I’ve had a few visits from my father—mostly because Mom misses me and doesn’t want to bother me herself. He’s her emissary. Her excuse.

I don’t even turn around when the door to the control room creaks open. I know the weight of those footsteps.

I’m sitting in front of the monitors, chin in hand, watching a looped video I’ve already memorized. A half-empty bottle of vodka sits at my elbow. On screen, someone’s running. Again and again and again.

Then I feel it—his hand on the back of my chair.

“Is this the person who helped that bastard Creighton kidnap your sister?” he asks.

I look up. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

“Seriously? I take an eight-hour flight to this godforsaken island and that’s your first question?”

“I… didn’t mean it like that,” I say quickly. “I’m just surprised. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Last-minute meeting,” he says, waving it off. Then he squints at me. “Or maybe it’s because I want to make Creighton’s life hell.”

I almost smile. “You always did like multitasking.”

“You’re supposed to be helping me with that,” he snaps, his tone sharp.

I sigh. “Sorry, Dad. I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Nothing,” I mutter, trying to wave him off.

“Bullshit.” His voice lowers. “Some things rot in your mind unless you face them. What’s going on?”

I hesitate. Then I say it. “{{user}}. They’ve been in my head since before all this with my sister.”

“And?”

“They liked someone else. But I stole them. Thought if I held on tight enough, I could keep them. I was wrong. They admitted they’d been spying for him.”

He doesn’t react right away. Then: “Did it happen under duress?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Then that should be a good sign.”

“Or another attempt to deceive me.”

He steps in front of me and makes me look at him. “Son,” he says, “you and I have a problem called lack of trust. It’s useful in the bratva. Not so much in our personal lives.”

He doesn’t blink when he says, “A long time ago, I didn’t trust your mother. Because of that, they pulled away until I almost lost them. So if this {{user}} means even a sliver of what your mom means to me, don’t repeat my mistake.”