“You needed to protectMadre.”
“We moved her a week before this mess started. That was for her health and yours. But coming to the state myself? That was for you.”
“I’m so confused.”
“Dios me ayude…Because a week ago, you were safe. Exhaustedand emotionally bankrupt, but safe.Madrehad already been moved to the care center, and yes, we put guards on her when my family threatened her. She’s safe.”
“But if she’s safe?—”
He framed her face with his hands. “They knew you were with her. You were part of the threat. The whole reason I came to Wisconsin was to get you and take you to safety.”
19
AUGUST 22, 2024
Steel
He could countthe number of times he’d seen Daleyza speechless on one hand. Surprising her was the only way to do it. She’d been silent for so long, he was worried he’d actually broken her, if that was possible.
“You came… for me.”
“Of course I did. I promised you on our wedding night that I’d always protect you. Don’t you remember?”
She sat, frozen, in his lap.Dios, he’d always loved sitting with her like this—preferably when they were both naked and she was riding his cock, but… this would have to do. It was highly unlikely he’d ever get to experience anything beyond what was happening right now. The fact that she hadn’t shivved him for the kiss was a small miracle.
Yeah, he hadn’t missed her swiping the piece of broken plastic from the seatbelt buckle cover of Equinox’s plane. He was pleased his lessons hadn’t disappeared in the years they’d been apart. Thenumber one rule he taught her: Always have something on her that could become a weapon.
As for the kiss? He was working hard to stomp that down into the farthest corners of his memory.Dios, that had felt wonderful too.
When she slid off his lap, this time, he let her. He knew her better than she knew herself. She needed time to think. To go back and catalog the things he’d done over their years together and view them with that premise. It was the only way she’d be able to make sense of things. To be able to believe his words. It’s how she’d always been.
Hours later,they arrived at the corporate headquarters of Tribe, a ten-story office building in the heart of Los Angeles. To anyone passing by, it looked like any other professional building. If someone looked down on it from the eastern side, they could see into an atrium of sorts, filled with a personalized park and playground equipment. They’d assume there was an on-site day-care facility for those who worked at the company, and they’d be partially correct. It was for the ghost team’s children. But behind the bulletproof glass and solid walls, all people might know was that it was a company that handled personal security.
And anyone who had been on the inside never spoke of what little they’d been permitted to see, which was only the ground-floor lobby, the second-floor reception area, and the conference room. If they did speak of it? They wouldn’t be around long enough to tell anyone else.
While the other men went to the armory to put away their gear and clean up, he led her straight to his apartment on the sixth floor. He stood in the small foyer, watching her take in the space. All the apartments at Tribe were the same in terms of space and layout, but over the past two years, the others had taken on less utilitarianaesthetics as women and children were added to the mix. His, however, still looked as if a bachelor lived there.
She trailed her fingers along the back of the low-backed leather couch. “You work out of this building?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And I’ll be staying with you?”
In his head, he begged for forgiveness. “I’ll stay in one of the empty guest apartments.”
She frowned at him. “That’s silly. Why wouldn’t I stay in one of those and you stay in your own apartment?”
“Because this will be more comfortable. Those apartments are sterile. Barely anything in them. Here, you have access to a stocked kitchen, laundry, and rooms that are furnished.”
“But aren’t we leaving in the morning? I’m not likely to need anything except somewhere to sleep.”
He paused. “If you’re comfortable staying with me in the apartment, there’s a guest bedroom across from mine with its own bathroom.” He dropped their bags on the breakfast bar, then wished he hadn’t because now he didn’t know what to do with his hands. “Midas made you a code for the elevator. Six digits. Month, day, year of your birthday. You’ll need to enter it every time you want to use it. You’ll have access to the floors with living quarters, the gym, and the second floor. The other floors are team access only. It will also allow you to come and go from the apartment at will.”
She was at the patio door, looking out onto the small area that held two lounge chairs and a low table. Her body tensed. “Is that necessary? I mean, as I said, we’re leaving tomorrow morning, early.”
“When we get back from Argentina, I’m not sure how long it will take to get you set up for a new location. A few days to a week.”
“And you all live in this building? The men, their women, and their families?”
