The car ride alone had been terrible. Bound, gagged and blindfolded was not how Charlie was used to being transported. If she hadn't been so scared, she would have been throwing around Sebastian's name as the guards manhandled her into a room. They shoved her into a chair while she tried to breathe normally. She was pretty sure her dress was damaged which saddened her in the back of her mind. Connor loved her in this dress. Her blindfold was ripped off and Charlie felt her heart sink to her stomach as Sebastian smiled at her. "Hello, Charlotte."

"Sebastian," she replied in a whisper thin voice.

"Gentlemen, please, unbind her," he ordered. "This is my prized stepdaughter. We're family, she and I. I gave her my only son after all."

Sebastian never spoke to her like that. She was a dead woman for sure. "Whatever they told you, I am innocent. I swear to you, I am loyal to the family."

"The family?" Bass repeated. "You mean the family that you have repeatedly tried to leave? The family that you have reviled both publicly and in private? Is that the family you're talking about? My god, how many times have you pulled a gun on Miles or your mother or me?"

If she had a gun, she would be pulling it on him right now. But she was weaponless in a room full of guns wielded by people who wouldn't hesitate. Charlie was relying on her wits to get her through this one. "I have pulled a lot of guns," she admitted. "But I haven't fired a single bullet."

"It's only a matter of time."

That was probably true. Charlie had said it too much to take the words back now. She had to appeal to whatever was left of his heart. "I love Connor," she swore.

Sebastian's anger wavered. "Then you should have thought of that before."

The next noise was so loud; Charlie thought a gun had gone off. Then Connor started talking. "The hell is going on here?" he demanded as he strode in the room. "What are you doing to Charlie?"

"I'm taking care of a problem," Sebastian replied in an icy tone.

"Charlie isn't a problem, she's my wife."

"We'll find you a new one."

"Unfortunately, unlike you, I don't find women so easily interchangeable."

"You don't talk to me that way."

"I just did."

"Damn it, Connor! I am trying to protect you!"

"From what?" Connor snapped. "Happiness?"

"She was going to turn states!"

"I wasn't!" Charlie yelled.

Connor's look flickered for a second but came back twice as hard. "Who told you this?"

"Scanlon," Bass countered.

His son snorted. "Scanlon cares about nothing but increasing his own power. More than likely he lied to try to bring more problems our way."

"You don't know that."

"You don't know that Charlie did anything wrong but you're quick to accuse her."

Bass made a frustrated noise. Why was his son always so willful? "We can't afford any leaks," he insisted. "There is too much scrutiny right now."

"I have said the same things Charlie has said numerous times. Why aren't I tied to a chair?"

Everyone in that room knew the answer. Because Sebastian Monroe would cut off his own arm before he ever accused his son of disloyalty, let alone put him in danger. "She means them more than you do," Bass gestured.

"Then show me the proof," Connor pushed. "Where are the photographs of her talking to a cop? The taped conversations between her and a D.A.? Give me something concrete, Dad. If you have the proof, show me. If not, let us go home."

Bass' teeth snagged on his lower lip as he thought. He didn't' have proof and Connor clearly knew it. "Go then," he growled. "Get out of here, both of you."

Connor wasn't heartless. He could see something was bothering his father. He helped Charlie to her feet and looked her over. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," she nodded.

Connor kissed her forehead. "Go wait outside while I talk with my father."

Charlie wanted to look at Bass to see his expression but she decided to just take her freedom and run with it. She hurried to from the room without looking back. "Aren't you going to go with her?" Bass accused in a hurt tone as he walked toward his whiskey.

"No, I'm going to apologize," Connor said.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I want to apologize. This was very public and I shouldn't have put you in that kind of position where people could see or hear. You need to have people fear you to run this organization and I put that in jeopardy. I am sorry."

"Then why did you do it?"

"You left me no choice. I want to protect you too, dad. You knew picking up Charlie with no proof was a stupid thing to do. But you were blinded. So I had to keep you from making a stupid choice. I didn't mean to do it in this way but I was the only choice I had."

