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She shrugs, emotionless. “Perks of being captain.”

She retreats to her office, and I hold up my hands, as if it’s out of my control. Pushing Valentina ahead of me, she and Hayes enter the office, then Killian, though he wasn’t invited. Not like that will stop him.

Sloane slaps my arm as I pass, and Lex stifles a chuckle. “I want details. All of them.”

Collins pokes me in the chest, just as irritated. “I can’t believe you married Valentina Bruno and we have to find out after the fact.”

Before I leave, I give them each a kiss on their cheek and wink. Their anger deflates slightly, doused with little-brother charm.

“I’m sorry, all right? It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I promise—I’ll tell you everything after, okay?”

Stiffly, they agree. They’re not happy, but they accept it. After all, neither of them had conventional proposals or weddings. They can’t hate me too badly.

Closing the door, I glance back to see Killian handing the wad of cash to Maeve. She doesn’t count it, but places it down the side of her skirt.

“You, too?” Betrayal runs deep.

She gives me a bored stare. “I made the bet.”

Grumbling under my breath, I steal a chair and drag Valentina onto my lap. It’s only been two days since we married, and enjoyed the short-lived honeymoon moments. If it were up to me, I’d still be in bed, between her legs, trying to hear that moan again.

As much as I want to ignore the outside world, this had to be handled.

“Your bounty is still active,” she says, turning her laptop. There’s a flashing red banner with a black background.

Dark web. Only a select few people have access to it—not even my sister or I can see it. I’m betting Killian used his contacts to get in there.

“You married my sister while still being hunted?” Hayes growls, nails cutting into the back of the side chair. That could be my skin. Yikes.

I busy myself playing with the ends of Valentina’s hair, drinking in its softness.

“Hayes,” Maeve drawls, corralling him. “There were circumstances that called for it.”

“Like what?”

“Like—”

Valentina stands, silencing my sister. Pulling her hair to the side, she revealed the newly healed brand on the back of her shoulder. It’s a small S, but a glaring sign of what it represents.

Hayes clenches his jaw, rubbing his forearm. A crude tattoo of the letter B, given to him as a child, is hidden under his ink.

“I’ll kill him,” he vows, words dark. “I swear, Val, I’ll⁠—”

“No,” she signs, shaking her head. “I’ll kill them for this. Not you. That is my right.”

I shift, uncomfortably turned on by the conviction in her gaze. Definitely not normal, but I expect it at this point.

“If he hadn’t married her,” Maeve adds, voice dry, “Valentina wouldn’t be here right now. Briar did what he thought was best.”

“I was going to marry her regardless,” I clarify, bringing Valentina back to my lap. As my fingers touch her, my heart calms. “But once I saw what they did…” I trail off, vision red.

I blink it away. “Well.” I clear my throat. “It moved up the timetable.”

Kissing her knuckles, she smiles at me, face serene. I never want to see anything else.

Maybe a flush when she comes on my tongue, but that’s different.

“What’s the plan?” Hayes asks, jerking his head. “As long as he’s hunted, Val is at risk.”