The contrast makes me laugh quietly. “Okay, fine. I didn’t sleep. Yesterday was heavy. Give a girl a break.”
Dillon wraps an arm around me. “It’s over now. We know the truth. You’re safe. We’re good.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “Somehow, we are.”
I imagine him with a baby for just a second and my stomach flips again.
All of them would be amazing dads.
The thought almost breaks me.
I eat what I can, then grab my water and head upstairs.
As soon as I reach the bathroom, my stomach rebels. I grip the counter until it passes.
When I emerge, Chance is there, eyeing me carefully. “You okay?”
I lie. “Yeah. Just tired.”
He doesn’t push but he watches.
And somehow, that steadies me.
No matter what happens, I know one thing for sure.
This baby will be loved.
For now, that’s enough to let me breathe.
19
BOONE
Ikeep the phone pressed to my ear long after the line goes dead, the office hum the only sound as I stare at the snowy pines outside the window. For the last few days, my gut has told me Vincent Caruso isn’t just some wannabe with muscle and a gun. My instincts are screaming that he’s dangerous.
Now I have confirmation.
The connections I’ve made over the years don’t lie. Every quiet word I gather from informants, private contacts, and people who owe us favors paints the same picture.
Caruso isn’t just a mob boss. He’s a force of nature. The Caruso crime family has been running parts of New York for decades. They’re infamous, known for their particular brand of violence and an unforgiving history.
I’ve heard stories about his father and his grandfather that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. And Vincent…
Rumor has it he offed his own uncle to take the top spot. He doesn’t forgive. He doesn’t forget. When he ties up loose ends, men disappear for good. Without a trace.
In other words, he’s the real deal. The boogeyman under the bed.
I finally toss my phone onto the desk and sink back into my chair, letting the weight of it settle. This isn’t just a threat. This is a full-on storm, and Roxie is standing right in the middle of it.
My chest tightens at the thought of what could happen if we aren’t ready. Because hewillcome. The only variable is when.
From the sound of it, Roxie and her friend covered their tracks as well as they could. Madison paid cash for the bus ticket. They dyed Roxie’s hair so she wouldn’t be instantly recognizable on camera footage. She packed light so she didn’t stand out.
There’s nothing more they could’ve done, but the reality is this. Roxie doesn’t have many people back in New York.
If Caruso’s men are really looking, and I’m convinced they are, they’ll find Madison sooner or later. And once they do, they’ll find out about the cabin.
I pick up my phone again, urgency burning through my veins like a wildfire. “Chance, Dillon, conference room. Now.”
