I'm so thankful for her knowledge, but even more so for her presence.
Coming home never felt so good.
"Monitored?" She pulls her hand back and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Antonelli has a camera watching the entrance. But we can work around it. We're moving a small load tomorrow night. Hopefully, it's enough for Kemal."
She wraps her arms around herself.
"When do you need me to help move it?"
“Angelica…” I scowl.
Her eyebrows rise, and she says, "What? I know the layout of that club better than your men do. I worked there for months. I know where the blind spots are. I know how to move through the building without being noticed. If you need someone to access the tunnel, I can do it."
The idea of sending Angelica into that club to move product through underground tunnels is so absurd, I almost laugh. But she's serious.
She's offering to help despite everything she said about not getting involved in my world.
"No," I say firmly.
"Why not? You need people who can move through the club without drawing attention. I can do that."
"Absolutely not. You are not going anywhere near that operation."
"You said you needed help." She looks frustrated with me, but at least she's being civil and not shouting. All I want is to protect her, not anger her. "I'm trying to help you."
"And I appreciate that. But I can't bear the thought of sending you into danger. If something goes wrong, if Antonelli's people intercept you, I'd never forgive myself."
She starts to protest but I cut her off by stepping closer and kissing her, hooking my fingers around the back of her neck so she can't pull away. When I pull back, she looks stunned.
"Sofia needs her mother," I say. "That's why you aren't going."
She searches my face. "Is that the only reason?"
I cup her face in my hands and look directly into her eyes.
"No. That's not the only reason."
"Then what?" Her lip quivers and she tries to shake her head.
"I love you and the idea of losing you hurts bad enough that it makes it impossible to breathe. So no, you're not going into those tunnels and putting yourself at risk for this operation. I'd rather lose the alliance with the Turks than lose you."
Her breath catches.
Tears shine in her eyes but she doesn't let them fall. "You love me?"
"Yes."
Angelica stares up at me with wide eyes.
I hope she'll return my words, but her breath seems caught in her chest.
"I'm scared," she whispers.
"I know."
"I'm scared of losing Sofia… What if you don’t come back?"
