Chapter Twenty-Seven

Caspian

Had Rissa lost her mind? She couldn't go after Amon. The man was insane. I came up on one elbow and stared down into her face. I'd turned the light off when we climbed back into bed, so I couldn't really see her, but I didn't fucking care. No way was I going to let this happen.

"There is no way I'm going to let you go after that son of a bitch. It's too fucking dangerous."

"You don't know everything he did to me. You don't even know the half of it. The torture he put me through. The lies he told me about all of you. He made me hate you. He made me want to kill you."

Rissa pushed away from me and jumped out of bed. She went straight to the balcony doors and shoved the curtain back before flinging them open and breathing in the night air.

I tried to focus on her words, but it was difficult with her standing in the moonlight without a stitch of clothes on. I don't know how many times I dreamed of seeing her just like this. Damn, she was beautiful with her high pointed breasts, slender waist that curved to nicely formed hips, and those dancer legs that had drawn me in closer, deeper. I got hard just looking at her.

"Are you listening to me?"

I drew my focus back to her words. "Yes, and it's crazy. If he catches you again, he will kill you."

"You think I don't know that? But don't you see, I know him better than anyone. I know his weaknesses. I can use that against him. Just let me go back to him…"

I threw the cover to the side and came out of bed so fast Larissa took a step back. "That is not happening, so get it out of your head. Understood?"

"Okay, maybe that's not a great plan," she conceded, then pointed a finger at my chest and began to poke me. "But understand this Caspian Morelli, I'm not the same girl I used to be. You remember someone sweet with her head in the clouds. Well, I'm not in the clouds now. He trained me to kill."

I looked at this bloodthirsty woman standing before me and knew one thing. I loved her more now than ever. Rissa was right. She had changed. She was stronger and had been through things we couldn't possibly fathom. And damn, she was hardheaded. I frowned. She'd always been hardheaded. Just more so now. I knew if I didn't give her something, she would try to get to Amon on her own.

"How about if we work together on this?"

"Are you serious?" Her expression said she didn't entirely trust me.

"It's better than the alternative."

She finally nodded. "Good, we're in agreement. I'm going back to bed. It has been a long day, and the sun is coming up."

She was right about the sun coming up. It was doing all kinds of crazy things as it danced over her body, casting shadows and light in the most sensual places. Damned if I didn't want to make love to her again. It wasn't that long ago she was a virgin, though. There was time enough for having sex later.

She yawned as she pulled the cover up and snuggled into bed. "I like your bed. It's nice and soft. Much better than a fucking cage."

I watched her for a few minutes. I knew the moment she fell into a deep sleep. I frowned. Where did she pick up that word? I grimaced. Probably from one of us. We would have to watch our language around her.

I still couldn't stop my smile. Damn, it was good to have our Rissa back. Yeah, she was our Rissa again.

I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. I couldn't just stand here watching her, although the idea did have merit. But right now, I needed about a gallon of coffee.

As quietly as possible, I pulled on my clothes and went downstairs. My brothers were already at the dining room table drinking coffee. They both looked up when I came in.

"Is she okay?" Jude asked.

I went straight to the coffee pot, poured myself a cup, and then took it back to my chair at the head of the table. "If you're asking me if Rissa is still with us this morning, she is. Her memories are still intact, as well. She's sleeping. As far as the sex went, that's between me and her." I smiled. "It wasn't just about fucking. The connection between us was there."

"I knew that's what would happen," Jude said. "It's as if we're coming back together. Like we used to be—the four musketeers."

"That brings up something else. She also wants to kill the man who kidnapped her."

"You mean she wants us to kill him," Jude clarified my words.

"No, I mean she wants to go after him."

Ezra was already shaking his head. "Nope, that's not going to happen. She can stay here at the house where she can be protected."

"I told her she could help us."

Jude's chair screeched back when he jumped to his feet. He planted the palms of his hands on the table and glared at me. "Are you fucking crazy? Why the hell did you tell her that? There is no way we're going to put her in harm's way. Did you remind her this psycho wants to kill her?"

I took a drink of my coffee, savoring the rich taste before I looked at him. "I told her all of that. She was ready to go to him as a ruse, then kill him. To keep her from acting on her idea, I told her she could help. We're going to keep her safe. Between the three of us, we should be able to keep her out of trouble."

Jude sighed with relief and sat down again. "You scared me for a moment."

"There's one thing you both have to know. She's not the same girl from five years ago. He trained her to be a killer."

"I haven't forgotten," Jude told me. "Remember, it was me she tried to kill."

