“There’ll be a police raid in a few days.”
Gabriel gaped at me. “You cunning bastard. You gave him properties that would be useless to us anyway.”
“The feds were breathing down my neck. I needed to give them something. The warehouses will be useless by the end of the week.” Finishing my drink, I poured myself more. “Why did you think I made you go all the way out to Rockford? It wasn’t for the dinosaur exhibit.”
Gabriel had something on his mind, his intense study of me telling me I wouldn’t like what he said next. “I don’t know why you do what you do half the time. But I trust you. You’re my brother. We’re blood.” He clapped me on the back, nearly spilling my drink. “And because we’re family, I can’t stay back and watch you make the biggest mistake of your life.”
I finished my drink, hoping the alcohol would mellow me out. Gabriel had a knack for reading people, and he was the most direct person I’d ever met. He didn’t sugarcoat anything. Something I appreciated about him. But when it was aimed at me, it wasn’t always welcome.
Filling his glass and mine, I nodded. “Well, spit it out, then.”
“Quinn isn’t for our world. It’ll chew her up until there’s nothing left. You need to let her go.”
We locked eyes. Gabriel knew me inside out. He was my second. So it wasn’t a surprise that he’d picked up on my obsession. But I hoped he didn’t know how deep it went.
“I’ll only say this once and trust we never have to speak of it again: Don’t ever mention her. She’s none of your business.”
Shaking his head, he sighed. “You know this can only end one way. Besides, since when have you let pussy cloud your judgment?”
It took everything I had left in me not to lunge at him. “Don’t ever refer to her as pussy again. This conversation is over.”
We sat in silence for the remainder of the car ride. I knew Gabriel was right. And he’d only said what he did because he had our family’s best interest at heart. Something I’d chosen to ignore when it came to Quinn.
But I couldn’t be that selfish any longer. I had to stay away from her, no matter how impossible it seemed. Quinn wasn’t meant for me and never would be.
9
QUINN
Three days.Nearly seventy hours. That was how long it’d been since I’d last seen Liam. After giving me the hottest kiss of my life, the bastard had disappeared. And I couldn’t help but think he stayed away because he regretted what happened.
I should have known better. Not only was he about to take over as the head of the biggest crime family in Chicago, but he could have anyone he wanted. He had money, power, influence, and was scorching hot.
The unhealthy infatuation I had with him needed to stop. It was time to go back to San Francisco. There had been no more threats since I’d arrived in Chicago. My family hadn’t had any issues. The fire was most likely a one-off.
We were still waiting for the damage to the restaurant to be assessed, but there was plenty I could do in the meantime. And as soon as they released the building, we could start reconstruction.
Freya hadn’t left my side, doing her best to keep me entertained. But while I loved her like a sister, her constant attention was becoming stifling. She’d also been relentless in herpursuit of finding out if there was anything going on between Liam and me.
And watching her with Gunner was difficult, no matter how happy I was for my friend. She’d found her person. The one she could trust, who always had her back and worshipped the ground she walked on.
She was also busy planning their wedding, her enthusiasm infectious. In an effort to distract myself, I’d become so invested that I currently found myself arguing with her about whether her invitations should be satin or white.
If anyone had asked me before today, I’d have said, “Who cares?” because they both looked the same. But now I was ready to defend my preference to the bitter end.
Holding up the satin sample, I waved it over my head. “Satin is classy. Look at this pearly sheen. It’s perfect for a wedding invitation.”
Freya held up the white sample. “But isn’t white the best color for a wedding?”
“Since when do you care about tradition? You’re planning on wearing a red dress. And satin is still white anyway.”
She sighed, dropping the sample. “I don’t even know why I’m arguing about the color of my invitations since I don’t give a shit. Mom was supposed to take care of everything. She was so excited.” She stared unseeing out the window.
Taking her hand, I squeezed. “And I’m sure she’ll take over again once your dad is better. Didn’t they say he can come home today?”
Freya snorted. “He’s not supposed to leave the hospital, but Liam thinks they can’t protect him there, so they’ve put together a hospital room here. It only took this long because they couldn’t get a heart monitor until this morning.”
I’d been wondering about all the people coming and going, but since I didn’t know what was normal, I hadn’t questioned it. “I’m sure being at home will help with his recovery.”
