue those payments, which left a gaping hole in the bottom line and I had bills that needed to be paid.

Fuck.

I finished the shower.

Not bothering to dry off, I went back to my office—still naked—where I sat down and called Fletcher. He answered quickly, which surprised me considering how many men clamored for his attention over there on campus.

“Vince,” he greeted, sounding rightfully suspicious. “If you’re looking for Daren, he’s out with Luca.”

“I wasn’t, but that’s good to know.”

“What, then?” he asked.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Fletcher made an unhappy sound and then clothing rustled. “You’re not interrupting.”

His tone made it clear I was definitely interrupting, and I found some sense of relief that enough of the hierarchy was still intact. Fletcher stopped whatever godforsakensex act he was in the middle of to answer my call because he knew I still held power over him and all of his boyfriends.

I dropped my head against the back of my chair with an exhale I hoped he didn’t hear through the phone.

“We need to meet soon,” I told him, glancing toward the doorway when I heard the garage open up. “Discuss some changes.”

“What kind of changes?”