Page 59 of Ruin Me
I don’t think so anyway.
Don’t presume to know him, Vogue. You know nothing about him.
This inner thought, said in my mother’s voice, chills me.
I’m clutching the seat like some kind of lifeline as the SUV tears through the back streets, away from the guys. Adam’s silent presence is a constant reminder that I’m not in control here. The anger is a bubbling cauldron inside me, ready to spill over. I’m no one’s pushover, and Aaron’s about to learn that the hard way.
“Where the fuck are you taking me?” I spit out, my voice sharp enough to cut. But all I get from Aaron is a nonchalant glance in the rearview mirror.
“To talk,” he says, his tone so deceptively calm it makes my blood boil.
I don’t trust him for shit. But as we pull up to a nondescript building with tinted windows and a steel door, my gut tells me this isn’t just some candid father-daughter chat over coffee. This feels like stepping into the lion’s den, and for all my bravado, I feel like a gladiator about to take to the arena to be eaten alive.
Aaron’s voice breaks through the silence. “Get out.”
No ‘please’, no bullshit pretence of politeness. Justa command, expected to be obeyed. It makes my skin crawl, but I comply, stepping out into the cool air because what choice do I have? It’s move under my own steam with my dignity or be carried in slung over Adam’s shoulder, who, by the way, is a fucking giant when he steps out of the car behind me.
He would tower over the twins, and they are easily six-four a piece.
I lick up my lips as I gaze up at the titan, and he grins, but it’s a cold, scary grin that makes me drop my gaze and move forward. I can play this the easy way or the hard way, and as much as my anger is telling me to give Aaron hell and fight, kick, scream, my brain has other ideas and wants to stay alive.
They escort me inside, Adam’s hand gripped around my arm, his touch impersonal and firm, but not bruising as I expected.
Don’t be fooled, Vogue. He will hurt you if ordered to.
The interior is sleek—marble floors, glass walls—all giving off a vibe of quiet power. Aaron leads us through halls lined with dark wood doors until we reach an office that screams ultimate power.
Once inside, he gestures toward a chair across from his desk. “Sit.”
“Make me,” I snap back, my mouth going against my brain’s plan to make this easy on myself. Or as easy as I can.
The corner of his mouth twitches upwards. “So defiant. Family trait.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” I cross my arms over my chest, standing my ground despite thedanger. Aaron merely chuckles, closing the door behind Adam as he leaves us alone in the office.
“I’m not here to harm you, Vogue,” Aaron begins, but I interrupt him.
“Cut the crap. You abandoned me and my mother, and you’ve just abducted me. You don’t get to play concerned father. Not now, not ever.”
He leans back against his desk, his gaze never leaving mine as he places my phone down on the polished dark wood. “This life we’re born into—it’s complicated. You’ve been thrown in deep without a lifeline. I’m here to offer you one.”
“I don’t need your fucking help,” I snap. The irony isn’t lost on me; moments ago, I thought about how I’d do anything to stay alive.
“You’re right; you don’t,” he concedes with an incline of his head. “You managed just fine on your own, but there are bigger things at play here.”
I scoff, unwilling to show any sign of weakness or curiosity. “Like what? More mafia bullshit? I’ve had enough of that already.”
Aaron straightens and circles his desk slowly, methodically. “It’s not just about local turf wars or family feuds anymore, Vogue. There’s a power shift coming—a war that will change everything.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m racing through scenarios, trying to figure out his angle.
“You’re my daughter,” he says simply. “Your existence alone makes you a piece in this game whether you like it or not. Word got out of the inner circleabout who you are, and that is why we are here right now.”
“The inner circle,” I murmur. “I’m guessing that includes the guys?”
He nods briefly. “They are next gen, like you. I wanted to keep you out of this shit, just have them watch over you, but then it all went to crap.” His tone is vicious, and I rear back, but something strikes me at that moment.
“If you have never been far away as you claim, you knew I was abducted by those Viper assholes.”
