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“Listen to her,” Eli said.

Her father scoffed. Actually spit on the marble tile. “You think you're in charge?”

Eli nodded. “I am.”

While she watched, he slipped a gun out of his sleeve. She had no idea he was holding it. And he looked really comfortable aiming it at her father.

The old man smiled as he patted his side. “Look at you with the gun. You think I don't have one?”

Eli didn't even blink. “You think I have only one?”

She didn't know Eli's skill level but she knew her father's ability to cheat and somehow even the playing field. “Elijah, please be careful.”

“You father doesn't scare me.” Eli's gaze never wavered from her father and that gun stayed steady. “Your son got away from you. Your daughter left. You're a petty criminal with a God complex.”

“I don't have a son. I have a waste of a stepson. A loser homo who—”

Eli slammed her father against the wall. Put an elbow against his throat and kept pressing even after he kicked and scraped his shoes on the tile. “Stop talking. I will kill you and not feel anything.”

She could see the killing hate in Eli's eyes. Feel his energy bouncing off the walls. She had no doubt he would take her father down. He'd said the wrong thing. Hurting her was bad enough. Going after Wade took Eli to the brink.

She was about to step in, try to calm the situation, when she heard Bast's firm voice. “Eli.”

She rushed over to him. Threw her body in front of his, ignoring her brother standing right there and the scene in front of her. “Bast, I can explain.”

“He knows the score, girl. He's gotten the goods without paying and now he will.”

Bast gave her arms a squeeze as he set her aside and moved to stand right next to Eli. Bast's gaze traveled over her father with his mouth twisted in a look of disdain. “Get the fuck out of my house.”

Kyra's attention bounced between the men as tension thickened the air. The standoff stretched on and Eli didn't look one inch closer to backing down. Bast looked ready to unleash his bodyguard.

“Eli, let him go.” Wade didn't move from the other side of the room. Didn't have to. At the sound of his voice, Eli dropped his arm.

Her father reached for his throat as coughs doubled him over. When he stood up straight again hate poured off him. “The prodigal son returns.”

“You should leave.” That was all Wade said. Three words with so much anger.

Kyra had never seen him look more lethal. All dressed in black with a dark mood hovering over him. And that was nothing compared to the rage coloring Bast's cheeks and pulling down the corners of his mouth.

She saw it but her father didn't look even a little impressed with the joint fury aimed in his direction. “Nah. Not happening.”

“You have two seconds to get out of my house.” Bast stepped in closer, trapping her father with his back against the entry hall wall. “And then you are going to leave Kyra alone. Only talk to her if she calls you. If she feels the urge to have a father-daughter breakfast, you will show up and never talk about scams or jobs or bringing her back into the fold.”

She didn't know if Bast believed she set him up. At that moment she didn't care. His deep voice fired off at her father. She'd never seen him this consumed with hate, this determined to make a point. None of it matched who she knew him to be. Now she saw the underlying steel. She got that he had a river of anger he could tap into and it made her believe he could beat her father when so many others had failed.

Her father laughed. “And you, with your prep school background and big suits, are going to make this happen?”

“Yes.”

“Son, you don't know anything about the streets. My daughter has been working you and you bought into it. You let her lure you into bed.”

She rushed to dispel that idea before it took hold. “That's not true.” She reached for Bast but Eli blocked her path.

“You're not understanding me.” Bast never broke eye contact with her father. “I don't need Eli's gun or Wade's fists. I don't even need to ask the powerful people I know to step in. Because I'll take you out myself. Don't let the house and the suit and the legal degree fool you. You come near her, you bother her, and I will make your time in prison feel like a fucking birthday party.”

Her heart hammered in her ears and her chest. It beat so loud and so strong she didn't know how it didn't echo through the room. “Listen to Bast. He's not kidding.”

“You won't let this guy come between us.” But her father's voice lacked conviction. This time his eyes darted and his shoes slid on the floor and he struggled to stay upright.

“Yes, she will.” Wade delivered the final comment.

She thought there was only one thing to add. “Get out.”

Eli shifted around, keeping his gun up as he guided her father toward the door. “If you step back on this property, I'll assume you're trying to rob the place and shoot you.”

Her father looked over Eli's shoulder, directing his hate-filled spew at Wade. “This is your fault. Your fucking influence. She's fine without you around. Always was.”

“That's enough.” Bast opened the front door.

They were so close to ending this without violence. Kyra tried to get them there. “Listen to him.”

Her father scowled. “Your so-called boyfriend.”

“The man who will make your life a shitstorm if you don't slink away right now.” With that, Bast tugged on the older man's arm and shoved him out the front door.

