“No. Dad always said he’d take us, but then he had the stroke, and things changed.”
“That’s when you started helping him?”
“Yeah. Brandon never cared about the distillery, except to use it as a piggy bank. Which meant Dad relied on me, more and more, as time went by. In the end, I was at the distillery more than I was home. When I realized I’d be the one to take Dad’s place, I went to college, since I figured business classes would come in handy. I made it through two years before Brandon screwed everything up.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Then it was all on me…”
I doubted she even knew what she was saying, but talking would get her through takeoff, so I listened as she went on about her shit brother, her father, the company. Unfair. Humans always whine about how unfair life is, but in Selena’s case, it was true. She’d been dealt a shit hand and was doing her best to get through.
I’d already decided—if I survived Assembly—that Selena would be my first priority when we returned. She was unique in every way, and I intended to see just how far her abilities went. I’d make sure the loan shark never bothered her again, and in the process, I’d find out what had really happened to her brother and father. The way everything fell on her shoulders—she thought it was just a series of bad luck.
I saw things differently, and I planned to do something about it.
“You got awfully quiet over there, Forge. Am I that boring?”
“Not at all. I was just thinking. I’d say between your hands-on experience and your classes, you’re more than prepared to handle the company. Langston-Forge is lucky to have you.”
Her face bloomed even pinker, and she turned away again, thinking I hadn’t noticed. If she thought I wouldn’t notice the flush of blood in her skin, she was sorely mistaken. Her scent was so ingrained in me now that I couldn’t ignore the truth any longer.
I wanted her. I had no right wanting a human, much less Selena Langston, but I did.
“You don’t even know me, Forge. You have no idea if I’m competent or not.”
Except she was completely wrong. Over the last seven days, I’d made it my goal in life to research every aspect of Langston-Forge, from their profit and loss statements, down to their last employee. The company had limped along for the past six years on loans and extensions, and that was before she’d had to cash out everything to pay off the loan shark.
“Besides, I’ve hardly done a bang-up job. Without your money, everything would have reverted to the board. They planned to liquidate the company and sell if off piecemeal to any interested parties. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t just sit by and watch it happen, not without trying everything.”
In the end, her reckless plan to come and ask me for a loan had worked.
“How did you convince Holloway to give you my address?”
Her mouth quirked upward. “Isn’t it obvious? I didn’t take no for an answer.” Her eyes grew serious. “He warned me against you, and rightfully so. Nobody’s seen you in forever.”
Exactly as I’d planned. “What did you think, that first night?”
“Arrogant,” she said, without missing a beat. “But fair, I suppose. At least you listened to me, and gave me a chance.”
Not exactly a glowing report, but then again, as reclusive as I was, it was on point. When I’d pressed the button and opened the gates to let her in, I’d been motivated by curiosity. Her curly hair had been a dead giveaway, and it had amused me that the Langstons had finally broken their oath.
Then she’d walked through my door.
Now she was sitting in my plane, and I was taking her to a gathering of my old clan-mates. Reaching out, I had her other hand in mine before I even knew I’d moved. Her skin was warm, a reminder that she was human, and what she about to walk into would be like a foreign world to her.
“You can still back out of this.”
I wasn’t sure why I was giving her an out this late in the game. Especially when everything rode on the outcome of this meeting. Who the hell was I kidding? I’d rather navigate the deadly intricacies of Assembly myself than put Selena in any danger.
It was a mistake asking her to do this, to involve her in the mess I’d made. My life was on the line. No reason to risk hers too. I was just opening my mouth to tell her that when she cut me off.
“I don’t want to back out.” She shot me a blinding smile while she squeezed my hand, hard. “I mean it. I really want to do this. Not just because of the loan, either.” She shrugged. “I’m curious about my ability. I’d like to see what I can do, I suppose.”
“How much do you know about me?” About us?
“Just…” Her eyes searched my face. “Are you sure you want to hear this? I mean, you’ve become kind of a legend in my family, and I don’t want to offend you.”
When she turned her face to the window, I waited her out until she finally started talking again.
“I know you were friends with Ambrose, and that you loaned him the money for the company, no questions asked. I know you never wanted your name on the distillery, but he did it out of gratitude. When you became a vampire, the two of you remained friends until he died. And none of us were to ever try to contact you.”
“Like I said before, obedience is not your strong suit.”
Her smile turned defiant and she rolled her eyes. “I had a damn good reason to find you. Besides, my approach worked.”
“What else did you hear?” I didn’t particularly care, but I wanted to
