Semua Bab Belonging to Lockhart: Bab 61 - Bab 70

The door creaked open, unveiling a grander hall beyond expansive, opulent, and intimidating in its magnificence. My heels clicked softly against the gleaming black marble floor dusted with glittering specks that shimmered like stars. I took a slow breath, letting my gaze travel over the silver and gold filigree designs that adorned the high walls, each one glinting under the cold light of crystal chandeliers suspended from the vaulted ceiling.Then my eyes found the guests powerful men draped over sleek black-and-white leather sofas, indulging in glasses of aged whiskey, thick clouds of cigar smoke, and whispered conversations that I instinctively knew I wanted no part of."Mr. Bratva sits in the far right corner," said the concierge, appearing at my side without warning. He gestured discreetly toward the two rightmost sofas, where a gray-haired man in an impeccable black suit sat. His age late sixties, perhaps was betrayed by the deep lines in his face, but the air around him was hea

THERON’S POVThere weren’t any words no decent ones, at least to capture the storm that churned inside me the moment I found out what happened to Ami. I’d originally planned to spend the night in D.C. and return after the morning conference. But screw the conference. The second I heard, I dropped everything and got on the next flight back to New York.I was seething. No murderous. Violent thoughts danced around my head like a twisted carousel, each more brutal than the last. I was seconds away from calling Lazaro and ordering a hit on every single bastard at Lily Gaze. They crossed a line they had no right touching. One of them had the audacity to threaten my woman. My Ami. That alone warranted a bullet to the skull.The rage still pulsed through my veins as I stepped into my penthouse at three in the goddamn morning, but the bloodlust was quickly drowned by a desperate need to see her. To make sure she was safe. Whole. Breathing.I barely made it past the salon before tossing aside m

THERON POV"An engagement ring?!" Manny nearly choked, his eyes bulging in disbelief. "Are you completely out of your fucking mind?!""It’s easier to introduce Ami as my fiancée," I replied coolly. "A ring shuts people up. No one dares assume she’s just a fling or that I’ll toss her aside when I’m bored."“That’s messed up,” he muttered, grabbing a fresh bottle of whiskey and pouring us both another round.For once, we weren’t in my penthouse study. I had chosen Manny’s office to talk less chance of Ami overhearing. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t at home either. Said she was staying with her friend Romilly to 'think things through.' About the ring, of course."I don’t understand why this is such a big deal," I said, reaching for my glass and taking a long sip. “It’s not like it’s a real engagement. The ring is just a prop.”Manny scoffed. “Your 'prop' cost almost a hundred grand.”I shrugged. “Exactly. The right price makes it convincing.”He studied me, unimpressed. “Moments like t

THERON POVKeeping my rage in check during the flight was a battle I hadn’t expected to lose so quickly. What Ami revealed didn’t match the Zebulon Thatcher I used to know. Still, my mother’s warning echoed in my mind like a bitter reminder: what if she was right? What if the people I called my friends had only ever shown me what they wanted me to see because of who I was?I hated how twisted everything felt now. I wasn’t just conflicted about seeing Zebulon I was dangerous. If I saw him today, I wouldn’t ask for an explanation. I’d demand answers. Then I’d break him apart.The only thing that made the flight bearable was Ami’s presence in my arms. Somewhere mid-air, the tension between us eased. She wasn’t angry anymore or at least, not as much. She had drifted off with her head resting on my lap while I worked on my laptop. When we landed at LAX, she stirred awake, brushing off the sleep and fixing her hair and makeup with sleepy grace. I told her she didn’t need to she looked incre

THERON POVThe fury simmered in my chest, spreading like acid through my veins as I tried to digest Ami’s words. If Zebulon truly was behind the attack, I wouldn’t stop at confronting him I’d tear him apart. And the fact that I’d let him walk away earlier without so much as a punch? That only added fuel to the fire.“I think that’s why Zebulon panicked,” Ami murmured, eyes dark with memory. “He thought you already knew and could prove it.”Manny shook his head. “No, that can’t be it. Zebulon’s arm was in a full cast.”Ami’s lips tightened, her brain working through the contradiction. She exhaled slowly. “Well, whoever attacked me had both arms intact. No injuries.”The tension in her jaw didn’t escape me. Ami had never fully described what happened to her, never gone into detail and maybe that was for the best. But now all I could think about was those two unbroken arms, and how I’d like to break every bone in them myself.“Is it possible he faked the injury?” I asked, turning to Mann