They’d gotten married five years ago, and Rob was raising Dante’s niece, Chloe, like she was his own.

I loved fairy tales. Pity mine was more of a nightmare.

“So, Dante’s been filling me in a little, but he said the details were yours to share,” Serena started when we were sitting. “So share.”

When she wore that fierce face, she looked so much like her brother, that it was almost scary. “I trusted the wrong people,” I said quietly. “They betrayed me, when they should have had my back. They hurt Dante.”

I practically spat those last words, my anger rising again. Every time I started to miss those bastards, I just had to picture my best friend, bloodied and beaten with a gun to his head.

Serena didn’t look surprised, and some might have thought her lack of concern about Dante was cold, but I knew that she had accepted his dangerous life long ago. I, on the other hand, continued to try and convince him it was time to get out of the Grims. I never wanted to deal with losing him.

“Dante doesn’t seem that upset by it,” Serena said, ruffling her hair up. “He said they were just doing their duty.”

I let out a low grumbling sound. “I don’t fucking get him. He hated them last month, but now he’s almost … understanding and accepting of their bullshit. How could getting beaten and almost killed have taken him from hate to whatever he’s feeling now?”

Serena shrugged, but it was Dante that answered. “Because I understand them better now,” he said as he stepped in from the balcony. He’d been out there taking a phone call. “Beck took no joy in hurting me, and I too have been forced to do things I disagree with out of obligation. Sometimes life is about duty, and from what I can tell, your boys have had to perform for Delta most of their lives.”

I crossed my arms stubbornly. “There is always a choice.”

Dante shook his head at me. “You can’t afford to be that naive any longer. You don’t have the luxury.”

I knew he was trying to remind me that I shot a guy because I didn’t have a choice. But the truth was, I did have a choice. I could have turned the gun on Catherine, or Beck, or any of Delta. I could have turned the gun on myself and damned Dante as well. But I’d made the choice to shoot the Huntley operative. The same way the Delta heirs had made a choice to not tell me about what I was facing and to take my best friend as collateral in a war he was not part of.

Beck chose to fuck me, all the while knowing he would have to betray me.

We all made choices. And now we had to live with them.

Serena jumped to her feet then, her torn up boyfriend jeans swishing around her slim hips. “Enough maudlin talk, let’s get you sexy for this drive tonight.”

She rushed back to the front door, picking up the overnight bag she’d dropped there. I pulled myself off the couch slowly, but there was a tingling sensation in my limbs that I only got when I knew I was going to race soon.

I needed this. I really fucking needed it.

Twenty minutes later I was dressed like old-Riley. Skinny black jeans, and black ankle boots. A deep red tank top that hugged all of my curves and was tucked into the jeans. Black leather jacket over the top and my hair tamed into a long mass of frizzless curls. Serena had makeup with her as well, and I lined my eyes dark and my lips were red to match my shirt.

“Fuck, Riles.” Dante waggled his eyebrows appreciatively. “Lucky Beck isn’t out on Riley Duty today, because he would be on you so fast your head would spin.”

My fingers twitched at his words, and I worked very hard not to let the pain I felt show on my face. “I’ll probably shoot him the next time he touches me. You said the first kill is the hardest, might be worth testing that theory.”

Dante just smirked like he knew I was full of shit. I talked a big game, but shooting someone you cared about was very different to shooting an asshole that had attempted to kidnap you. And it had still almost broken me. Fuck Sebastian Roman Beckett. Fuck him to Hell.

3

Dante had a few new cars, and I took my time looking them all over. He said I could choose the car and while none of them were my baby, my butterfly, they also weren’t to be sneered at. The first I ran my hand gently across was a Porsche GT2, emerald green, and while I’d never driven one, I knew how stupidly fast it was. Next was an Audi R8, but it was the same yellow as Jasper’s Lambo, and I immediately dismissed it. Too many bad memories there, including the race I’d won for him.

The third car was old school. Mustang ’69 Fastback, it was cherry red, and I felt like that was a good omen for me tonight. I was rocking red all around.

“Thinking about going old school tonight, Riley girl?” Serena asked, her eyes running appreciatively across the Mustang.

I could never imagine any of the Delta heirs driving a car that wasn’t built this year.

“Yep,” I decided. “This is the one I’ll drive in Widowmaker.”

Dante grinned, and something told me that’s the one he’d been hoping I’d pick all along.

“Ahh, I wish I could go with you,” Serena said, her green eyes lit up with old memories. “But got to get home and cook my loves dinner.”

I hugged her this time, and she chuckled in my ear. “Thank you,” I whispered. “I appreciate you coming to my rescue.”

My ribs protested as she squeezed me back. “Girl, you’re family. You can come to me anytime you need something.”

I was too choked up to say anything, but I hoped she knew how grateful I was to hear those words.

Serena left then, and I slid into the driver’s side of the ’stang, flexing both hands on the wheel. I’d taken my black exoskeleton cast off a few days ago, and while my wrist felt a little weaker than usual, there was no pain. I was relieved to have full range of movement back.

“Ready to fuck shit up?” Dante asked, looking more alive than he had for days. His injuries were basically healed now, except for the ribs, and he apparently could handle that with no worries because I never even saw him flinch when he walked or breathed.

Dante hit the button to open his private underground garage, and I started the car, letting the rumble soothe me. For the first time since I’d been ambushed and forced to murder, tension in my chest eased, and I dropped my head back with both hands firmly on the wheel.