“I trust you,” Quinn says.
I think she forgets where we are and the warning Aleksei gave us, or her heat is lingering. Either way, I want the easy, touchy-feely woman standing in front of me like I’ve never wanted anything.
“One day,” I murmur as I free my hands from hers.
“One day,” she confirms.
And I pray like never before that we do get that one day. Soon.
I pull my phone out before I decide today is the day. “The number I’m giving you is for Layne De Luca. She’s a lawyer in our world, and she has an impressive client list. But none of those things matters. I’m mostly sure I trust her, which is why I’m sharing her details.”
“Mostly?” Quinn laughs, but her eyes get guarded.
I want to wrap my hand around her face and whisper whatever she needs to hear to make the shadows go, but instead I share my reservations, which are pretty much all based around my need to protect her from everything.
“Layne’s husband and their pack are involved in the Mob, which is only part of the reason I’ve got reservations.”
She watches me carefully. “You’re not a fan of Valentine De Luca?”
I shouldn’t be surprised Quinn is aware of who is running the Italians now, but I am.
And then I share with her what very few people know. “He’s a personal friend. We argue more than we sit around and enjoy each other’s company, but he’s one of only a handful of people I trust. And we just had a bit of an argument, so I’m probably wound up from that still and it's changed how I see him.”
Her pretty eyes are wider than usual in her surprise, and a knowing smile is playing on her beautiful mouth. “Let me guess, something you said came across as a threat to his wife?”
I’m stunned she reads the situations perfectly. It takes my brain a few seconds to catch up before I can answer. “Apparently.”
She laughs, and it’s so genuine, it chases away the lingering mood of my stupid snapping at the De Luca twins. I feel better, more stable when I can see her, feel her, and only breathe her sweet vanilla scent. Like a magnet, I’m closer than I should be, telling her where my thoughts are. “Bebe, I wish I had you all to myself again. That time with you…”
“Keeps us all motivated.” She finishes my sentence, her eyes darkening in her honesty, but then as quickly as she was in my space, she steps out, putting distance between us again.
I back off, reading her need for privacy before she has to open her mouth and ask for it.
As opposed to calling Layne, she goes over to Aleksei and includes Kade in a quick discussion. I watch from a distance, and it’s hard not to trail behind her as she walks away from them and me to somewhere Aleksei pointed to, but I have to trust he knows this place better than I do.
She walks to a chair set on a small platform tucked against the rock wall, positioned so it overlooks the water. It’s a good spot, isolated but protected too. She won’t be in the open, which makes me feel better. Leaving her bag on the seat, Quinn walks down to the water’s edge and stares out at the horizon for a long while.
My insides twist when she drops her head forward, like the weight of whatever she’s thinking is too heavy. Before I can take a step towards her, she lifts her chin and brings the phone to her ear and starts talking.
Kade and Aleksei spread out, and without speaking, we watch her like hawks. Nothing is getting past us.
Every now and then, I can feel her eyes on me. And with each sensation, I turn and lock gazes with her, trying to convey to her how much support I have ready for her taking. She might not have shared why she wanted to speak with a lawyer, and I’m not keen to jump to conclusions, but given how long she speaks to Layne, the legal advice she’s after is for something complex and convoluted.
I should have gotten some water for her. I grouse my carelessness. Guarding her is about making sure her well-being is prioritized, in all situations. Even when she’s making calls.
I’ve got water in the car, and I catch Kade’s attention, letting him know I’m moving out of position and for him to be extra vigilant. Aleksei starts to move closer, and I think he’s adjusting where he’s standing, but he keeps walking until he’s in front of me. “Sergey wants to meet for drinks before dinner. I have to interrupt her. We need to go.”
Kade must hear part of what Aleksei is saying because he doesn’t wait for an invitation to be the one to go to her. He moves to her without hesitating. She finishes her call as he approaches, and I cuss when he doesn’t hesitate to wrap her in his arms.
Aleksei steps into my line of sight, cutting me off from seeing them. He doesn’t pay Kade any credence; he doesn’t seem at all impacted by the lines being blurred again. But he is filthy fucking angry, and it’s directed at me.
“Yesterday, something happened. Before her heat, you got a call, and since then, you’ve acted like I am the enemy.”
I meet his challenge, not intimidated by him or by the conversation he clearly wants us to have. “You are the enemy.”
He laughs without humor and shakes his head. Disappointment overrides his usual earthy scent. He comes closer, invading my space and speaking quietly so no one else hears him. “You don’t get it, do you? Whatever you think of me is irrelevant unless, of course, you’re going to deny her. But if you choose to walk that path, Santiago, that is on you. Although, a word of warning”—he grins takes another step, his chest knocking mine, a dark, glint in his eye—“I will kill you without any issues of honor or pride or how it would look holding me back. The reasons are black and white for me.”
I feel my control slipping as I rise to his bait faster than a snake. “Bullshit.”
