“That’s their problem. Not mine. When I have something I want to share with you, I’ll go through you, Kitty. You’ll be my point of contact. These fuckers are about to learn that red wolves play with their kills?—”
“Eva?”
The other woman paused at myduci’s interruption. “What?”
“How’s Beatriz?”
“Depressed. She has your number, Kitty. Storm gave it to her. Not all shit ends well even if we have the best of intentions.”
On that surprisingly kind note, she ended the call.
Aidan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Who’s Beatriz?”
“A mutual friend,” I inserted before she could answer.
The head of the Five Points pursed his lips. “Thank you, I suppose, Kitty. I assume you don’t mind being drafted in?—”
“She might not, but I do,” I muttered.
“Stan,” she argued.
“No. This is dangerous.”
“It may be, but Eva made sure she’d have cross protection, didn’t she? Kitty, through blood and…relationships, has ties to the Irish Mob, theCosaNostra,Camorra, as well asher sister-in-law’s links to the Disciples in LA. Never mind the cavalcade of allies Aurora has collected over the years of her reign, Custanzu.
“I understand why she didn’t contact Jennifer now. That would be too high profile. Lucas lives in my building and Kitty can clearly gain access to me without much fanfare.”
“Jennifer might still be at risk,” Lucas pointed out. “She’d be the obvious candidate for a go-between, Aidan.”
“True.” He deliberated, “Tell your brother, Custanzu?”
“I will.”
“Prepare to hear from me shortly. Lucas, see to my guests, if you would?” Aidan rolled his chair around to face the window behind him. “I expect news of an engagement soon, Custanzu.”
Kitty sputtered, “Aidan, you can’t?—”
I tugged on her hand and fiddled with her ring. “Soon.”
She glowered at me, but I ignored it. Ignored Lucas’s satisfied smirk too.
As her brother led us to the elevator, he muttered, “What the fuck have you gotten yourself involved in, Kitty?”
She gnawed on the inside of her cheek as I pushed the button for the parking garage. “I don’t know. I’m not even sure why I came up on her radar.”
“Lies,” I half-teased, because I was pissed about this too. “You returned Beatriz to the fold.” At her grimace, I placed a hand at the small of her back. “We will keep you safe, won’t we, Lucas?”
“Of course we will.” He pressed his knuckles under her chin. “Keep it up, squirt.”
She shoved his arm on the way out of the elevator. “Jackass.”
“Just doing what I do best,” he hollered as the doors closed behind us.
Flipping him yet another bird over her head, to me, she tutted. “Engagement?”
“You knew it was coming,” I drawled, utterly unapologetic. “I intended on waiting until you were either pregnant or wouldn’t freak out about the length of our relationship.”
Before she could grumble further at me, my phone rang.
