“Either way, I say, instead of looking for Lil and this PI guy, find the doctor. He’s more high-profile, so that should make it easier. Besides, if he’s bankrolling this PI, there must be a paper trail.”
“Agreed.” G nods. “Lil’s proved that she can look after herself. So for now, we’re going to have to let her. Besides, if we can find this guy, then she’ll be free too. The PI will likely stand down if we find the doc. Nobody wants to work for free, after all. And if he doesn’t—because truth be told, there is something off with the guy—then there will be no need to find him, because he’ll find us.”
“I need to make sure my girls are safe. The school did everything right, not letting him collect Star today, and I applaud them for that. But this is the US, where our classrooms have more dead kids than supplies. We can’t guarantee she’s safe there, and you know it.”
“You wanna keep her home instead?”
I scrub my hand over my face. Star needs to have social interaction after spending years in isolation. “Maybe I can talk the school into letting Star have a guard.”
“I doubt they’d let one on school grounds, and you know what these parents are like. If Star can have one, then they’ll want their precious boy to have one. And before you know it, we have a classroom filled with armed men, which defeats the fucking purpose.”
I throw my beer bottle across the lawn with a growl. “Then tell me what to fucking do, Havoc, because all I see right now are bad fucking choices. I love this club, I do, but I love those girlsmore. And if I can’t keep them safe here, I’ll pack them both up and get them the fuck out of the country and away from small-dicked motherfuckers with big man syndrome.”
My chest is heaving by the time I’m done, but Havoc and G just stare at me, surprised by my outburst because I’m usually level-headed.
“Ambros?”
I turn at the sound of Citi’s voice and open my arms as she walks toward me.
“I love that you want to keep us safe, more than you’ll ever know, but you can’t hide us away from the world. Not again.”
I huff in frustration. “I can’t lose you, too, Citi.”
“You won’t. Because Ravens are going to find this guy and make him regret the day he was ever born.”
* * *
Later that night, when the house is quiet and my girls are fast asleep—one tucked up in bed, one wrapped up in my arms—I find myself wide awake, staring up at the ceiling, wishing I had all the answers. I stroke my fingers through Citi’s hair, but she doesn’t stir, the stress of the day having pushed her to exhaustion.
We discussed things further before G and Havoc left, but none of us had any definite answers. I feel like we are just waiting for the other shoe to drop, and there is no worse feeling than being on the back foot.
Knowing sleep isn’t coming for me, I slip from the bed and head downstairs, turning on the lamp before sitting on the sofa with my head in my hands. There has to be something more we can do, something I missed or just haven’t seen yet.
I rub my eyes before grabbing my laptop and diving into a project I’ve been working on for Citi. I’m not sure how she’ll feelabout it, which is why I’ve not said anything yet. I find a million little things that need doing, but realistically, I’m just stalling. This has the ability to hurt her just as much as it can help her.
By the time I’m done, the light is peeking through the blinds. I stretch and groan. It’s going to be a long day.
Putting the laptop away, I head up to the bedroom and slip on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, my eyes on Citi’s sleeping form. She’s rolled over since I’ve been gone, lying on her stomach with her leg cocked. Her T-shirt has ridden up, showing me the pink of her pussy just beneath it. Usually, she slips her underwear on after we fuck, but the frenzy in which we came together seemed to suck all the energy right out of her. She slipped a T-shirt on and fell asleep within minutes. Taking the throw from the chair, I gently lay it over her so she doesn’t get cold, and so I’m not faced with a temptation that’s hard to resist. I head out, tugging the door closed behind me. As I pass Star’s room, I poke my head inside and find her sitting on her bed, rubbing her eyes.
“Hey.”
She looks at me before grinning. She gets off the bed, grabs her unicorn, and walks over to me, slipping her hand in mine. Damn, this kid is killing me. I walk her downstairs, but instead of heading for the kitchen, I head to the sitting room.
“How about we watch a movie and I order us some breakfast?” I offer, not feeling up to cooking right now.
Her answer is to climb up on the sofa and grab the remote. I grin and sit beside her. She can navigate this better than me now. She picks something with singing blue birds in it before curling into me. I tug the blanket from the back of the sofa and tuck it around us before I lean forward and grab my phone from the coffee table. I fire off a text to Con, asking him to pick up a few things from the bakery when it opens, then lean back and get comfortable.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
CITI
The soundof my cell ringing wakes me. I grab it from my nightstand and answer it without even opening my eyes.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Citi. Ambros asked me to grab some food and bring it over, but he’s not answering the door or his cell.”
I open my eyes and frown. “Con?”