"You're right. We can't treat her with kid gloves any more. She'd probably kill us if we did." Ezra came to his feet, pouring himself another cup of coffee. After adding a generous amount of sugar, he returned to the table and took his seat again.

I couldn't stop my grimace when he took a drink. He looked up and noticed my expression.

"What?"

"I never understood how you could put so much sugar in your coffee."

"I have a sweet tooth."

I looked at Jude, and we grinned.

Ezra was the most unpredictable of the three of us. He would fight at the drop of a hat. He was a formidable opponent. It wasn't just that. He loved to fight. Our father used to laugh and say it was his Irish blood, not the Italian in him. Our mother was Irish. Even though she was murdered not long after Jude was born, our father kept her memory alive for us.

Her family hadn't wanted her to marry him. They said Italians and Irish don't mix. They loved each other and wouldn't listen to the naysayers who warned them it would be a volatile relationship. They were very wrong. They loved each other deeply.

As far as I knew, my father was never with another woman after our mother was killed. At least, not seriously, and he never brought one home. Not that my father was a saint. He was hard-core Mafia. No one dared step on his toes unless they planned to suffer the consequences—which they did when they killed our mother.

Ezra was a lot like her. Dad said she had a quick temper. If I ever wanted anyone in a fight with me, it would be Ezra.

Jude said something about Ezra's sweet tooth and women that had us laughing. Looking around the table, I realized a weight had been lifted off our shoulders when Rissa came back into our lives. It was as though we were whole once again.

I'd be damned if I let anyone take her away from us.

As we drank our coffee, the hospital called to inform us that Gina would be released today.

"I'll have someone on our security pick her up," Ezra said. "She'll be staying with Mindy in her cottage. It'll make her feel safer if she has a roommate. Mindy actually suggested she stay with her."

"That's a good idea. Thank you for taking care of it." We had several cottages on the property where the servants could stay rent free. It was their choice. Our cook, Harriet, had been living in one for about eight years. We were all family.

"We'll need to call Rissa's father." Jude leaned back in his chair. "I hate to think about what kind of night he had."

"I'll do that first thing this morning. He'll want to come over." I knew Jude wanted to say more, but he was choosing his words carefully. Even though he was known for breaking hearts, he was the most cautious of the three of us. I waited patiently for him to speak.

"We still can't let her leave. It would be too dangerous. Especially if she wants to go after this bastard."

"I agree, and his name is Amon."

Ezra sat a little straighter. "So, it is the guy I flagged."

"Catch me up." Jude leaned forward in his chair.

"Amon's father was a badass. Human trafficking and drug smuggling, except he was cutting the drugs with Drano. People were dying. Our father blew up his warehouses. He happened to be in one of them and died."

I began to tap the table as I thought about something Rissa said. "Last night, Rissa said Amon has scars and drags one leg behind him. He has to rely on a cane. She was also still a virgin. If the explosion made him a eunuch, and I'm almost positive it did, then that's probably what pushed him over the edge of sanity."

Ezra sat a little straighter. "He must've been caught in one of the explosions as he was leaving since it didn't kill him. Rissa got caught in the middle. I'll see what else I can dig up on the son of a bitch."

"I'll help." Jude came to his feet, taking his coffee with him.

As soon as they began working to find as much information as possible on Amon, I called Rissa's father. He answered on the first ring.

"Is she okay?"

"She's better than okay. She had a breakthrough. The album helped a lot. She has her memories again." I explained what happened last night, except for the part when we got back to the house. If Rissa wanted to say more about that, it would be up to her.

"Oh, thank God." His words crumbled. I could hear him softly crying in the background.

I gave him a moment to bring himself under control before I began to speak again. "She's still always going to be different than what she was and how we remember her. She's stronger now. She also wants revenge for what he did to her, and she wants to be the one to take him down."

"No, we can't let her go after him. You have to protect her."

"Our thoughts exactly." I still hesitated on how much to say, but he had to know more about her. "He trained her to be a killer. To kill us. We know more about him now. His name is Amon. Our father blew up his warehouses. We think Amon was caught in one of the explosions. Maybe as he was leaving since it didn't kill him. Larissa said he had scars and walked dragging one leg. It must've also done something to him mentally for him to go to this much trouble to get revenge on us."

"But you will get him," he said, his words sounding stronger.

"Oh, you can count on that. We'll let Larissa help, but make sure she's still safe."

"I want to see her."

"You know you're welcome at the house any time. She's asleep right now. Why don't you come over later this morning. She would enjoy that. She feels guilty for the way she treated you yesterday."

