lives. Does he know what was promised to his father?”
Recalling Antonio’s interest in Lisbeth when he saw her at the arena, I assumed he did. In the silence that lingered between my adoptive father and me, I was daring him to tell me differently.
“It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Who killed all those people that night? Lisbeth was led to believe it was the man she was being sold to, but if he died, then it must have been someone else.”
Franklin rolled his eyes.
“How the fuck should I know? I wasn’t there.”
I slammed my hands against his desk again, but rather than diving across to rip his head from his shoulders, I forced myself back to the chair.
Settling my weight, I hooked one foot over a knee and stared at a man who was quickly becoming a problem.
“You’re lying to me about something, Franklin. And while I appreciate the help you’ve given me in my life, I’m not opposed to ending yours if I find out you’re doing something behind my back. So, why don’t you come clean now, and tell me what we both know you haven’t mentioned the entire time I’ve been the head of this fucking family?”
A moment of indecision crept past, his thoughts spinning so fast they were making me dizzy. What could be going on inside that head? I wondered. My patience was wearing thin just as he opened his mouth to admit something he obviously preferred remain hidden.
“Antonio is aware that Lisbeth was promised because she was intended for him. After she disappeared the night of her ball, we assumed she was dead. Without his father, he wasn’t able to do much to our family for the failed repayment. At least, as far as I thought. It was all swept under the rug. But now-“
He paused, the word hanging between us.
“Now?”
He grimaced. “You were never supposed to take her to that arena, Callan. You were supposed to throw her the fuck away, lock her downstairs and fucking keep her there. I should have known better than to bring her back to this house.”
Folding my hands in my lap, I adjusted my posture, my teeth grinding so hard the enamel cracked.
“What the hell is going on?”
Franklin swiped a hand in the air like the entire thing didn’t matter. “It’s handled. Mortize took the deal I gave him.”
“Which was?”
“That he can have Lisbeth if you lose in the ring. Otherwise, she stays with us. And since you never lose-“
“Is this why you tried to keep me from fighting last week? Do you plan to keep me out of there for the rest of my fucking life? Why didn’t you tell me what was going on, and why the fuck did you make a deal with that bastard?”
“Because he has records that could bring the entire Rose family to the ground if he wanted. How he got them, I have no idea, but he sent me a sample the day after he saw Lisbeth with you. I suspect whatever he has is what his father was using to blackmail Marcus.”
I was on my feet again, hands slamming against his desk again, my fury so volatile that hell was about to rain down on every person that dared threaten the woman I had fought for and loved my entire life.
The thought stilled me in place.
The truth bleeding out of a violent heart to tap my veins with pure adrenaline.
“What does he have?”
Ignoring the threat that loomed large above him, Franklin straightened the cuffs of his jacket.
“Records that would expose the trafficking ring Marcus ran when he was alive.”
Every muscle in my body tensed.
“And that’s my problem, why?”
His voice sounded calm, but beneath the tone of it I heard barely restrained rage.
“If that information is discovered by the right people, all of our assets will be gone. The family will be destroyed. We’ll lose everything. And more than likely we’ll be sitting in a fucking jail for the rest of our lives.”
“I won’t,” I reminded him. “I was only fifteen when Marcus died.”
Franklin laughed. “Don’t be stupid, Callan. We’ve committed enough crimes since then. Do you think they would stop at just one investigation?”
This still wasn’t making sense. “We own the police here.”
“What he has makes it federal. We don’t own them.”
I tried to wrap my head around what he was telling me, and while the puzzle was clear, pieces were missing, the entire picture not coming together.
“Why wouldn’t he have used it already? Moritze has hated us for years.”