Page 75 of Dirty Legacy

“I wanted you to see this.” I take out my phone and turn on the flashlight. “This way.”

She follows as I walk further into the twisting lanes. “All my time at WashCo and I’ve never actually been to one of these before.”

“You did data entry. No reason for you to see it.”

“Still, this is what I was doing, right?”

I stop and shine the light on the ground. We’re far enough away from the parking lot now that I can’t see the headlights anymore. It’s like we’re on another planet. “You were reckless tonight, Angelina.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Connor, I just⁠—“

“No,” I say, interrupting her firmly. I don’t want to be a bastard, but I can’t go easy on her. “You don’t understand at all. Look down.”

She steps forward, the toes of her shoes pressing against the edge of the massive bloody stain. “What is it?”

“You saw some splashed all over me the night I came home.” I move the light, showing her more. Rusty red all over a nearby car, more drying in clumps and clots on top of a pile of radiators. “I thought you got it when you saw me, but clearly not.”

She’s trembling when I touch her. She flinches away. “You brought me here to show me blood stains?”

“These are dead men, all of whom died because of our union.”

“I didn’t ask for it.”

“No, but you are not valuing their sacrifice.”

“That’s not⁠—“

“It’s exactly what you did. Sneaking out of the mansion. Letting my sister light off fireworks. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Setting aside the Gallaghers, my own men could’ve made a horrible mistake and gunned you down.”

She pales and chews on her thumbnail. “I know. It was stupid.”

“And yet you did it anyway.” I catch her wrist and pull her against me. “Tell me why. Make me understand. What were you thinking?”

Her body shakes like it’s freezing outside. My fingers brush through her hair, and all my anger fades into something worse. A dark hunger fills me, a desire to own her, to destroy her. But isn’t that what I’ve always done?

Obedience. That’s been my single demand. Those who work for me follow my command. Is that what I want from my wife? From my angel?

Do I want to break her?

“You had enough to worry about,” she whispers, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I thought if I could pay them off, it would be okay. And I also knew…”

“Knew what?”

“That you’d hurt them.”

I tug her hair to make her look at me. “Didn’t you want me to?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. Brad isn’t a bad person. He’s mixed up with someone terrible, maybe he’s confused, but I don’t think he’s evil. I can’t believe that. I was with him for too long.”

“But the girl…”

“Well, she probably deserved it.”

“Oh, angel. You broke my rules, dragged my little sister into it, and went behind my back, all to spare a couple of lowlife pieces of shit?”

“Sounds crazy when you put it that way.”

“There’s no other way.” I stroke her cheek and wipe away her tears. I lift them to my mouth and lick them from my fingers. “You need to understand something. You are precious to me. You and this—“ I press my palm to her belly. “You are both everything to me now.”