Her father turned and took one last shot. “This isn't over.”

“It feels over.” And for the first time, she thought it really did.

•   •   •

Eli waited until the smoke cleared to lower his gun. Unlocking his arms took a second, but he pushed out the rage and let his body come back down. The hit to the shoulder came out of nowhere.

“Hey.” Wade stood right in front of Eli, hand out and looking for a fight. “Why didn't you tell me Kyra was living here?”

He had to be fucking kidding. “When would I have done that? You don't return texts or call me back.”

Kyra stood next to them. “Guys, really. Not now. My friend is outside and needs help.”

“She's fine. I locked her in my apartment and Becca is on the way to take her home.” But Kyra was right about the rest. There had been enough heat and stress. Eli backed up a step and nodded. He could go downstairs and—

Wade took another step and got right back in Eli's face. “How about when I was at your house. You had no problem talking when we were in bed.”

If Wade wanted a fight, Eli decided to give him one. Forget the audience. Forget their history. Eli had reached the end of his patience. “You left so damn fast after I couldn't tell you anything. Hell you didn't even put your pants on first.”

“Kyra is right. This isn't the right time for this,” Bast said.

“Then when?” Eli knew his boss was right but the anger erupted and Eli couldn't stop it. “Your sister is dating my boss. It's not my business.”

Wade thumped a palm against his chest. “It was my business.”

“Then talk to them.” Eli's shout ricocheted off the chandelier.

“Everyone stop talking about me like I'm not here.” Kyra put a hand on her brother's arm and one on Eli's. “Wade, enough. I am a grown woman and my sex life is not your concern. “

“That makes me want to punch Bast,” Wade mumbled.

“Right now I think I could take you,” Bast said almost at the same time.

“Eli saved me. He walked in here and made sure I was okay. Maybe instead of yelling and blaming and harboring whatever old grudge you have against him, you should realize you have feelings for him and work them out.”

“We aren't talking about my love life.” Most of the fury had left Wade's voice but he still stood frozen, as if he could go off again.

Eli understood that part. His anger hung around him like a coat, weighing down everything. The suffocation got to be too much and he headed down the hall and away from the verbal battles.

The last thing he heard was Kyra's voice. “Maybe we should be.”

Kyra needed air. She stepped outside as the men talked behind her, taking turns discussing something that didn't matter right then. She was too busy standing on the front steps, watching her father's car speed down the street, narrowly missing two parked cars.

“Kyra.”

She heard her name and her gaze shot to the sidewalk over to her left. Gena stood there. Kyra ran down the steps and hugged her. “I am so sorry.”

“I can explain.” Gena came to the bottom of the steps.

Kyra stopped her with a lift of her hand. “You don't have to. I get it. Get him.”

“He showed up. I opened my door and he was there, complaining about you not calling.” Gena wiped a tear away. “When he left I used the extra key and went into your apartment.”

“Why?”

“To find your boyfriend's address.”

“Then you headed over here to warn me.” Kyra spent most of her life not trusting people and not having friends. Opening up to Gena had been so hard and they weren't always on the same page, but they were now.

“I didn't know your father was following me.”

Kyra ached for her friend. She could see the anguish on Gena's face and the hurt in her eyes. “That's who he is.”

Gena twisted her hands together in front of her. “I'm so sorry.”

She looked ready to cry and Kyra couldn't handle that right now. Her insides felt raw and beaten. One more hit and she'd go down. “I'm sorry you got sucked into his net.”

“It wasn't your fault.” Gena grabbed Kyra's hand. “I would have done anything to make sure you were okay.”

Becca pulled up and got out of the car. She didn't say anything or move closer.

Humbled and exhausted, Kyra tried to flash Gena a small smile. “My friend Becca will take you home and stay with you. I'll call to check on you once I get done here.”

Gena nodded. “I'll be fine. You do what you need for you.”

Kyra wondered what that was, but she no longer wondered if she'd ever have friends because she clearly did.

•   •   •

Bast caught Kyra when she came back in and got to the bottom of the stairs. He'd asked Wade and Eli to give them some space and Wade reluctantly left. Eli stomped off. Bast had no idea where either of them was now, but they could be lurking, which made having a serious conversation with Kyra even more difficult.

Maybe he shouldn't anyway. He was way off his game.

Adrenaline still pounded him. He balled his hands into fists and walked around his entryway. Anything to burn off some of this extra energy. They were headed for a fight and if he started out yelling, she would shut down, so he had to wrestle the energy bursts and gain some control.

