RONAN Finding his house is easy. As easy as removing a speck of dust from my shoes. I know what you’re thinking. I shouldn’t be on his driveway for any reason at eleven in the midnight, especially since Sarah asked us to let her fight this on her own. However, I refuse to believe she thinks we’re just going to sit on our asses and do nothing. She’s smarter than that. As a matter of fact, I can bet the entire Hawk Estate she knows I’m going to find him tonight. And I have. Julian Cross lives in a penthouse downtown. It’s his style, really. Glass, steel, and sharp edges. It’s the type of vibe he exudes. Pretentious and sickening. I know a man without a backbone when I see one. I don’t bother with the front desk. They were already notified of my presence. “Going to see a friend.” I lie. I ring his doorbell and slide my hands back into my pockets, waiting patiently. The door clicks after a few minutes, and he pulls it open. In a white vest and really tight matching briefs, Julian Cross glares at me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” The smell of whiskey from his breath hits my nose like a truck. I brush the tip of my nose with my index finger, earning me a brow raise. “I was hoping we could talk,” my gaze shifts behind him, to the butt naked woman on his couch. She freezes when she sees me. I look away. “If you’re up for it.” “How did you know I live here?” “You’ll be surprised what a thorough google search can do.” “And you’re the only one?” I raise a brow. “You seriously don’t think you deserve an entourage.” He frowns. “We can talk, mister Cross, like two civil men. Can’t we?”He hisses and takes a step backwards, silently inviting me into his home. “Get out,” Julian barks at the lady on the couch. She grabs what I assume is her dress and runs past me. The doors close behind her. I turn to face Julian. He’s standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows. He’s picked up his half empty glass of whiskey and is now twirling it in his right hand. “So you’re a dog after all.” I speak with a tight jaw. The man somehow fooled even me. His jaw tightens. “Is that why you’re here, HawkThorne? To insult me?” It is one of the reasons. “I wonder how you were able to keep your nice guy facade up for as long as you did.” I move further into the room, hands in my pockets, “I have to give it to you. I can't even put up an act for that long.” “Fuck off.” He takes a long drink. “If Sarah sent you here to bully me into backing down, you’re wasting your time. I’m not stop fighting for what’s right.” His hypocrisy makes me want to empty the whiskey bottle all over him, but that’s the exact reaction Sarah wouldn’t want. “She did no such thing.” I stop a few feet away from him. “In fact, she insists on fighting this battle herself. And I’m going to let her.” “Then why are you here?” “To set the rules.” He laughs, it’s a bitter and sharp sound that cuts through his throat. “You want to set rules for a game you’re not even playing?” “But I am playing.” I let the words sit between us. “If Sarah is playing, you must understand that she has the backing of the entire Hawk Empire and every loyal affiliate.” “You’re not the only one with connections,” he hisses. “That’s true,” I agree. “But between the both of us, I’m the only one with connections that matter.” I pause, watching his face. “Your father wants to run for President soon, doesn’t he?” The change is instant. His entire body goes still. The glass stops halfway to his mouth. A small smile tugs at the end of my lip. There it is. “What—” “Jonathan Cross,” I continue with an even tone. “Currently a senator. Presidential bid planned for next election cycle. Your father is very ambitious. I imagine he’ll need all the backing he can get.” I tilt my head slightly. Julian sets his glass down on the glass stool in front of him. “Piss off, HawkThorne. You’re not going to intimidate me so easily.” “Be careful now,” I smile at him. “If you want to go ahead in this fight, you can’t be stopped. But you must understand that you would lose. And when you do, you should accept your defeat wholeheartedly, and without any trouble.” His glass explodes against the wall beside me. The hand that hurled it towards me is shaking as he stands with wide eyes, breathing heavily. He looks between the broken shards and me, over and over again. Whatever he’s waiting for, he doesn’t get. I don’t flinch. The best answer for a fool is silence. In no time, this fool begins to bark like the rabid dog he is. “What does she see in you that I don’t have?” He screams. I see him there and then. The true, bitter, insecure man that he is. “Is it because there’s three of you? Is that it? I’ve been in that company, watched her for years. Does she have a thing for assholes? First it was Aaron, and now you three!” My jaw ticks slightly. I curl my hands into fists in my pockets. Believe me, it’s the only way to stop it from landing on his face. “I’m what she needs,” he continues with a cracked voice. “And this fight will prove it to her. She’ll see…” “For your sake and mine, Julian Cross, be very mindful of the next words that come out of your mouth.” I look at the broken glass scattered across his expensive floor, then back to him. He’s sweating profusely, drooling from the sides of his mouth. I’m irritated by the mere thought that he believes his disgusting self is worthy of Sarah. Our kitten. Our baby. Our fucking wife to be. It's dishonorable to her, and disrespectful to me. I can’t stand it anymore. It’ll kill me to entertain this pathetic display one more second than I already have. “Sarah’s the only reason you’re not in a body bag at the bottom of an ocean right now.” I walk toward his door, brushing past his lean shoulders. Julian stays quiet behind me. I can hear him fuming, feel the heat of his stare at my back. If Sarah wasn’t such a saint, there are a couple of other ways I would have loved to get my point across, and none of them involves exchanging words. I step outside, then turn to face him one last time.“You should thank her when you see her tomorrow.” His brows furrow as his scowl feels. “Thank her? For what?” “Choosing to keep you alive.”