Bass sighed as he passed Connor a glass and leaned against the sideboard. "The cops are sniffing around," he admitted. "That last hit…it didn't' go as planned."

"That's Neville's fault, not Charlie's. Throw him to the sharks."

"He could turn states."

"He won't. We have his wife. We tell him if he cooperates, his wife lives. If he tries anything, she gets a bullet in her head. And then we go for him." Connor sipped his whiskey. "If he's still stubborn then you promise him a good lawyer that will get him a deal. He'll be out in fifteen. And the police will stop sniffing around."

Bass considered the offer. "They'll need information to make a deal," he pointed out.

"I'm sure you have some people that could be cleaned out."

"No names you want to offer?"

Connor smirked. "I can't do everything around here."

Abruptly, Bass set his glass down and went to hug his son. "I miss her too," he murmured.

Connor didn't know what to say so he hugged his father. It was times like this when he missed his mother the most. Finally he pulled away. "You have work to do," he gestured. "And I have a wife to comfort."

"Tell her I'm sorry."

"She won't want to hear it."

"Women never want to hear that men are sorry unless we're carrying jewelry or flowers." Bass shrugged. "Tell her anyway."

"I will."

While Connor was fixing things with his father, Charlie paced out in the hall. She just wanted to be home. This whole thing was confusing the hell out of her. The sound of a door opening had her looking up hopefully until she registered the click of heels. Then her mother grabbed her arm and threw her against the wall. "What the hell did you do?" she demanded.

Charlie gaped at her. "I…I…"

Rachel slapped her. "Speak properly," she snapped.

"He accused me of wanting to leave the family," Charlie stated in a quiet voice.

Her mother slapped her again. "I didn't arrange a marriage between you and Monroe's son for you to screw it up now."

"Connor defended me," Charlie said. "He loves me. Like I love him."

"Love is a luxury we can't afford," Rachel hissed. "Not after that stunt your father pulled."

Charlie opened her mouth but before anything could come out, Rachel was thrown against the wall and forced to look up at the angry eyes of Connor Monroe. "You ever strike my wife again, I will watch you drown in your own blood," he warned.

"You can't talk to me like that," Rachel growled. "I'm Sebastian Monroe's wife."

"And I'm his son. So remember this, bitch. He loved me long before he ever laid eyes on you." Connor's face softened as he turned to Charlie. "Let's go home," he murmured, taking her hand.

Charlie leaned on him all the way back to the penthouse. Like their wedding night, the ride was silent and the moment they got home, Connor went to the whiskey. Charlie sighed as she sat down. "Aren't you going to ask me?"

Connor turned with a slightly surprised look. "I assumed after the day you had alcohol would be welcome. Was I wrong?"

"Not about the drinks. Are you going to ask me about the accusations?"

Connor brought their drinks over. "What about turning states? Why would I ask that?"

"Because your father accused me of wanting to leave the family and most people would want to know if that was true."

"Charlie, you're my wife. If you say you didn't, then you didn't. Simple as that."

"Really?"

"Really." Connor sighed as he leaned back. "I have to believe you're innocent Charlie because you're about the only person I can trust anymore. I know my father loves me more than anything but I'm afraid of what that love would make him do. I know where I stand with you…usually. So if I lose you then I've lost everything."

Charlie wondered how long they would have to be married for Connor to stop rocking her with these declarations. She suspected he would always have depths she didn't know of. "I thought about it," she admitted. "Even talked to a cop. Just once. But I couldn't go through with it."

"Can I ask why or is that private?"

"You."

"Me?"

"You. I knew if I ratted out the family, they'd take you too. I couldn't stand losing you like that. I love you. So I kept my mouth shut. I'd rather be trapped in this hell with you than be free and alone."

Connor smiled at her. "Come here."

They spent the rest of the night cuddled on the couch.