"No." Angel's voice was hard and unyielding.

I crossed my arms to glare at him. "I don't need your permission."

"Look what happened the last time. He kidnapped you from a graveyard Kira." He shook his head.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, it was over the top but he at least deserves to hear about my wedding from me and not from someone else."

"He probably already knows," Angel muttered under his breath.

"If he had he would have called me already," I argued. I knew my brother.

When Angel remained tightlipped I sighed. "Don't make this hard. I've already called him up and setup a meeting."

"I don't like this one bit Kira." His features tense.

I touched his face and his features eased. "I won't be long and I'll take Jack."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." He added dryly.

"Come on," I urged him. "Don't ruin my good mood."

He studied me and then half smiled. "I'll just have to work on putting a smile back on your face tonight."

Memories of the night before heated my cheeks.

"I'll see you later," I said, putting a brief kiss to his mouth. But before I could move away he pulled me closer putting his arms around me and kissing me so thoroughly, I struggled to stand when he released me.

"If Kaiden tries anything like he did the last time tell him I will make him regret it." The threat was serious.

I put a hand to his chest. "Don't worry. He won't. He only did that to talk me out of a marriage I'm already in."

We had so easily slipped into some sort of martial role playing. It had only been a day and I was still trying to pull myself back from feeling so much for him, it was a bit overwhelming. And having some distance from him would do me some good and give me space to breathe and work my way through my sudden realization that I loved a man who couldn't love me back.

I gave Jack the address to Kaiden's apartment. An apartment I had never been to.

I was nervous to how my brother would react to my news. My gaze moved to the rings in my fingers. The sight fluttered my heart and I took a deep breath. I held the breath for a few seconds before expelling it.

I had it bad for Angel and I didn't feel like I was doing a great job at handling it.

When we pulled up outside the apartment block. Jack followed me up the apartment.

I knocked and moments later my brother answered the door. He wasn't in his usual suit, instead he was casually dressed in jeans and a shirt. It made him look younger and less formidable. I didn't miss the look shared between my brother and my bodyguard. There was still tension stemming from the last time they had seen each other when Kaiden had kidnapped me.

Jack remained outside as my brother ushered me in.

"I'm surprised you're still talking to me," he said as I turned to face him once we got into his living room.

His apartment was super clean and organized.

"You're lucky I'm so forgiving," I countered.

"I'm glad you're here. I have something to show you."

My curiosity was peaked.

"This is going to be a bit of a surprise and I need you to keep your cool."

It was a strange request but I nodded as I followed him down the hall and he stopped outside a room.

Why was he worried if I could keep my cool? It was the strangest request.

When he looked to be for confirmation I nodded my head. "I'll keep my cool."

He opened the door. Our father sat on the bed as we both entered the room.

"Dad?" I gasped, trying to figure how the father we hadn't been able to find anywhere was in Kaiden's spare room.

"Kira," my father greeted without making a move to embrace me.

I was stunned. "You found him?"

"Something like that," my brother answered.

"How?" I was struggling to take it all in. The betrayal of what he had done and the position he had put me brought only anger.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is he is here now."

My gaze went from my brother to my father.

He looked well and not at all like a man who had been on the run from some very bad men.

"Why?" I found myself asking.

"I needed the money Kira. And the opportunity arose and I took it." He shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal and it hadn't totally upturned all of our lives, especially mine.

"Really dad? Of all the things you have done this has to be the most self centered." I was so angry I wanted to yell at him and it took all my self control not to yell and bring my bodyguard running.

"You never understood anything," he moaned and I had the urge to shake some sense into him.

I curled my hands into fists.

Kaiden reached for my hand, the one with the wedding ring. "Tell me you didn't."

When I didn't immediately answer, his grip on my hand tightened.

"I think the more important question is why my father would offer me up to the Vincents to square off his debt?" I pulled my hand free from my brother to glare at my father. I crossed my arms to keep myself from doing anything physical to him.

He had turned my entire life upside down for the last couple of years and there he didn't seem to have an ounce of regret or sorrow over it.

"I didn't. I tried to pay back the money but they didn't want it. All they wanted was you."

That made the hairs on my neck stand up. Why me? It made no sense whatsoever.

"When did it happen?" My brother's question brought my attention back to him.

"When did what happen?" I asked.

"The wedding."

It had been the reason for my visit. My brother wasn't happy. His jaw was tense. I hadn't expected him to be accepting of it.

"Yesterday."

His jaw tightened.

"You got married?" My father asked, sounding puzzled.

"Yes," I ground out.

Did he have no idea how much his actions had affected my life? I wouldn't forced me into a marriage where my husband was unable to love me the way I loved him.

"Angel married me to protect me," I said, watching for his reaction.

"You guys have always been close," my father said and I bristled.

"He always stepped in when you weren't there," I snapped. He had been the worst kind of father. Sometimes I wondered if I would have been better off without him.

All he seemed to bring was pain and chaos. Nothing good come from his actions. Like the two years I had been in hiding and the having to marry Angel.

I wasn't naive to believe that if it hadn't been the threat from the Vincents we wouldn't be married now.

Maybe I would have been better off than being in love with someone I knew couldn't love me back. It was torture being so close as two people could be and I couldn't share how I felt about him. It felt wrong and something I had to fight all the time. I couldn't afford to slip up.

"I don't understand why the Vincents would want me?" I said, trying to figure out why I was even on their radar. "It makes no sense."

"Angel, could be the reason," Kaiden suggested.

I frowned. "I don't get it. Why would they want me because of Angel?"

"You and Angel have always been close. They can get to him through you. When he found out they wanted you, he tried everything he could to repay the debt so they would leave you alone." My brother shrugged. "It makes sense."

To me it didn't. I had been in Angel's life for a long time but we had never been close. At times we could barely stand each other. It had just been those times, when I needed someone he had been the one to step up. Every other time we had barely tolerated each other. Why would anyone believe they could use me to get to Angel?

The ring on my finger reminded me of what I was to him now. But he had done that to protect me. Would this have the opposite affect he had intended? Would it put me more into harms way?

"Another good reason why you shouldn't have married him." Kaiden wasn't going to let it go.

"Just stop it," I snapped, feeling my stress level rise. "I have enough to deal with, I don't need your snide comments Kaiden."

I let out an emotional breath.

"You can say what you like. Angel has always looked after you." My father surprised me by saying. "You did good marrying Angel. He is powerful and they wouldn't dare touch you now."

My brother shook his head at my father. "I'm more worried about why he did it. Marrying someone is a big thing. I don't believe for a second he did it for anyone else other than himself. And it's only a matter of time before it comes to light. Are you ready for what you might discover?"

I couldn't answer because for a moment I feared my brother could be right.