intrepidity

Chapter 34

Then, finally—

"You helped my sister."

The words were spoken smoothly, almost lazily. But James knew better.

This was no casual conversation.

It was an interrogation.

James's throat tightened. He had known this moment would come. Had feared it, even. But hearing the words out loud, spoken in that tone, sent a chill down his spine.

"I—"

Roman shifted slightly, his gaze sharpening.

"Think before you answer."

A quiet warning.

James swallowed, choosing his words carefully. "I have a wife," he said, voice steady despite the way his pulse pounded in his ears. "She's pregnant. The men I worked for threatened her life if I didn't comply." His jaw tightened. "I never wanted to be part of what they were doing. But when I saw that little girl..."

His eyes darkened.

"I couldn't just stand by, my wife would kill me if I let a child get hurt on purpose."

Aiden didn't react.

Roman, however, studied him for a fraction longer before his lips curved into something almost unreadable.

Interesting.

A heavy silence settled over the room.

James didn't dare move.

Then, Aiden finally spoke.

"Your wife."

James stiffened.

"She's under our protection now."

His breath caught. "What?"

"If you work for me," Aiden continued, voice calm yet firm, "she will be kept safe under the Valenti name. No one will touch her. No one will threaten her. She will want for nothing."

The weight of those words hit James like a sledgehammer.

The Valentis weren't just any family. They were untouchable. Indestructible. If Aiden Valenti said someone was protected, it meant that no one—not the law, not rival families, not even the ghosts of the past—could lay a hand on them.

It was the safest his wife would ever be.

His lips parted slightly in shock, but then his expression hardened. "...And in return?"

Aiden's gaze remained unwavering.

"Loyalty."

A beat of silence.

Roman set his coffee cup down with a quiet clink. "That means no hesitation. No doubts. No second thoughts." He leaned forward slightly, the amusement from before gone. "Can you do that?"

James exhaled slowly.

He was a strong man. He had been feared in the underground circles for years. But here, in this office, in their presence—he felt like a mere pawn standing before kings.

Still, there was only one answer he could give.

He nodded.

"Yes."

Aiden's expression didn't change. But there was something in the way he glanced at Roman—something brief, something knowing—that made James's skin prickle.

Then, without ceremony, Aiden reached for a folder, flipping it open.

"From now on, you will report to my men," he stated. "You'll start with basic security detail. If I find you capable, I'll decide whether you're worth more than that." His gaze darkened. "But if you betray me, or if I find your loyalty lacking, your wife's protection will disappear."