I could hear myself wheezing as I focused on breathing. But there wasn't enough air for me to talk. My eyes began to bulge as the cord cut into my throat.

"Does she know?" Virgo looked at the man behind me, giving him a slight nod. The cord suddenly loosened a hair, just enough for me to say a few quiet words.

"Does she know what?"

"Does she know who you are—does she know what you are?"

"She knows enough." My voice was scratchy, holding half the baritone it normally had.

"I don't think she does." His smile thickened to a devilish grin. "I don't think she knows enough about you. If she did, she would have run back to me."

"I'm not playing your f.u.c.king games, Virgo." Wriggling my fingers, I was able to get just the very tips under the rope.

"It's not a game, Bentley, it's the truth. Does she know who your father is?"

"She knows enough," I snapped, baring my teeth. Sweat was dripping down my forehead, stinging my eyes as I tried to figure out a way to get free.

I wasn't sure where he was going with this. She knew I killed people, she knew my father killed people, she knew enough to paint her own picture. What more was there?

You know what he's talking about.

But she's not strong enough to hear it.

She didn't need any details of how we did our job or the names of the people we killed. Jessie was smart enough to understand everything without all the morbid details. And the real truth, she couldn't handle that yet.

"I don't think she does." His voice was smooth and confident. "But she will. Any last words you want to tell her?"

Following his eyes, I turned slightly to look at the door. In the back of my head, I knew what he was doing. He was going to f.u.c.king kill me.

You can't f.u.c.king kill me, not when I'm already dead inside.

The door opened slowly, and Vin walked in holding Jessie by the neck. Her face was beet red, her lip was split, trickling blood down her chin.

She's a fighter. That's the only reason she's still alive at all.

"Here she is boss." Giving her a gentle nudge, he let her go. "Anything else?"

"No, you can go, Vin."

Jessie had this look on her face. She was f.u.c.king p.i.s.sed. Her mouth was tight, rolled down in the corners. Her eyes were jagged, shooting razors in Virgo's direction. She didn't even look at me, her gaze anch.o.r.ed on her enemy.

"Where's Aubrey?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"Who?"

"Don't play f.u.c.king stupid. Where is she?" Balling her fists at her sides, her breathing became faster as she clutched the flower in her palm. "Vin said she's gone. What the h.e.l.l does that mean?"

"Oh, her," he mocked, arching his brows high. "You two were trouble together, so I sold her." Looking down at her hand, Virgo smiled. "What do you have there?" Stepping forward, he s.n.a.t.c.hed the flower from her fingers.

"I gave her that. It's for her to keep, not for you take away from her."

The sound of my voice forced Jessie to whip her head in my direction. Our eyes met, hers growing wide and full of tears as she absorbed the sight of me on my knees.

"What's happening? What are you doing to him?" Taking a small step forward, she clutched the side of her head, pulling her hair tight against her scalp.

"It's so sweet he gave you a flower." Bringing the flower to his nose, Virgo inhaled a deep breath. "You're in love, Bentley. I wish your father was here to see this."

"Leave my father out of this."