I threw my arms up to shield my face.

In that blind second, Cole tackled me.

We slammed into the hardwood. The gun skittered into the dark. Cole was heavier, desperate, running on panic. He threw a wild punch that grazed my jaw, sending a shock of pain through my teeth.

I didn’t panic. I leveraged my hips, trapped his arm, and drove my knee into his ribs. He grunted, his weight shifting, and I rolled him, pinning him with a forearm across his throat.

“Tell me about my mother,” I snarled, applying pressure.

“The charity!” he choked out, eyes bulging. “She gambled with the funds — lost hundreds of thousands. Vale found out. He bought the debt. He owns her, Serena.