Page 48 of Savage Protector

“It was a figure of speech.” Their good-natured bickering faded as they left the office, leaving Vaughan and me on our own once the door closed. While I appreciated their banter and the sense of certain things never changing, their presence had exhausted me.

Now, I could drop the jovial act, though I hadn’t exactly tried hard to maintain it. “You got the information I sent you?” I asked Vaughn as he sat behind his desk. “The bank account, passwords, all of it?”

“I did.” He could drop the act, too, frowning in concern. He still didn’t know exactly what I planned to do tonight, but it didn’t take a genius to read my attitude and instructions for what they meant. “Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”

“I’m doing the only thing I can.” It was all I knew for sure as I handed him one last thing—an envelope containing a final message that I’d written out earlier. “I’ll let you know when it’s over. Give her this letter before giving her all of the other information. And if I don’t call you… give it to her, anyway.”

“Don’t talk like that,” he warned with a firm headshake. “I won’t accept it. I'll see you later.”

“Do one more thing for me,” I asked, standing in front of him, buttoning my jacket. “Don’t tell her. She doesn’t need to know what’s happening tonight.”

“I don’t know what’s happening tonight.” When I scowled, he shrugged. “Whatever you say.” It was obvious from his choice of words and the look on his face that he didn’t agree with my choices, but I wasn’t asking him to. I didn’t need his approval. Only I knew the full story and everything that was at stake. It was better that way, safer for him.

Everything was in place according to a text one of my guys sent as I took the elevator down to the first floor. My weak, traitorous heart urged me to stop one more time, to say goodbye to Scarlet, but I didn’t dare. The idea was to spare her future pain, and I couldn’t do that if I couldn’t manage to leave her alone. She’ll understand one day. I had to be okay with that. It had to be enough.

In less than twenty-four hours, I took the familiar route to my parents’ home for the second time. It was the only place Dad could suggest where he knew Dominic wouldn’t be spooked. He’d let his guard down, assuming there would be no violence under my mother’s roof. Of course, he didn’t know Mom was away on a surprise, last-minute trip to visit family in New York. At this very moment, she was probably thanking her lucky stars for having such a generous husband who would surprise her like that.

By the time she came back, it would all be over.

If, of course, my father didn’t betray me tonight. He could double-cross me, but I could only hope he was trustworthy. That was part of the reason for the urgency, getting him to go through with this without giving him time to second-guess anything.

The lights were on throughout the house when I arrived, pulling into the garage as we planned, parking where Dominic couldn’t easily find me. Three of my most trusted guys were already waiting inside, having parked a few blocks down before walking the rest of the way. Pete, Karl, and Vincent were among the few men I could rely on for more than intel and security. They weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, and I wasn’t about to go into this without backup. I had already seen for myself how fickle my father’s loyalty could be.

“Everything is going smoothly,” Vincent assured me before we entered the house through the garage door. I led the way down the hall to where Dad was waiting in his study, nursing a glass of scotch when we arrived. His eyes widened a little when he took in the sight of who I’d brought with me. The three of them could have been linebackers or bouncers.

“It’s about time,” he announced, standing, wearing a sour expression as he ran a hand over his hair like he was making sure it was in place. “He’s due any minute.”

“This is the right thing,” I reminded him, echoing what we’d discussed before he broke down and agreed to work with me. “This is the only way. He’s out of control and pulling everybody into his personal vendetta.”

“I know.” Downing the rest of his drink, he set the glass aside. “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll go down to the basement now. He’s due any minute. But one of you stay up here in case he’s got anybody with him,” he suggested.

“Good thinking.” I nodded to Pete. “Take care of anybody who hangs around outside. Text me when it’s done.” He took my orders silently, returning to the garage while I led Vincent and Karl to the basement door. Dad had explained he was in the middle of having the basement finished as a recreation room, meaning most of what was down there had been moved out before new flooring was laid. By the time Mom got home from her trip, all evidence of this night would be covered up.

This was what Dominic had done. He’d turned me into the man I’d always sworn I would never be.

“I want you to stay back and let me handle this on my own,” I told the guys, handing Vincent my gun. This couldn’t be a quick kill. He needed to suffer. For Scarlet. For Jack. “But take the fucker out if he gets me somehow.”

It wasn’t another minute before Dad’s voice rang out upstairs. “I want you to see how I’m laying it all out. I ordered the pool table, a bar, and everything. It’ll be a real guy’s club down there.”

“Make sure I get an invitation.” Dominic’s voice found its way down to me, heating my blood. The two of them chatted as they drew closer. My phone buzzed—Pete’s confirmation. He had neutralized Dominic’s driver.

A man had died at my orders. I felt nothing. Maybe I would someday, but not tonight. Not when footsteps started down the stairs. Not when the man I’d sought out for weeks appeared before me, only noticing the three of us waiting for him when it was too late. Dad blocked his escape up the stairs, and soon Vincent joined him.

“What the fuck is this?” Dominic turned on his heel, grunting at Dad. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“What needs to be done.” Dad stopped on the bottom step, looking sorrowful but determined. “You’ve brought too much heat on all of us. I am sorry. Truly.”

Dominic swung around so he could glare at me, lifting his lip in a snarl. “So this is how you chose to do it? You can’t face me like a man, so you run to Daddy and have him bring me here with some bullshit story about my father’s disappearance?” Barking out a bitter laugh, he shot Dad a look over his shoulder. “So you found proof of what happened to him, huh? You backstabbing old prick.”

I knew it was the only way to get him to show himself. Sliding out of my jacket, I handed it to Karl, never taking my eyes off Dominic. “Since you’ve been so hard to track down lately, I had to get a little help. We could’ve settled this man-to-man,” I added, smirking. “But you turned tail and ran. Funny how that happens when you piss off everybody, and they all have to wash their hands of you. And for what? Getting back at me?”

“Fuck you,” he spat. Did he know his time was winding down? He had to. It would explain the sweat beading on his upper lip, and the wild look in his eyes as they darted around the room like he was searching for a way out. He would never find it. There was no exit except through the door at the top of the stairs, and there was no chance of him getting that far.

“That’s right. Get it out of your system.” I rolled up my sleeves, savoring every moment of the panic he tried and failed to hide. “I’ll even make it fair for you. I could’ve pulled a gun the second you walked in, right? Instead, I’m going to give you the chance to defend yourself.”

Flexing and relaxing my fists, I chuckled. “And I want you to know that I’ll be thinking of her every fucking time my fist makes contact. Every time you hit her. Every time you terrified her. I want you to feel what she felt. I want you to know that helplessness. And you will,” I promised.

“You think so?” Lifting his chin, he stripped off his jacket and let it fall to the floor. I nodded to Karl, who took a step toward him to do a pat down.