“How did you find out about all this so quickly? The FBI only just found out.”
He sat up, placing his warm hands on my shoulders. “Karina, there are government officials who are active participants in those fucking rings. Do you really think they would allow the FBI to find out?”
But James had been following this case for years…
Haley told me this case was the only case James had been assigned to since joining the FBI. He assisted in other cases, but this case was his and his alone. The higher ups dumped it on him, and his director was adamant about closing it.
“So how did you find out?” I asked cautiously.
“When Haley was brought to me, I started my own investigation. The mafia has ties with the government that Agent Garner does not. I sat down with senators after telling them I was sent there on Romano’s behalf. They never came out and said it. I got my confirmation from Romano myself—the night you decided to raid my kitchen,” he explained, his voice ending on a soft note at the mention of my baking adventures.
I smiled at my lap. “I had to break it in.”
“Did you now?” I could hear the smile in his voice.
I sighed. Those were happy memories for a different time. “You still didn’t answer my question. How are you going to convince the rest of the underworld that you are the new devil?”
His fingers reached under my chin, tilting my head back to look at him. His jaw was tight, but there was a warmth in his eyes. A warmth only reserved for me. “The Mafia is old school,Karina. There is a line of succession. Romano’s line ended, and because I killed him, I automatically step into the role. There will be backlash, of course, but eventually they will submit or be killed.”
“How many more cities have the mafia in them?”
He chuckled, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. “Not just cities. Countries. I have men scattered all over. To be powerful, you have to be feared, but there has to be trust in there somewhere. My men trust me. I trust them.”
“Do you?” I raised a brow.
He looked at me. “I wouldn’t have left you and Haley on this island if I didn’t, Karina.”
My heart fluttered. “Col?”
“Hm?”
“Are we going to make it?”
He pulled me to him, placing me back on his chest—directly over his beating heart. Its steady beat echoed the most beautiful song in the world in my ear. Warmth crawled up my body as I wrapped my arms around his torso, giving him a good squeeze. He didn’t have to answer that question, and it was unfair of me to ask it.
“I want us to,” he softly admitted, his arm wrapping around me.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Dean
“Baby girl?”
She stirred against me, her hand gripping my T-shirt tighter. I smirked down at her before meeting James’ eyes in the rearview mirror. We had been at it all night.
Haley told us everything she had seen and heard while she was at Collin’s mansion, including the confession from Kay.
Jeremy walked out when Haley conveyed Kay’s feelings for Collin, slamming the door behind him. He said he was going to Oasis. That was seven hours ago, and Dontell told me he hadn’t seen him. Casey was missing in action as well. Anyone would be a dumbass to think those two weren’t together.
The sun was rising over the city, peaking over the Arch and the river behind it as James drove us to Sullie’s. We were supposed to be meeting him and Dom, along with some other higher ups in the crew. It felt like a meeting Jer should be present for, but he had his own demons to fight.
His sister had sided with the enemy.
Haley tried to assure us Collin wasn’t the enemy, but James and I weren’t so convinced. Gwen, on the other hand, she had that look in her eye. The same look that she had when that fucker planted a bug in her flowers five years ago. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, preying on a nice girl like her. My hand balled up into a fist in my lap. I wanted to whoop his ass all over again.
“Is she out?” Red asked from the front seat, turning around to face us. She smiled at the sleeping woman on my chest.
“Yeah, she's exhausted. Traveling does that to her,” I said. I didn’t think Gwen had gotten a full seven hours of sleep in the last week. My internal clock was so fucked from the years I’d spent underground, I could sleep anywhere anytime.
