“They don’t want me as an enemy.” He put on his suit jacket. “My family is under attack, so that makes this personal. They need to choose their sides wisely.”
It wasn’t just our family that was under attack. When Medina sent that butterfly necklace, the message became much more than a threat. He went right for Sable. He had my attention.
“Without those three cities, Medina can’t successfully traffic those women,” I said.
“He’s extremely determined. We have to be prepared for his retaliation.” My father opened his office door. “I’ll have Josh bring the SUV to the front of the house. I have to make a call, and then we’ll leave.”
We were meeting with Juan today to go over some important shipping information. He wanted to meet with all three of us because it had been quite some time since my father, brother, and I gave him a report.
“I’ll find Marchello, and we’ll meet you out there.”
“Don’t forget the files on the desk.” He stepped into the hallway. “Good morning, Sable.”
“Good morning, Nico,” she replied. “I hope you have a wonderful day.”
I was pleased to hear her relaxed exchange with my father. He had done a fantastic job of getting her to adapt to him. His personality took some getting used to, but Sable was holding her own.
“I wish the same for you.” His heavy footsteps faded as he walked down the foyer.
“Sweet Sable.” I dropped my phone into my inside suit pocket. “Good morning.”
She came into the office, still wearing her pink pajama bottoms and a gray cropped sweatshirt. Her hair was piled into a messy bun, and her bare feet revealed the sheer polish on her toenails. “How come you didn’t wake me?” she asked.
“I have an early meeting.” I flipped through the papers on the desk, making sure we had everything we needed. “You were sound asleep, but I did kiss you goodbye. I was going to text you in a bit.”
“I’m a little sluggish this morning.”
“Are you not sleeping well?” I put the papers in a folder. “You’ve been tired all week.”
“Yeah, I know.” She leaned against the chair by the desk. “I think, well…” She trailed off and then stopped her thoughts.
Maybe I should give her a break tonight. Waking her up when I came in to have sex might be a bit selfish. But when I got into bed and she was soft, warm, and smelled delicious, how was I supposed to stop myself?
“Do you have plans today?” I asked. “Maybe you should stay in and rest.”
“Oh, um…” She ran her hand along the leather on the top of the chair. “I’m going to the boutique with Lissia and Ricardo.”
“Did I know that?” With the strike we just made against Boston, Philly, and Chicago, I wasn’t sure this was the best time for her to go to the city without me.
“Lissia just texted me and invited me.” She stretched out her back. “If you want, I could stay here with you and we could spend the day together.”
“No, you should go.” Keeping her locked away wasn’t practical, especially if I expected her to adjust to my world. “I can’t miss this meeting.”
As much as I wanted to stay with her, we couldn’t afford any backlash from Juan. He wanted all three of us to be there. That hadn’t been possible these last few months.
“You stay with Ax and don’t let Lissia talk you into doing anything reckless.”
“Reckless?” She continued to wipe her hand along the chair. “That’s the last thing I want.”
“I’m happy to hear that.” I met her on the other side of the chair. “Maybe you should go back to bed.” I pressed my hand to her forehead. “I can get Antonella to bring you a tray with juice, fruit, and toast.”
“I’m not sick.” She looked down. “Do you have a minute to talk?”
“It’s already been a hectic morning.” I glanced at my watch. “My father is waiting for me, and I’m supposed to find Chello.”
My brother was probably upstairs with Lissia, and I didn’t have to imagine what they were doing. They tried to make a baby every chance they got.
“This meeting is important,” I said. “I want you to have my undivided attention when we’re together.”
