“You abandoned me in the middle of the night! You left me alone for five years!” Maya hissed as he lifted his hand to touch where her slap had left its mark. “I left to protect you! I left because I love you!” Nathaniel protested in a futile attempt to defend himself. —————————————————— Five years ago, Nathaniel De La Rue found love and a new life in Arlington City, but his past soon caught up with him and forced him to leave behind everything he had built, including his beloved Maya Miller. Now, Nathaniel is done running. He must confront his past to protect those that matter the most to him. After fighting for his right to live and accepting his rightful place in the De La Rue family, he finally returns to Arlington City. However, upon his return, Nathaniel finds that his world is not the same as he left it. Maya, the woman he loves, is engaged to another man. His best friend now works for the man who stole Maya from him. Furthermore, the woman who had cared for Nathaniel like a mother is being abused by her husband. It’s as if he has to start from scratch. But things have changed. This time he has the De La Rue Family by his side.
"Then why has your family or the head office done nothing to stop them in the past?" Zachary demanded as he looked Nathaniel in the eyes, burning with a new fury.
Nathaniel recalled Sarah's story about Zachary losing someone important to the Syndicate. He couldn't help but think back to that story when he saw the anger in the other man's eyes.
"My family has failed to protect its interests here in Arlington," Nathaniel confessed. "I will not lie to you, Arlington is so small that it was easily overlooked."
"And you think that's a valid excuse for ignoring your people here and letting a parasite like the Syndicate fester?" Nathaniel could see the older man clenching his fists as he resisted the urge to say more.
Zachary was a cautious and calculated man. He would never risk flying off the handle in front of Nathaniel.