"It wasn't her fault. It's that monster's fault who took her."

"We know that, and she'll realize it with enough time." We talked for a few more minutes and then ended the call, but I kept sitting there, thinking over everything.

"You look deep in thought," Rissa said from the doorway.

I glanced up and smiled. She was wearing another sundress. This one bright yellow. She looked good in the clothes Jude had ordered her online.

"I just got off the phone with your father."

She twirled her hair around one finger. It was a gesture the old Rissa used to do.

"How is he?"

"Better since I spoke with him. I explained what happened last night at the clubhouse but didn't go further. He'll be over later this morning."

A blush stained her cheeks. "Good, I'd like to see him again."

I held back my smile. There was a lot of the old Rissa still in her. Amon hadn't stolen all her innocence. I came to my feet, then pulled a chair out for her to sit. "Would you like some coffee or breakfast?"

"Orange juice would be nice."

I let Mindy know and turned back to Rissa. "Gina will be released from the hospital this morning. She'll be staying in one of the cottages on our property so we can keep her safe."

"Until Amon can be caught and dealt with."

"Exactly. It shouldn't take us too long now that we have his name. Ezra and Jude are researching everything about him. I don't suppose you remember where he's staying."

Mindy came in with her juice, setting it in front of Rissa. She smiled shyly. "It's good to see you're feeling better, Miss."

"Thank you," Larissa murmured.

When Mindy left, I began questioning Rissa and what she might know about where Amon was staying.

"I'm afraid I don't know much. He made sure my eyes were covered whenever I left the estate. I know it was a two-story out in the country. There wasn't a basement. He put my cage outside on the patio."

"In this heat?" Every time she told me about something Amon had done to her, I wanted to kill him even more. She'd said I didn't know the half of what he'd done. How she'd even survived was a miracle. When she began to talk, I focused on what she was saying.

"I didn't mind so much. I was in the shade, and sometimes I would catch a nice breeze."

I pressed my lips together, taking a slow breath before I spoke again. "What did the back look like?"

"Much like this place, but a white fence ran across it. There was also a big red barn. I could see a pond with ducks swimming in it. It was a very peaceful setting. So much different from his castle."

Now I was curious. "Where was this castle?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. He kept me drugged during most of the flight. It was a very barren country. There were a few trees on one side. His servants all spoke with a thick accent. Maybe German? I can't say for sure."

"And the servants here? What are they like?"

"He brought some of his with him. Bernard and Arnie I know for sure, they're his muscle. His sister Nadine came. I think the cook, too."

"I'm guessing he has his own plane?"

She nodded. "Since there was no need for drugs this time, I noticed that the seats had rips, and tape covered them in places. The leather was worn and dirty. He was always complaining about how much money everything cost, but he would be rich after he took care of you three."

"Then he'll get desperate when he can't get to us. Desperate men always make mistakes."

"I hope so." She took a drink of her juice, then set the glass back down. "I would like to see Gina when she's settled in. Do you think that would be okay?"

"I think she would like it if you stop by."

"She was very kind to me, even though I wasn't the best person to be around. She spoke highly of you and your brothers. It made me think about a lot of things. When she told me about her abusive parents, something began to click."

"We have a very good staff. They're more like family."

She smiled, and it seemed to light up the room. "I remember that about them when I would come visit." Tears suddenly filled her eyes. "I've missed so many years. I planned to go to college. I look back now and I see how young and carefree I was. Then everything changed."

I reached across and took her hand in mine, squeezing lightly. "You can't think about the past and what should have been the best time of your life. You can only look toward your future and make new memories. You won't be alone. Here, you have people who love you, a father who adores you."

"I missed you."

"Hey, what about us?" Jude said as he and Ezra came to the doorway.

She blinked away the tears and then smiled. "I missed all three of you."

As Ezra walked closer, she came to her feet, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. When she leaned back, he kissed her full on the lips.

Jude finally cleared his throat. "Hey, don't forget about me."

The kiss ended with her sighing, but she immediately turned to Jude. "I could never forget about you." When Ezra stepped away, she opened her arms to Jude. She held him close, then leaned back and kissed him. When the kiss ended, she rested her head on his chest. "I love you all so much. I'm sorry for what I tried to do."

"It wasn't you," Jude said. "It was the monster who put everything in your head."

They all took their seats again as Rissa looked around the room. "I'm glad you didn't give up on me."

"We would never give up on you," Ezra said. "You've always had our hearts."

When the doorbell rang, we looked up. A moment later, Jonathan came to the doorway.