He could read her body language and see the showdown coming. Confronting her friend on the front porch only had her shoulders collapsing in farther. But she had to know he never wanted to see her father in his house again. Never wanted to feel the paralyzing fear of not knowing if she was okay. If he was going to be too late getting to her.

“Tell me why you kept this from me.” That ate at Bast. The idea they slept together every night, talked all day on the phone, and she couldn't tell him her father had been hounding her. Bast would have stepped in and helped, but she denied him that chance until everything exploded.

“What are you talking about?”

The confused frown was a nice touch but playing stupid didn't suit her. It also sent his temper skyrocketing. “You'd been in touch with your father before today.”

“Yes.”

“You told me you didn't speak with him.” Bast remembered fragments of a conversation about her father, but the bottom line he got was they were not in contact.

“I never said that.” When Bast started to argue, she cut him off. “It doesn't matter. The point is he destroys everything he touches.”

“True, but that's not good enough, Kyra.” The piece she wanted to smooth over did matter and they needed to talk it through.

“He wanted me to set you up. He clearly used Gena and followed her. She could have been hurt.” Kyra dropped her head into her hands.

The need to go to her, hold her, bombarded him, threatening to pull him under. But he needed the distance. One touch and they'd never get this out. It would fester. He'd let that happen with Lena and wouldn't do the same with Kyra.

He cleared his throat and tries again. “I'm asking—”

“No.” She lifted her head and the devastation was so clear on her face. From the pale skin to the bleak fear in her eyes. “You don't understand how he corrupts every good thing around him. I don't want to talk about him or even think about him. Ever.”

Bast went to her then. Lifted his hands to touch her. “I get that but we need closure on this.”

She flinched and moved away. “That was about my life. Not about you.”

The words sliced through him. Ripped and diced until he expected to see blood on the floor. “Everything about you involves me.”

There wasn't a part of his life she didn't touch. Her presence took over his home. He thought about her at work. She had him rushing around during the workday instead of finishing off Natalie's case. No woman had ever distracted him from the job. Until Kyra.

She snorted at him. Made the annoying noise and waved off his words. “Since when?”

“You're living here.” He couldn't think of a more obvious example.

“As a convenience. To keep me safe. For you to have an eager sex partner.”

“I never said that.” Jesus, this had gone upside down and sideways. He walked in wanting to protect her and now they were ripping into each other.

“You keep your distance. You come up with excuses why we can't be together.” The life drained out of her. Every bit of life left her face. “You refuse to admit you feel something for me.”

The accusation kicked him in the gut. He didn't have a defense, but he did have the truth. “I do.”

“What? Can you name it? God knows you're hiding it well.”

Eli and Wade hovered somewhere nearby and Bast's nerves still misfired from the incident with her father. Anything he said now would be wrong.

And he didn't know what to say. It was that simple. Wade could give his blessing and Jarrett could offer advice, but Bast wallowed alone in this one. The chance of being with her sat right out in front of him but there were so many reasons not to grab on to it.

He inhaled, trying to force his mind on the right topic and his brain back to reality. “We're talking about your decision to work with your father.”

She sat down hard on a step. “Is that what you think this was? Me conning you.”

“I didn't say that.”

She threw him a wide-eyed glare. “God, how can such a smart man be so damn stupid.”

“Name-calling?” He didn't accept that from anyone. “Look, you have the right to be angry.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“But there are limits.” He tried a mental countdown. When that failed, he went back to talking. “Kyra, I am trying to hold back my temper.”

“Don't.”

“What?”

“Lose it.” She stood up, which forced him to take a step back or be on top of her. “Let me know this is getting to you. That the idea of losing me matters even a little.”

Losing her
. The idea skidded across his brain and he kicked it out again. “You aren't going anywhere.”

“Because you say so.”

She was slowly driving him insane. She argued and challenged and didn't believe him when he told her she meant something. Maybe scaring her would have some impact. “The danger out there is still very real.”

“You are going to dance around this all day, aren't you? You talk about my father and your case so you don't have to discuss the real problem.”

Bast felt the conversation slip further out of his grasp. “Which is?”

“How can you not know?”

He needed her to just say it. Whatever it was, spit it out. “Don't play games. I told you I had enough of that with my first marriage.”

Anger flooded her face. Her jaw clenched and her cheeks flushed. “I am not your ex. I am not the line of women you fucked after her.”

Red fury swam in front of his eyes. “This is suddenly about my sexual past?”

“It's about your refusal to move into the future.” She turned and headed up the steps. “When you're ready, let me know.”

That fast, panic crashed over his anger, wiping it out. “You cannot leave here.”

She didn't even bother to turn around. “My safety. Right. I got it.”